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In McDermott Industries (Aust) Pty Ltd v. FCT, the taxpayer company argued that it was not required to withhold tax on bare boat charter payments that it made to a Singaporean company (S-Co). Australia's Federal Commissioner of Taxation sought to apply a rule that a deduction for a royalty subject to withholding tax is not available to the paying company, unless it has paid the withholding tax (in which case the deduction becomes available in the year in which the royalty was incurred). The taxpayer's position was that royalty withholding tax was not payable because S-Co had a deemed permanent establishment under the tax treaty between Australia and Singapore to which the royalties related.

06 December 2005

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Treaty Development

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Australia-Singapore

The Court was asked to determine whether S-Co had a deemed permanent establishment under Art. 4(3)(b) of the treaty which provides that there is a deemed permanent establishment "if substantial equipment is being used in that other State (Australia) by, for or under contract with the (Singapore) enterprise". It was agreed that the ships were substantial equipment. The Full Federal Court ruled, in a judgment delivered on 29 April 2005, that there was a deemed permanent establishment because S-Co used the equipment in Australia. The Court held that (i) "use" in this context covered the "passive" use of the barges...