ARTICLE 11

Interest

1. Interest derived and beneficially owned by a resident of a Contracting State shall be taxable only in that State.

2. The term "interest" as used in this Convention means income from debt-claims of every kind, whether or not secured by a mortgage, and whether or not carrying a right to participate in the debtor's profits, and in particular, income from government securities and income from bonds or debentures, including premiums or prizes attaching to such securities, bonds or debentures, and including an excess inclusion with respect to a residual interest in a real estate mortgage investment conduit. Penalty charges for late payment shall not be regarded as interest for the purpose of this Convention. However, the term "interest" does not include income dealt with in Article 10 (Dividends).

3. The provisions of paragraph 1 shall not apply if the beneficial owner of the interest, being a resident of a Contracting State, carries on business in the other Contracting State in which the interest arises, through a permanent establishment situated therein, or performs in that other State independent personal services from a fixed base situated therein, and the debt-claim in respect of which the interest is paid is effectively connected with such permanent establishment or fixed base. In such case the provisions of Article 7 (Business Profits) or Article 14 (Independent. Personal Services) as the case may be, shall apply.

4. Where, by reason of a special relationship between the payer and the beneficial owner or between both of them and some other person, the amount of the interest, having regard to the debt-claim for which it is paid, exceeds the amount which would have been agreed upon by the payer and the beneficial owner in the absence of such relationship, the provisions of this Article shall apply only to the last-mentioned amount. In such case, the excess part of the payments shall remain taxable according to the laws of each Contracting State, due regard being had to the other provisions of this Convention.

5. The provisions of paragraph 1 shall not apply:

a) to an excess inclusion with respect to a residual interest in a real estate mortgage investment conduit; or

b) to interest that is contingent interest of a type that does not qualify as portfolio interest under United States law, and to equivalent amounts under Austrian law. The classes of interest described in this paragraph are subject to tax in the Contracting State in which the interest arises under the provisions of the internal law of that State.