Copyright 1996
InterAm Database
National Law Center for Inter-American Free Trade

Agreement Between the Argentine Republic and the United States of America 
for the Avoidance of Double Taxation of Income from Shipping and Air 
Transport

December 30, 1987

EFFECTIVE-DATE: AS FROM 1 JANUARY 1987

LIST-OF-ARTICLES:

Exchange of Notes I
Exchange of Notes II


ARTICLES:
Exchange of Notes I

Department of State,
Washington,
December 30, 1987
 
Excellency:   

I have the honor to refer to the Agreement signed on July 20, 1950, to exempt 
from income tax, on a reciprocal basis, income derived from international 
operation of ships and aircraft. The Government of the United States proposes 
that the Government of the United States of America and the Government of 
the Argentine Republic modify the terms of the Agreement. 

The terms of the modified Agreement are as follows:   

Article 1   For the purposes of this Agreement:   

1.  

(a) The term "U.S. tax" means the Federal income taxes imposed by 
the Internal Revenue Code, including the tax on gross income imposed 
by section 887. 

(b) The term "Argentine tax" means: 

(i) the income tax (impuesto a las ganacias); 

(ii) the capital gains tax (impuesto a los beneficios de caracter 
eventual);

(iii) the tax on capital of enterprises (impuesto al capital de 
las empresas); 

(iv) the tax on net worth (impuesto al patrimonio neto).   

2.  The term "Party" means the United States or Argentina, as the case may be.   

3.  The term "enterprise of a Party" means: 

(a) in the case of an Argentine enterprise, enterprises owned by the 
Government of Argentina or a political subdivision or local authority 
thereof, individuals who are residents of Argentina and not citizens of 
the United States, or corporations or companies having their place of 
effective management in Argentina and not created under the laws of 
the United States; 

(b) in the case of a United States enterprise, an enterprise owned by 
the Government of the United States or a political subdivision or local 
authority thereof, individuals who are citizens or residents of the 
United States and not residents of Argentina, or companies created 
under the laws of the United States and not having their place of 
effective management in Argentina; 

(c) it is understood that for a corporation to claim the benefits of this 
Agreement as an enterprise of a Party, it must satisfy the requirements 
of the law of the other Party designed to limit such benefits to 
corporations owned by residents of the first- mentioned Party;   

4.  The term "gross income" means all income derived from the international 
operation of ships or aircraft, including income from the rental of ships or 
aircraft on a full (time or voyage) basis and from the rental on a bareboat basis 
of ships or aircraft if the ships or aircraft are used in international transport or 
the rental income is incidental to income from the international operation of 
ships or aircraft. It also includes income from the rental of containers and 
related equipment used in international transport, and gains from the alienation 
of ships or aircraft or containers operated in internal transport, provided that 
such activity of rental or alienation is incidental to the international operation 
of ships or aircraft.   

5.  The term "competent authority" means: 

(a) in the case of the United States, the Secretary of the Treasury or his 
delegate; and 

(b) in the case of Argentina, the Ministry of Economy (Secretaria de 
Hacienda).   

6.  The term "international operation of ships or aircraft" means the activity of 
transporting by ship or aircraft passengers, cargo, or mail and other directly 
related activities carried on by the owner, lessor or charterer of ships or aircraft 
except where such transport is solely between places in one Party.   

Article 2   

1.  Gross income from the international operation of ships or aircraft derived by 
an enterprise of a Party shall be exempt from tax in the other Party.   

2.  Capital represented by ships or aircraft operated in international transport 
and by movable or immovable property pertaining exclusively to the operation 
of such ships or aircraft shall be taxable only in the Party in which the 
enterprise that operates such ships or aircraft is subject to tax in accordance 
with the preceding provisions.   3.  The provisions of this Article shall also 
apply to gross income from participation in a pool, a joint business, or an 
international operating agency.   

Article 3   The competent authorities of the Parties shall endeavor to resolve by 
mutual agreement any difficulty or doubt arising as to the interpretation and 
application of this Agreement.   

Article 4   The competent authorities of the Parties will endeavor to ensure that 
the tax benefits provided in this Agreement are not enjoyed by enterprises of 
third Parties.   

Article 5   The Parties shall notify each other through diplomatic channels 
when their respective constitutional requirements for the entry into force of this 
Agreement have been satisfied. The Agreement shall enter into force on the 
date of the later of these notifications and shall have effect with respect to 
taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 1987. The Agreement shall be 
applied provisionally as of the date of signature.   

Article 6   This Agreement may be terminated by either Party giving written 
notice through diplomatic channels. The Government of the United States of 
America considers that this note, together with your Government's reply note 
confirming that the Government of the Argentine Republic agrees to these 
terms, constitutes an Agreement between the two Governments modifying the 
Agreement of July 20, 1950.   

Accept, Excellency, the renewed assurances of my highest consideration.   

Exchange of Notes II     

Embassy of the Argentine Republic, Washington, D.C., 30 December 1987

Mr. Secretary of State:   I have the honor of replying to Your Excellency's note 
of 30 December 1987, which states:   "As I Signed for the Acting Secretary of 
State, William B. Milan, Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Finance 
and Development."   

In expressing to Your Excellency the Agreement of my Government with the 
provisions of the note quoted above, I have the honor to inform you that that 
note and the present note constitute an Agreement between our two 
Governments which modifies the Agreement of July 20, 1950.   

Greetings to Your Excellency with my highest and most distinguished 
consideration.   Enrique J. A. Candioti, Ambassador.