
Unraveling the United States- Philippines Income Tax Treaty and a Closer Look at the Treaty’s Provision Regarding the Taxation of U.S. Based Retirement Accounts Such as 401K Plans and IRAs
By Anthony Diosdi The major purpose of an income tax treaty is to mitigate international double taxation through tax reduction or exemptions on certain types of income derived by residents of one treaty country from sources within the other treaty country. Because tax treaties often substantially modify United States and foreign tax consequences, the relevant treaty must be considered in order to fully analyze the income tax consequences of any outbound or inbound transaction. The United States currently has income tax treaties with approximately 58 countries. This article discusses the United States- Philippines Income Tax Treaty. There are several basic treaty provisions, such as permanent establishment provisions and reduced withholding tax rates, that are common to most of the income tax treaties to which the U.S. is a party. In…