Publication 515
Withholding of Tax on Nonresident Aliens and Foreign Entities  
(Revised: 11/2002)

For Withholding in 2003

Withholding on Specific Income

Different kinds of income are subject to different withholding requirements.

Effectively Connected Income

Generally, when a foreign person engages in a trade or business in the United States, all income from sources within the United States other than fixed or determinable annual or periodical (FDAP) income, discussed earlier, is considered effectively connected with a U.S. business. FDAP income may or may not be effectively connected with a U.S. business. For example, effectively connected income includes rents from real property if the alien chooses to treat that income as effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business.

The factors to be considered in establishing whether FDAP income and similar amounts are effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business include:

1. Whether the income is from assets used in, or held for use in, the conduct of that trade or business, or
2. Whether the activities of that trade or business were a material factor in the realization of the income.

Income from securities.   There is a special rule determining whether income from securities is effectively connected with the active conduct of a U.S. banking, financing, or similar business.

If the foreign person's U.S. office actively and materially participates in soliciting, negotiating, or performing other activities required to arrange the acquisition of securities, the U.S. source interest or dividend income from the securities (or gain or loss from their sale or exchange) is attributable to the U.S. office and is effectively connected income.

Withholding exemption.   Generally, you do not need to withhold tax on income if you receive a Form W-8ECI on which a foreign payee represents that:

1. The foreign payee is the beneficial owner of the income,
2. The income is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business in the United States, and
3. The income is includible in the payee's gross income.

This withholding exemption applies to income for services performed by a foreign partnership or foreign corporation (unless item (4) below applies to the corporation). The exemption does not apply, however, to:

1. Pay for personal services performed by an individual,
2. Effectively connected taxable income of a partnership that is allocable to its foreign partners (see Partnership Withholding on Effectively Connected Income, later),
3. Income from the disposition of a U.S. real property interest (see U.S. Real Property Interest, later), or
4. Payments to a foreign corporation for personal services if all of the following apply:
   1. The foreign corporation otherwise qualifies as a personal holding company for income tax purposes,
   2. The foreign corporation receives amounts under a contract for personal services of an individual whom the corporation has no right to designate, and
   3. 25% or more in value of the outstanding stock of the foreign corporation at some time during the tax year is owned, directly or indirectly, by or for an individual who has performed, is to perform or may be designated as the one to perform, the services called for under the contract.

Notional principal contract income.   Payment of an amount attributable to a notional principal contract is not subject to NRA withholding regardless of whether a Form W-8ECI is provided. However, income from a notional principal contract is subject to reporting on Form 1042-S if it is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business in the United States. You must treat the income as effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business if you pay the income to, or to the account of, a qualified business unit (a branch) of a foreign person located in the United States, or a qualified business unit located outside the United States and you know, or have reason to know, the income is effectively connected with the conduct of a U.S. trade or business. You do not need to treat notional principal contract income as effectively connected if you receive a Form W-8BEN that represents that the income is not effectively connected with the conduct of a U.S. trade or business or if the payee provides a representation in a master agreement or in the confirmation on the particular notional principal contract transaction that the payee is a U.S. person or a non-U.S. branch of a foreign person.

Income paid to U.S. branch of foreign bank or insurance company.   A payment to a U.S. branch of a foreign bank or a foreign insurance company that is subject to U.S. regulation by the Federal Reserve or state insurance authorities is presumed to be effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business in the United States unless the branch provides a Form W-8BEN or Form W-8IMY for the income. If a U.S. branch of a foreign bank or insurance company receives income that the payer did not withhold upon because of the presumption that the income was effectively connected with the U.S. branch's trade or business, the U.S. branch is required to withhold on the income if it is in fact not effectively connected with the conduct of its trade or business in the United States. Withholding is required whether the payment was collected on behalf of other persons or on behalf of another branch of the same entity.

Income Not Effectively Connected

This section discusses the specific types of income that are subject to NRA withholding. The income codes contained in this section correspond to the income codes used on Form 1042-S (discussed later), and in most cases, on Tables 1 and 2 found at the end of this publication.

You must withhold tax at the statutory rates shown in Chart C unless a reduced rate or exemption under a tax treaty applies. For U.S. source gross income that is not effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business, the rate is usually 30%. Generally, you must withhold the tax at the time you pay the income to the foreign person. See When to withhold, earlier.

Chart C. Withholding Tax Rates

(Note: You must withhold tax at the following rates on payments of income unless a reduced rate or exemption is authorized under a tax treaty. The President may apply higher tax rates on income paid to residents or corporations of foreign countries that impose burdensome or discriminatory taxes on U.S. persons.)

Interest

Interest from U.S. sources paid to foreign payees is subject to NRA withholding. When making a payment on an interest bearing obligation, you must withhold on the gross amount of stated interest payable on the interest payment date, even if the payment or a portion of the payment may be a return of capital rather than interest.

A substitute interest payment made to the transferor of a security in a securities lending transaction or a sale-repurchase transaction is treated the same as the interest on the transferred security.

Interest paid by U.S. obligors - general (Income Code 1).   With specific exceptions, such as portfolio interest, you must withhold on interest paid or credited on bonds, debentures, notes, open account indebtedness, governmental obligations, certain deferred payment arrangements (as provided in section 483 of the Internal Revenue Code) or other evidences of indebtedness of U.S. obligors. U.S. obligors include the U.S. Government or its agencies or instrumentalities, any U.S. citizen or resident, any U.S. corporation, and any U.S. partnership.

If, in a sale of a corporation's property, payment of the bonds or other obligations of the corporation is assumed by the buyer, that buyer, whether an individual, partnership, or corporation, must deduct and withhold the taxes that would be required to be withheld by the selling corporation as if there had been no sale or transfer. Also, if interest coupons are in default, the tax must be withheld on the gross amount of interest whether or not the payment is a return of capital or the payment of income.

A resident alien paying interest on a margin account maintained with a foreign brokerage firm must withhold from the interest whether the interest is paid directly or constructively.

Interest on bonds of a U.S. corporation paid to a foreign corporation not engaged in a trade or business in the United States is subject to NRA withholding even if the interest is guaranteed by a foreign corporation that made payment outside the United States.

Domestic corporations must withhold on interest credited to foreign subsidiaries or foreign parents.

Original issue discount (Income Code 30).   Original issue discount paid on the redemption of an obligation is subject to NRA withholding. Original issue discount paid as part of the purchase price of an obligation sold or exchanged, other than in a redemption, is not subject to NRA withholding unless the purchase is part of a plan the principal purpose of which is to avoid tax and the withholding agent has actual knowledge or reason to know of the plan. Withholding is required by a person other than the issuer of an obligation (or the issuer's agent) only if the obligation is issued after December 31, 2000.

The original issue discount subject to NRA withholding is the taxable amount of original issue discount. The taxable amount is the original issue discount that accrued while the obligation was held by the foreign beneficial owner up to the time the obligation was sold or exchanged or a payment was made, reduced by any original issue discount that was previously taxed. If a payment was made, the tax due on the original issue discount may not exceed the payment reduced by the tax imposed on the portion of the payment that is qualified stated interest.

If you cannot determine the taxable amount, you must withhold on the entire amount of original issue discount accrued from the date of issue until the date of redemption (or sale or exchange, if subject to NRA withholding) determined on the basis of the most recently published Publication 1212, List of Original Issue Discount Instruments.

For more information on original issue discount, see Publication 550, Investment Income and Expenses.

Reduced Rates of
Withholding on Interest

Certain interest is subject to a reduced rate of, or exemption from, withholding.

Portfolio interest.   Interest and original issue discount that qualifies as portfolio interest is not subject to NRA withholding. To qualify as portfolio interest, the interest must be otherwise subject to NRA withholding, must be paid on obligations issued after July 18, 1984, and must meet certain other requirements.

Obligations not in registered form.   Interest on an obligation that is not in registered form (bearer obligation) is portfolio interest if the obligation is foreign-targeted. A bearer obligation is foreign-targeted if:

1. There are arrangements to ensure that the obligation will be sold, or resold in connection with the original issue, only to a person who is not a United States person,
2. Interest on the obligation is payable only outside the United States and its possessions, and
3. The face of the obligation contains a statement that any United States person who holds the obligation will be subject to limits under the United States income tax laws.

Documentation is not required for interest on bearer obligations to qualify as portfolio interest. In some cases, however, you may need documentation for purposes of Form 1099 reporting and backup withholding.

Obligations in registered form.   Portfolio interest includes interest paid on an obligation that is in registered form, and for which you have received documentation that the beneficial owner of the obligation is not a United States person.

If the registered obligation is not targeted to foreign markets, you must receive documentation on which you may rely to treat the payee as a foreign person that is the beneficial owner of the interest. The documentation required is a valid Form W-8BEN (a valid Form W-8EXP from an entity that completes the Form W-8EXP for other purposes is also acceptable) or, if allowable, valid documentary evidence. See Documentation, earlier.

A registered obligation is targeted to foreign markets if it is sold (or resold in connection with its original issuance) only to foreign persons or to foreign branches of U. S. financial institutions in accordance with procedures similar to those provided under section 1.163-5(c)(2)(i) of the regulations. However, the procedure that requires the obligation to be offered for sale (or resale) only outside the United States does not apply if the registered obligation is offered for sale through a public auction. Also, the procedure that requires the obligation to be delivered outside the United States does not apply if the obligation is considered registered because it may be transferred only through a book entry system and the obligation is offered for sale through a public auction. The documentation needed depends on whether the interest is paid to a financial institution, a member of a clearing organization, or to some other foreign person.

Interest that does not qualify as portfolio interest.   Payments to certain persons and payments of contingent interest do not qualify as portfolio interest. You must withhold at the statutory rate on such payments unless some other exception, such as a treaty provision applies.

Ten-percent owners.   Interest paid to a foreign person that owns 10% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of a corporation, or 10% or more of the capital or profits interest in a partnership, that issued the obligation on which interest is paid is not portfolio interest. Generally, the constructive ownership of stock rules apply in determining if a person is a 10% shareholder of a corporation.

Banks.   Except in the case of interest paid on an obligation of the United States, interest paid to a bank on an extension of credit made pursuant to a loan agreement entered into in the ordinary course of the bank's trade or business does not qualify as portfolio interest.

Controlled foreign corporations.   Interest paid to a controlled foreign corporation from a person related to the controlled foreign corporation is not portfolio interest.

Contingent interest.   Portfolio interest generally does not include contingent interest. Contingent interest is interest that is determined by reference to any of the following.

• Any receipts, sales, or other cash flow of the debtor or related person.
• Income or profits of the debtor or related person.
• Any change in value of any property of the debtor or a related person.
• Any dividend, partnership distributions, or similar payments made by the debtor or a related person.

The term related person is defined in section 871(h)(4)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code.

The contingent interest rule does not apply to any interest paid or accrued on any indebtedness with a fixed term that was issued:

• On or before April 7, 1993, or
• After April 7, 1993, pursuant to a written binding contract in effect on that date and at all times thereafter before that indebtedness was issued.

Interest on real property mortgages (Income Code 2).   Certain treaties (see Table 1) permit a reduced rate or exemption for interest paid or credited on real property mortgages. This is interest paid on any type of debt instrument that is secured by a mortgage or deed of trust on real property located in the United States, regardless of whether the mortgagor (or grantor) is a U.S. citizen or a U.S. business entity.

Interest paid to controlling foreign corporations (Income Code 3).   Certain treaties (see Table 1) permit a reduced rate or exemption for interest paid by a domestic corporation to a controlling foreign corporation. The interest may be on any type of debt including open or unsecured accounts payable, notes, certificates, bonds, or other evidences of indebtedness. A controlling foreign corporation is a corporation of the treaty country that controls, directly or indirectly, more than 50% of the entire voting power of the paying corporation.

Interest paid by foreign corporations (Income Code 4).   If a foreign corporation is engaged in a U.S. trade or business, any interest paid by the foreign corporation's trade or business in the United States (branch interest) is subject to NRA withholding as if paid by a domestic corporation (without considering the payer having income from abroad exception). As a result, the interest paid to foreign payees is generally subject to NRA withholding. In addition, if allocable interest exceeds the branch interest paid, the excess interest is also subject to tax and reported on the foreign corporation's income tax return, Form 1120-F. See Instructions for Form 1120-F for more information.

If there is no treaty provision that reduces the rate of withholding on branch interest, you must withhold tax at the statutory rate of 30% on the interest paid by a foreign corporation's U.S. trade or business.

In general, payees of interest from a U.S. trade or business of a foreign corporation are entitled to reduced rates of, or exemption from, tax under a treaty in the same manner and subject to the same conditions as if they had received the interest from a domestic corporation. However, a foreign corporation that receives interest paid by a U.S. trade or business of a foreign corporation must also be a qualified resident of its country of residence to be entitled to benefits under that country's tax treaty. If the foreign corporation is a resident of a country that has entered into an income tax treaty since 1987 that contains a limitation on benefits article, the foreign corporation need only satisfy the limitation on benefits article in that treaty to qualify for a reduced rate of tax.

Alternatively, a payee may be entitled to treaty benefits under the payor's treaty if there is a provision in that treaty that applies specifically to interest paid by the payor foreign corporation. This provision may exempt all or a part of this interest. Some treaties provide for an exemption regardless of the payee's residence or citizenship, while others provide for an exemption according to the payee's status as a resident or citizen of the payor's country.

A foreign corporation that pays interest must be a qualified resident (under section 884 of the Internal Revenue Code) of its country of residence for the payor's treaty to exempt payments from tax by the foreign corporation. However, if the foreign corporation is a resident of a country that has entered into an income tax treaty since 1987 that contains a limitation on benefits article, the foreign corporation need only satisfy the limitation on benefits article in that treaty to qualify for the exemption.

Interest on deposits (Income Code 29).   Foreign persons are not subject to withholding on interest that is not connected with a U.S. trade or business if it is from:

1. Deposits with persons carrying on the banking business,
2. Deposits or withdrawable accounts with savings institutions chartered and supervised under federal or state law as savings and loan or similar associations, such as credit unions, if the interest is or would be deductible by the institutions, or
3. Amounts left with an insurance company under an agreement to pay interest on them.

Deposits include certificates of deposit, open account time deposits, Eurodollar certificates of deposit, and other deposit arrangements.

The deposit interest exception does not require a Form W-8BEN. However, a Form W-8BEN may be required for purposes of Form 1099 reporting and backup withholding.

You may have to file Form 1042-S to report certain payments of interest on deposits.

Interest from foreign business arrangements.   In general, interest received from a resident alien individual or a domestic corporation is not subject to NRA withholding if at least 80% of the payer's gross income from all sources has been from active foreign business for the 3 tax years of the payer before the year in which the interest is paid, or for the applicable part of those 3 years. Active foreign business income is gross income which is:

1. Derived from sources outside the United States, and
2. Attributable to the active conduct of a trade or business in a foreign country or possession of the United States by the individual or corporation.

However, limits apply if the recipient is considered to be a related person (see section 861(c) of the Internal Revenue Code). A foreign beneficial owner does not need to provide a Form W-8 or documentary evidence for this exception. However, documentation may be required for purposes of Form 1099 reporting and backup withholding.

Sales of bonds between interest dates.   Amounts paid as part of the purchase price of an obligation sold or exchanged between interest payment dates is not subject to NRA withholding. This does not apply if the sale or exchange is part of a plan the principal purpose of which is to avoid tax and you have actual knowledge or reason to know of the plan. The exemption from NRA withholding applies even if you do not have any documentation from the payee. However, documentation may be required for purposes of Form 1099 reporting and backup withholding.

Short-term obligations.   Interest and original issue discount paid on an obligation that was issued at a discount and that is payable 183 days or less from the date of its original issue (without regard to the period held by the taxpayer) is not subject to NRA withholding. This exemption applies even if you do not have any documentation from the payee. However, documentation may be required for purposes of Form 1099 reporting and backup withholding.

Income from U.S. Savings Bonds of residents of the Ryukyu Islands or the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.   Interest from a Series E, Series EE, Series H, or Series HH U.S. Savings Bond is not subject to NRA withholding if the nonresident alien individual acquired the bond while a resident of the Ryukyu Islands or the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.

Dividends

The following types of dividends paid to foreign payees are generally subject to NRA withholding. A substitute dividend payment made to the transferor of a security in a securities lending transaction or a sale-repurchase transaction is treated the same as a distribution on the transferred security.

Dividends paid by U.S. corporations - general (Income Code 6).   This category includes all distributions of domestic corporations (other than dividends qualifying for direct dividend rate - Income Code 7).

A corporation making a distribution with respect to its stock or any intermediary making a payment of such a distribution, is required to withhold on the entire amount of the distribution. However, a distributing corporation or intermediary may elect to not withhold on the part of the distribution that:

1. Represents a nontaxable distribution payable in stock or stock rights,
2. Represents a distribution in part or full payment in exchange for stock,
3. Is not paid out of current or accumulated earnings and profits, based on a reasonable estimate of the anticipated amount of earnings and profits for the tax year of the distribution made at a time reasonably close to the date of the distribution,
4. Represents a capital gain dividend or an exempt interest dividend by a regulated investment company, or
5. Is subject to withholding under section 1445 of the Internal Revenue Code (withholding on dispositions of U.S. real property interests) and the distributing corporation is a U.S. real property holding corporation or a real estate investment trust (REIT).

The election is made by actually reducing the amount of withholding at the time the distribution is paid.

Dividends paid by a domestic corporation (an 80/20 company).   Generally, a percentage of any dividend paid by a domestic corporation that received at least 80% of its gross income from the active conduct of a foreign business for a testing period is not subject to NRA withholding. The testing period is the 3 tax years before the year in which the dividends are declared, or shorter period if the corporation was not in existence for 3 years. The percentage is found by dividing the corporation's foreign gross income for the testing period by the corporation's total gross income for that period.

Main business in Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.   Dividends paid by a domestic corporation that generally conducts its main business activities in Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands and that has chosen the Puerto Rico economic activity credit or the possession tax credit are not subject to NRA withholding.

Consent dividends.   If you receive a Form 972, Consent of Shareholder To Include Specific Amount in Gross Income, from a nonresident alien individual or other foreign shareholder who agrees to treat the amount as a taxable dividend, you must pay and report on Form 1042 and Form 1042-S any withholding tax you would have withheld if the dividend had been actually paid.

Dividends qualifying for direct dividend rate (Income Code 7).   A treaty may reduce the rate of withholding on dividends from that which generally applies under the treaty if the shareholder owns a certain percentage of the voting stock of the corporation. Generally, this preferential rate applies only if the shareholder directly owns the required percentage, although some treaties permit the percentage to be met by direct or indirect ownership. The preferential rate may apply to the payment of a deemed dividend under section 304(a)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code. Under some treaties, the preferential rate for dividends qualifying for the direct dividend rate applies only if no more than a certain percentage of the paying corporation's gross income for a certain period consists of dividends and interest other than dividends and interest from subsidiaries or from the active conduct of a banking, financing, or insurance business. A foreign person claiming the direct dividend rate should complete line 10 of Form W-8BEN regarding special rates and conditions.

Consent dividends.   If you receive a Form 972 from a foreign shareholder qualifying for the direct dividend rate, you must pay and report on Form 1042 and Form 1042-S any withholding tax you would have withheld if the dividend had been actually paid.

Dividends paid by foreign corporations (Income Code 8).   Dividends paid by a foreign corporation are generally subject to NRA withholding if 25% or more of its gross income is effectively connected (or treated as effectively connected) with a U.S. trade or business for the 3 tax years (or shorter period) before the year in which the dividends are paid. Taxes should be withheld in the same ratio that the effectively connected gross income bears to the total gross income of the foreign corporation. If less than 25% of the corporation's gross income is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business, then the dividends are not subject to NRA withholding. The payment to a foreign corporation by a foreign corporation of a deemed dividend under section 304(a)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code is subject to NRA withholding except to the extent it can be clearly determined to be from foreign sources.

Corporation subject to branch profits tax.   If a foreign corporation is subject to branch profits tax for any tax year, withholding is not required on any dividends paid by the corporation out of its earnings and profits for that tax year. Dividends may be subject to NRA withholding if they are attributable to any earnings and profits when the branch profits tax is prohibited by a tax treaty.

A foreign person may claim a treaty benefit on dividends paid by a foreign corporation to the extent the dividends are paid out of earnings and profits in a year in which the foreign corporation was not subject to the branch profits tax. However, you may apply a reduced rate of withholding under an income tax treaty only under rules similar to the rules that apply to treaty benefits claimed on branch interest paid by a foreign corporation. You should check the specific treaty provision.

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