Areas of Practice

Tax Law and International Tax Planning

Double Taxation Agreements

Cyprus has concluded an impressive number of treaties for the avoidance of double taxation. Along with the low corporate tax rates and the special provisions for holding companies, the Cyprus companies provide an excellent vehicle for effective international tax planning.

The main purpose of these treaties   is the avoidance of double taxation on income earned in any of these countries. Under these agreements, a credit is usually allowed against the tax levied by the country in which the taxpayer resides for taxes levied in the other treaty country and as a result the tax payer pays no more than the higher of the two rates.

Further, some treaties provide for tax sparing credits whereby the tax credit allowed is not only with respect to tax actually paid in the other treaty country but also from tax which would have been otherwise payable had it not been for incentive measures in that other country which result in exemption or reduction of tax.