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### Synthesised text of the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (MLI) and the Convention between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income and on capital gains
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General disclaimer on the Synthesised text document.
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This document presents the synthesised text for the application of the Convention between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income and on Capital Gains signed on 21 June 2010 (the ‘Convention’), as modified by the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting signed by the United Kingdom and Hong Kong on 7 June 2017 the ‘MLI’).
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The document was prepared on the basis of the MLI position of United Kingdom submitted to the Depositary upon ratification on 29 June 2018 and of the MLI position of Hong Kong submitted to the Depositary upon ratification on 25 May 2022. These MLI positions are subject to modifications as provided in the MLI. Modifications made to MLI positions could modify the effects of the MLI on the Convention.
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The authentic legal texts of the Convention and the MLI take precedence and remain the legal texts applicable.
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The provisions of the MLI that are applicable with respect to the provisions of the Convention are included in boxes throughout the text of this document in the context of the relevant provisions of the Convention. The boxes containing the provisions of the MLI have generally been inserted in accordance with the ordering of the provisions of the 2017 OECD Model Tax Convention.
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Changes to the text of the provisions of the MLI have been made to conform the terminology used in the MLI to the terminology used in the Convention (such as ‘Covered Tax Agreement’ and ‘Convention’, ‘Contracting Jurisdictions’ and ‘Contracting States’), to ease the comprehension of the provisions of the MLI. The changes in terminology are intended to increase the readability of the document and are not intended to change the substance of the provisions of the MLI. Similarly, changes have been made to parts of provisions of the MLI that describe existing provisions of the Convention: descriptive language has been replaced by legal references of the existing provisions to ease the readability.
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In all cases, references made to the provisions of the Convention or to the Convention must be understood as referring to the Convention as modified by the provisions of the MLI, provided such provisions of the MLI have taken effect.
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### References
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The authentic legal texts of the MLI and the Convention can be found at the following links:
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[Multilateral Convention to implement tax treaty related measures to prevent base erosion and profit shifting](http://www.oecd.org/tax/treaties/multilateral-convention-to-implement-tax-treaty-related-measures-to-prevent%1fBEPS.pdf)
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#### In the United Kingdom:
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[The Double Taxation Relief and International Tax Enforcement (Hong Kong) Order 2010 (legislation.gov.uk)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/2974/contents/made).
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The MLI position of the United Kingdom submitted to the Depositary upon ratification on 29 June 2018 and of the MLI position of Hong Kong submitted to the Depositary upon ratification on 25 May 2022 can be found on the MLI Depositary (OECD) webpage [Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent BEPS - OECD](https://www.oecd.org/tax/treaties/multilateral-convention-to-implement-tax-treaty-related-measures-to-prevent-beps.htm).
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The provisions of the MLI applicable to the Convention do not take effect on the same dates as the original provisions of the Convention. Each of provisions of the MLI could take effect on different dates, depending on the types of taxes involved (taxes withheld at source or other taxes levied) and on the choices made by the United Kingdom and Hong Kong in their MLI positions.
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Dates of the deposit of instruments of ratification, acceptance or approval: 29 June 2018 for the United Kingdom and 25 May 2022 for Hong Kong.
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Entry into force of the MLI: 1 October 2018 for the United Kingdom and 1 September 2022 for Hong Kong.
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Unless it is stated otherwise elsewhere in this document, the provisions of the MLI have effect with respect to the Convention:
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- In the United Kingdom,
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- from 1 January 2024 for taxes withheld at source; and
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- from 1 April 2024 for corporation tax and from 6 April 2024 for income tax and capital gains tax.
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- In Hong Kong, for taxable periods beginning on or after 23 September 2023 for all taxes.
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### Agreement between the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income and on capital gains
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The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland;
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[REPLACED by paragraph 1 and 3 of Article 6 of the MLI] [Desiring to conclude an Agreement for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income and on capital gains;]
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Have agreed as follows:
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The following paragraph 1 and paragraph 3 of Article 6 of the MLI replace the text referring to an intent to eliminate double taxation in the preamble of this Convention:
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Article 6 of the MLI — purpose of a covered tax agreement
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Desiring to further develop their economic relationship and to enhance their co-operation in tax matters,
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Intending to eliminate double taxation with respect to the taxes covered by [this Convention] without creating opportunities for non-taxation or reduced taxation through tax evasion or avoidance (including through treaty-shopping arrangements aimed at obtaining reliefs provided in [the Convention] for the indirect benefit of residents of third jurisdictions), residents of third jurisdictions),