ARTICLE 11
U.S. Income Tax Treaty — New Zealand Income Tax Treaty - 1982 · 2026-10-03 edition · updated 2026-10-04 · United States
Interest
Interest derived and beneficially owned by a resident of a Contracting State may be taxed in that State.
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. The competent authorities of the Contracting States shall endeavor to settle the mode of application of this limitation.
Notwithstanding paragraph 2, interest shall be exempt from tax by the Contracting State where it arises if the interest is:
(a) derived and beneficially owned by the other Contracting State or an
instrumentality of that Contracting State which is not subject to tax on its income by that State; or
(b) derived and beneficially owned by a resident of the other Contracting State with respect to debt obligations guaranteed or insured by that State or an instrumentality of that State which is not subject to tax on its income by that State.
The provisions of paragraph 2 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.
Interest shall be deemed to arise in a Contracting State when the payer is that State itself, a political subdivision, a local authority, or resident of that State, or is a United States company which is resident in New Zealand for the purposes of New Zealand tax but is treated as a resident of neither Contracting State by reason of paragraph 4 of Article 4 (Residence). 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.
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-claims 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 the Convention.
Where a resident of a Contracting State pays interest to a person other than a resident of the other Contracting State, that other State may not impose any tax on such interest except insofar as it arises in that other State or insofar as the interest paid it attributable to a permanent establishment or a fixed base of the beneficial owner of the interest situated in that other State.
Get a plain-English answer with a citation back to this text.
Ask AI about this code