Kenya - Royalty

Article 12 Royalties

1.Royalties arising in a Contracting State and paid to a resident of the other Contracting State may be taxed in that other State.

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

3.The term “royalties” as used in this Article means payments of any kind received as a consideration for the use of, or the right to use, any copyright of literary, artistic or scientific work including cinematograph films, any patent, trade mark, design or model, plan, secret formula or process, or for information concerning industrial, commercial or scientific experience.

4.The provisions of paragraph 1 and 2 shall not apply if the beneficial owner of the royalties, being a resident of a Contracting State, carries on business in the other Contracting State in which the royalties arise, through a permanent establishment situated therein, or performs in that other State independent personal services from a fixed base situated therein, and the right or property in respect of which the royalties are paid is effectively connected with such permanent establishment or fixed base. In such case the provisions of Article 7 or Article 14, as the case may be, shall apply.

5.Royalties shall be deemed to arise in a Contracting State when the payer is that State itself or a political subdivision or a local authority thereof, or a resident of that State. Where, however, the person paying the royalties, whether he is a resident of a Contracting State or not, has in a Contracting State a permanent establishment or a fixed base with which the right or property in respect of which the royalties are paid is effectively connected, and such royalties are borne by such permanent establishment or fixed base, then such royalties shall be deemed to arise in the State in which the permanent establishment or fixed base is situated.

6.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 royalties, having regard to the use, right or information for which they are 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.

7.No relief shall be available under this Article if it was the main purpose or one of the main purposes of any person concerned with the assignment of the royalties, or with the creation or assignment of the rights in respect of which the royalties are paid, or with the establishment, acquisition or maintenance of the company that is the beneficial owner of the royalties and the conduct of its operations, to take advantage of this Article. The competent authority of the Contracting State which has to grant the benefits shall consult with the competent authority of the other Contracting State before denying the benefits under this paragraph.

Protocol:

XV.Ad Articles 10, 11 and 12

Where tax has been levied at source in excess of the amount of tax chargeable under the provisions of Articles 10, 11 or 12, applications for the refund of the excess amount of tax have to be lodged with the competent authority of the State having levied the tax, within a period of three years after the expiration of the calendar year in which the tax has been levied.

XVI.Ad article 12

Notwithstanding paragraph 2 of Article 12 the competent authorities of the Contracting States may decide by mutual agreement on exemption at source of royalties paid as a consideration for the use or the right to use agricultural or environmental technologies.