Finance Act, 1983

Relief from double taxation.

113.—(1) If the Government by order declare that arrangements specified in the order have been made with the government of any territory outside the State in relation to affording relief from double taxation in respect of tax payable under the laws of the State and any tax of a similar character imposed under the laws of that territory, and that it is expedient that those arrangements should have the force of law, the arrangements shall, notwithstanding anything in any enactment, have the force of law.

(2) Any arrangements to which the force of law is given under this section may include provision for relief from tax charged before the making of the arrangements and provisions as to property which is not itself subject to double tax, and the provisions of this section shall have effect accordingly.

(3) For the purposes of subsection (1), arrangements made with the head of a foreign state shall be regarded as made with the government thereof.

(4) Where any arrangements have the force of law by virtue of this section, the obligation as to secrecy imposed by any enactment shall not prevent the Commissioners from disclosing to any authorised officer of the government with which the arrangements are made such information as is required to be disclosed under the arrangements.

(5) (a) Any order made under this section may be revoked by a subsequent order and any such revoking order may contain such transitional provisions as appear to the Government to be necessary or expedient.

(b) Where an order is proposed to be made under this section, a draft thereof shall be laid before Dáil Éireann and the order shall not be made until a resolution approving of the draft has been passed by Dáil Éireann.

(6) (a) Where the Commissioners are satisfied that a tax of a similar character to residential property tax was paid in a territory outside the State in respect of residential property (other than residential property in the State) comprised in the relevant residential property of an assessable person on any valuation date by reference to any date prior to but within twelve months of that valuation date, they may make an allowance by way of credit against the tax due and payable in respect of such residential property for that valuation date for the foreign tax paid in that territory in respect of such residential property and for this purpose the tax due and payable in respect of that residential property for that valuation date shall be the amount which bears to the total tax payable by the assessable person in respect of his relevant residential property on the valuation date the same proportion as the market value of that residential property on that date bears to the aggregate amount of the market values of all residential property comprised in his relevant residential property on that date.

(b) This subsection shall have effect in respect of residential property tax due and payable for a valuation date but it shall not have effect in relation to a foreign tax in respect of which there is, for the time being, an order in force under this section providing for double taxation relief.