ARTICLE 11

Interest

1. Interest arising in a Contracting State and beneficially owned by a resident of the other Contracting State may be taxed in that other State.

2. However, such interest may also be taxed in the Contracting State in which it arises and according to the laws of that State, but if the beneficial owner of the interest is a resident of the other Contracting State, the tax so charged shall not exceed 10 percent of the gross amount of the interest.

3. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 2:

a) Interest arising in a Contracting State, derived and beneficially owned by the Government of the other Contracting State, including political subdivisions and local authorities thereof, the Central Bank or any financial institution wholly owned by that Government, or interest derived on loans guaranteed or insured by that Government, subdivision, authority or institution shall be exempt from tax in the first-mentioned State;

b) interest arising in a Contracting State shall be exempt from tax in that State if the beneficial owner of the interest is an enterprise of the other Contracting State, and the interest is paid with respect to an indebtedness arising as a consequence of the sale on credit by an enterprise of that other State, of any merchandise, or industrial, commercial or scientific equipment to an enterprise of the first-mentioned State, except where the sale or indebtedness is between related persons;

c) the United States may tax an excess inclusion with respect to a residual interest in a Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduit in accordance with its domestic law; and

d) interest paid by a resident of a Contracting State and that is determined with reference to receipts, sales, income, profits or other cash flow of the debtor or a related person, to any change in the value of any property of the debtor or a related person or to any dividend, partnership distribution or similar payment made by the debtor to a related person also may be taxed in that State, and according to its laws, but if the beneficial owner is a resident of the other Contracting State, the gross amount of the interest may be taxed at a rate not exceeding the rate prescribed in subparagraph b) of paragraph 2 of Article 10 (Dividends).

4. The term "interest" as used in this Convention means income from debt-claims of every kind, whether or not secured by mortgage and, subject to paragraph 4 of Article 10 (Dividends), 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, as well as all other income that is treated as interest by the taxation law of the Contracting State in which the income arises. Penalty charges for late payment shall not be regarded as interest for the purpose of this Article.

5. The provisions of paragraphs 2 and 3 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 interest is attributable to 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.

6. Interest shall be deemed to arise in a Contracting State when the payor is a resident of that State. Where, however, the person paying the interest, whether he is a resident of a Contracting State or not, has in a Contracting State a permanent establishment or a fixed base in connection with which the indebtedness on which the interest is paid was incurred, and such interest is borne by such permanent establishment or fixed base, then such interest shall be deemed to arise in the State in which the permanent establishment or fixed base is situated.

7. Where, by reason of a special relationship between the payor 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 payor 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 the Convention.

8. A resident of a Contracting State may be subject to tax in the other Contracting State in respect of interest expenses allocable to its profits attributable to a permanent establishment in the other Contracting State or subject to tax in the other Contracting State under Article 6 (Income from Immovable (Real) Property) or paragraph 1 of Article 13 (Capital Gains) over the interest paid by or from that permanent establishment or trade or business. In this case, the allocable interest expense in excess of interest paid shall be deemed to be interest arising in the other Contracting State and be beneficially owned by a resident of the first-mentioned Contracting State.