The OECD Model Tax Convention serves as a foundational template for countries around the world when creating bilateral tax treaties. These treaties dictate how income earned in one country by residents or entities of another country is taxed, helping to prevent double taxation and reduce tax evasion.
Developed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the model convention addresses key issues related to international tax law, including the allocation of taxing rights on income from various sources such as business profits, dividends, interest, royalties, and employment income.
One of its core purposes is to establish clear rules on how and where different types of income should be taxed. It includes provisions to determine which country has the primary right to tax certain income, mitigating conflicts between tax jurisdictions.
The OECD Model Tax Convention also incorporates anti-abuse rules aimed at preventing tax avoidance strategies such as treaty shopping, where taxpayers exploit differences in tax treaties to unduly reduce their tax burden.
While the convention itself is not legally binding, it serves as a widely accepted negotiating tool for countries drafting or updating their double taxation agreements (DTAs). These treaties help individuals and businesses avoid being taxed twice on the same income when operating across borders.
Countries may adapt the model to their own legal systems and economic policies, resulting in variations in treaty provisions. However, the OECD updates the model regularly to reflect changes in international tax practices and standards.
The most recent versions of the OECD Model Tax Convention are typically available in PDF format on the official OECD website (oecd.org) under the taxation section. Despite occasional access restrictions like 403 Forbidden errors when attempting to access certain links directly, the official site remains the primary resource for the convention’s latest updates.
For more on how international tax treaties work, you can explore related topics such as Double Taxation Agreements and Tax Treaties.
Authoritative information on the OECD Model Tax Convention can also be found on the OECD’s official website and in resources like the IRS’s guidelines on international taxation.