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Venezuela - Kuwait — Orbitax Withholding Tax Rates

Capital Gains

  • Best Rates0%
  • Domestic Rates 5%
  • Treaty Rates0%
  • EU Rates-

Domestic

Capital gains from the sale of stock in Venezuelan corporations are subject to withholding at the rate of:

  • 5% if the recipient is a non-resident legal entity;
  • 34% if the recipient is a non-resident individual; and
  • 1% (as final payment) if the stock corresponds to an entity listed on the Venezuelan stock exchange and the transfer takes place through the stock exchange.

Dividend

  • Best Rates0%
  • Domestic Rates 34%
  • Treaty Rates0%
  • EU Rates-

Domestic

Dividends distributed by Venezuelan companies are taxable to the extent the dividend consists of previously untaxed corporate profits (excess of book over taxable profits). Therefore, tax is withheld on the taxable portion of dividends at the rate of 34% on the gross amount thereof. The withholding tax rate is 50% for dividends paid by companies engaged in upstream oil activities and 40% for dividends paid by banks, financial institutions, and insurance and reinsurance companies. The dividend withholding tax is a final tax in full satisfaction of the recipient’s Venezuelan tax liability.

Treaty

No withholding tax under domestic law

Interest

  • Best Rates5%
  • Domestic Rates 32.3%
  • Treaty Rates5%
  • EU Rates-

Domestic

Non-resident lenders are subject to withholding tax on 95% of the gross amount of interest and financial charges paid by a Venezuelan debtor pursuant to foreign debt agreements. Tax is withheld at a reduced rate of 4.95% if the recipient of the interest is a Qualified Foreign Financial (as so designated by the country of residence). Otherwise, tax is withheld on interest payments at progressive rates of up to 32.3% or up to 34%, depending on the specific features of the loan and the type of recipient, unless otherwise reduced under a tax treaty.

Treaty

5%

Royalty - Copyright

  • Best Rates20%
  • Domestic Rates 30.6%
  • Treaty Rates20%
  • EU Rates-

Domestic

Payments qualifying as royalties under the restrictive definitions established in the Venezuelan domestic law are subject to withholding tax on 90% of the gross amount. Therefore, tax is withheld on royalties and similar payments at an effective rate of 30.60% (top marginal rate of 34% on a presumed notional net income of 90%).

Treaty

20%

Royalty - Patent

  • Best Rates20%
  • Domestic Rates 30.6%
  • Treaty Rates20%
  • EU Rates-

Domestic

Payments qualifying as royalties under the restrictive definitions established in the Venezuelan domestic law are subject to withholding tax on 90% of the gross amount. Therefore, tax is withheld on royalties and similar payments at an effective rate of 30.60% (top marginal rate of 34% on a presumed notional net income of 90%).

Treaty

20%

Royalty - Trademark

  • Best Rates20%
  • Domestic Rates 30.6%
  • Treaty Rates20%
  • EU Rates-

Domestic

Payments qualifying as royalties under the restrictive definitions established in the Venezuelan domestic law are subject to withholding tax on 90% of the gross amount. Therefore, tax is withheld on royalties and similar payments at an effective rate of 30.60% (top marginal rate of 34% on a presumed notional net income of 90%).

Treaty

20%

Sales

  • Best Rates0%
  • Domestic Rates 0%
  • Treaty Rates0%
  • EU Rates-

Service - Management

  • Best Rates0%
  • Domestic Rates 10.2%
  • Treaty Rates0%
  • EU Rates-

Domestic

Payments qualifying as managerial assistance under the restrictive definitions established in the Venezuelan domestic law are subject to withholding tax on 30% of the gross amount. The withholding tax applies on 50% of the gross amount for payments qualifying as technology services. Therefore, tax is withheld at rates of up to 10.2% on managerial assistance payments (top marginal rate of 34% of a presumed or notional net income of 30%) and at the rate of 17% on technology services (34% on a presumed net notional income of 50%).

Treaty

The treaty does not specifically deal with technical, management and similar service fees. In line with the OECD Model, this means that said services do not fall under the royalty article and do not attract the royalty withholding tax provided for under the treaty unless the services represent a minor part of a commingled transaction imparting in essence know-how. In that case, the services would follow the qualification of the principal component of the transaction, and may then attract the royalty withholding tax under the treaty. Otherwise, said services may be taxed in the source country only if the recipient has therein a (services) PE and the fees are attributable to that PE. Note, however, that not all countries would adhere to the OECD standpoint. ORBITAX has by default opted for the OECD position and the withholding tax rate is by default set to zero where the treaty does not specifically deal with technical, management and similar service fees. Where the relevant country has a developed policy regarding the treatment of technical, management and similar service fees and the correlation between those and royalties, ORBITAX has sought to cover this in Sec. 5.6. of the country chapters (Qualification of Specific Income Categories for Tax Purposes). For a technical analysis of the issue of services Vs. royalties, ##HowToReadTreatyLink##. For a quick reference as to whether any of a selection of some 350 widely-used tax treaties specifically addresses technical service fees, ORBITAX has developed a proprietary Treaty Analysis allowing you to quickly and easily capture the most salient features of the relevant treaty. In order to access the Treaty Analysis of a particular bilateral tax treaty, select the pair of countries under the Treaties Tab.

Service - Technical

  • Best Rates0%
  • Domestic Rates 10.2%
  • Treaty Rates0%
  • EU Rates-

Domestic

Payments qualifying as technical assistance under the restrictive definitions established in the Venezuelan domestic law are subject to withholding tax on 30% of the gross amount. The withholding tax applies on 50% of the gross amount for payments qualifying as technology services. Therefore, tax is withheld at rates of up to 10.2% on technical assistance payments (top marginal rate of 34% of a presumed or notional net income of 30%) and at the rate of 17% on technology services (34% on a presumed net notional income of 50%).

Treaty

The treaty does not specifically deal with technical, management and similar service fees. In line with the OECD Model, this means that said services do not fall under the royalty article and do not attract the royalty withholding tax provided for under the treaty unless the services represent a minor part of a commingled transaction imparting in essence know-how. In that case, the services would follow the qualification of the principal component of the transaction, and may then attract the royalty withholding tax under the treaty. Otherwise, said services may be taxed in the source country only if the recipient has therein a (services) PE and the fees are attributable to that PE. Note, however, that not all countries would adhere to the OECD standpoint. ORBITAX has by default opted for the OECD position and the withholding tax rate is by default set to zero where the treaty does not specifically deal with technical, management and similar service fees. Where the relevant country has a developed policy regarding the treatment of technical, management and similar service fees and the correlation between those and royalties, ORBITAX has sought to cover this in Sec. 5.6. of the country chapters (Qualification of Specific Income Categories for Tax Purposes). For a technical analysis of the issue of services Vs. royalties, ##HowToReadTreatyLink##. For a quick reference as to whether any of a selection of some 350 widely-used tax treaties specifically addresses technical service fees, ORBITAX has developed a proprietary Treaty Analysis allowing you to quickly and easily capture the most salient features of the relevant treaty. In order to access the Treaty Analysis of a particular bilateral tax treaty, select the pair of countries under the Treaties Tab.