The double tax treaty between Russia and the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, also known as the Treaty, was enforced by Russia and Hong Kong since 1 January 2017 and 1 April 2017 respectively.
The comprehensive double tax treaty was designed to ease the business and economic relationship, as well as facilitate smooth trading between Russia and Hong Kong. The Treaty was inspired by the Model Agreement approved by the Russian Government’s Resolution no. 84 enacted on 24 February 2010. Guided by prevailing OECD and UN documents during the Treaty’s negotiation phase, the agreement now provides Russians reduced corporate income and personal income tax rates for payment transactions to Hong Kong tax residents and ultimate elimination of double taxation for residents of both jurisdictions.
Here are some defining provisions of the Treaty:
- Any Russian company incorporated in Hong Kong is automatically recognized as a resident Hong Kong company.
- A Russian company is considered a resident Hong Kong legal entity if managed and controlled from the city itself.
- Income generated by a Hong Kong resident company in Russia will not be assessed with tax in the Russian Federation.
- The only time a Hong Kong resident company in Russia will be assessed with tax is on profits made in the Russian Federation.
Here is a quick rundown of comparative tax rates that are applicable under the Treaty (in Russia as of 1 January 2017) and under Russian Law (until December 2016)
Applicable Rates under Russian Law (until December 2016) | Applicable Rates under the Treaty ( starting 1 January 2017) | |
Dividends | 15% | 5% for beneficial owner of dividends under the following instances:
Otherwise, a 10% rate applies in all other cases |
Odsetki | 20% | 0% |
Opłaty licencyjne | 20% | 3% |
Zyski kapitałowe | 20% | Zgodnie z zasadą, 0%
20% zysków kapitałowych pochodzi z następujących źródeł:
|
Inne dochody | 20% | 0% |
Nasi konsultanci w Damalion mogą udzielić Państwu szczegółowych informacji i pomóc w poruszaniu się w zakresie wpływu umowy o unikaniu podwójnego opodatkowania Hongkong-Rosja na Państwa działalność w obu jurysdykcjach.
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