US Internal Revenue Service: n-02-41
US Internal Revenue Service: n-02-41
US Internal Revenue Service: n-02-41
Notice 2002-41
SECTION 1. PURPOSE
1
See Rev. Proc. 2000-12, 2000-4 I.R.B. 387.
2
from the withholding agent in gross and withholds and deposits tax, if any, based on the
Forms W-8 or W-9 that it receives from its partners, beneficiaries, or owners. The WP
or WT reports payments to, and tax withheld from, its direct foreign partners,
beneficiaries or owners on Form 1042-S on an individual basis or, by election, on a
pooled basis. Thus, a WP or WT is relieved of the requirement to disclose to a
withholding agent any documentation and payment information for partners,
beneficiaries or owners. A withholding agent is relieved of the responsibility for
collecting documentation, withholding and reporting payment information for partners,
beneficiaries and owners of a WP or WT.
SECTION 2. SCOPE
.01 Foreign Partnerships and Foreign Simple and Grantor Trusts. This Notice
applies to a foreign partnership seeking to qualify as a withholding foreign partnership
under Treas. Reg. §1.1441-5(c)(2)(ii).2 The proposed withholding foreign partnership
agreement applies to amounts subject to NRA withholding that the partnership
distributes to, or includes in the distributive shares of, its direct partners.
The IRS intends that the WP and WT agreements will be available in all
circumstances in which a foreign entity acting on behalf of its partners, beneficiaries, or
owners provides Form W-8IMY as proper documentation. For example, a WP or WT
agreement would be available for an entity that is properly claiming treaty benefits for its
owners under section 894 of the Code (notwithstanding that the entity may be treated
as a corporation.
This Notice does not apply to intermediaries seeking to become QIs. Instead,
see Rev. Proc. 2000-12, 2000-4 I.R.B. 387. The QI agreement applies to amounts
subject to NRA withholding that are collected by an intermediary and paid to its account
holders.
2
All citations to income tax regulations in this revenue procedure are to the regulations as
amended by T.D. 8734 (62 FR 53387), T.D. 8804 (63 FR 72183), and T.D. 8856 (64 FR 73408).
4
.02 Notice 2001-4. Pending the development of these agreements, Notice 2001-
4, 2001-2 I.R.B. 267, provided a transition rule for foreign partnerships for calendar year
2001. Under the transition rule, for calendar year 2001, partnerships were permitted to
provide to withholding agents Form W-8IMY with partner documentation attached
together with a withholding statement that furnished payment information on the basis of
withholding rate pools. Because that relief is unavailable for payments after December
31, 2001, the IRS intends that subscribing partnerships will apply the WP agreement for
calendar years after 2001.
SECTION 3. BACKGROUND
Under sections 6041, 6042, 6045, 6049, and 6050N of the Code (the Form 1099
reporting provisions), payors of interest, dividends, royalties, gross proceeds from the
sale of securities, and other fixed or determinable income must report payments on
Form 1099 unless an exception applies. If a payment is reportable on Form 1099, a
payor must generally obtain a Form W-9 from the payee. If the payor does not receive
the Form W-9, it generally must backup withhold under section 3406 of the Code and
report the payment on Form 1099.
Under section 6031 of the Code, a foreign partnership that has gross income that
is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business within the United States
(ECI) is required to file a partnership return on Form 1065 with Schedules K-1
(Statement of Partner=s share of Income, Credit, Deduction, Etc.) for each partner.
Also, a foreign partnership that has U.S. source gross income that is not ECI and that
has U.S. partners is generally required to file Form 1065 and Schedules K-1 for each of
its direct U.S. partners and for its passthrough partners through which U.S. partners
hold an interest in the foreign partnership. See Treas. Reg. §1.6031(a)-1(b). A foreign
trust generally is not engaged in any trade or business. However, if it has gross income
that is treated as effectively connected with the conduct of a U.S. trade or business, it
must file a return on Form 1040NR. Under section 6048(b), a foreign trust that has a
U.S. owner must file Form 3520-A, Annual Information Return of a Foreign Trust with a
U.S. Owner. Under section 6048(c), a U.S. person that receives a distribution from a
foreign trust must file Form 3520. The trust must provide an information statement to
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the U.S. distributee. See Form 3520, Annual Return to Report Transactions With
Foreign Trusts and Receipt of Certain Foreign Gifts.
(iii) Automatic termination. The agreements provide that, if on audit the IRS or
external auditor discovers that the WP or WT was not in possession of a valid Form W-8
or W-9, as applicable, for any direct partner, beneficiary, or owner, the agreement will
automatically terminate unless cured. This provision operates in conjunction with the
documentation provisions described above to eliminate completely the application of the
presumption rules by WP or WT. The extended date for withholding on undistributed
income under the WP or WT agreements, as noted below, provides the WP or WT with
more time to obtain documentation. Thus, it is expected that WP or WT will have ample
time to comply with the documentation requirements to avoid automatic termination.
U.S. partners, beneficiaries, or owners. The WP or WT must file the necessary forms,
schedules, and statements required by sections 6031 and 6048, as applicable.
(1) A statement identifying what type of entity the applicant is (i.e., a foreign
partnership or a foreign simple or grantor trust) and that it requests to enter into a WP or
WT agreement with the IRS.
(2) The applicant=s name, address, and employer identification number(s) (EIN),
if any.
(3) The country in which the applicant was created or organized and a
description of the applicant=s business.
(4) A list of the titles of those persons who will be the responsible parties for
performance under the Agreement and the names, addresses, and telephone numbers
of those persons as of the date the application is submitted.
(5) A list describing, as of the date the application is submitted, the type of
partners, beneficiaries or owners (e.g., U.S., foreign, treaty benefit claimant, or
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The text of the WP agreement is set forth in Appendix 1. The text of the WT
agreement is set forth in Appendix 2. Upon receipt and review of an application to
become a WP or WT, the IRS will complete the agreement based on the information
provided by WP or WT (e.g., insertion of the WP=s name, etc.). Therefore, a
prospective WP or WT should ensure that it has provided to the IRS all of the
information that is required to complete the agreement. It may be necessary for the IRS
to contact the potential WP or WT, or its authorized representative, to obtain additional
information. Once the IRS has obtained all the information required to complete the
agreement, the IRS will send two unsigned copies of the agreement to the prospective
WP or WT for signature. Both copies of the agreement should be signed by a person
with the authority to sign the agreement and should be returned to the IRS at the
address specified in section 5.01. The IRS will sign the agreement and return one of
the originals to the WP or WT.
Treasury and the IRS request comments on the proposed withholding foreign
partnership and withholding foreign trust agreements attached as appendices to this
notice. After consideration of any comments received, Treasury and the IRS intend to
publish a revenue procedure containing the final text of these agreements. In addition,
the IRS may consider adapting the proposed withholding foreign partnership and
withholding foreign trust agreements to the unique circumstances of certain classes of
foreign partnerships and trusts. For instance, the IRS may consider incorporating
documentation provisions similar to the provisions in the QI agreement in the case of
certain foreign partnerships and trusts that are required by law in the jurisdiction of
organization to comply with know-your customer rules for obtaining documentation
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confirming the identity of partners, beneficiaries, or owners (or the interests in which are
generally held through institutions that are subject to know-your-customer rules); and
(i) the offer and sale of interests in which are subject to securities regulation in
that jurisdiction; or
In addition, the IRS understands that certain small partnerships or small family
trusts may find the WP or WT agreement to be a desirable alternative to acting as a
nonwithholding partnership or trust but may nevertheless require adaptations to the
agreements as drafted.
APPENDIX 1
SECTION 2. DEFINITIONS
Sec. 2.01. Agreement
Sec. 2.02. Amounts Subject to NRA Withholding
Sec. 2.03. Chapter 3 of the Code
Sec. 2.04. Chapter 61 of the Code
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WHEREAS, WP and the IRS desire to enter into an agreement to establish WP=s
rights and obligations regarding documentation, withholding, information reporting, tax
return filing, deposits, and adjustment procedures under sections 1441, 1442, 1443,
1461, 6031, 6302, 6402, and 6414 of the Code with respect to certain types of
payments;
SECTION 2. DEFINITIONS
For purposes of this Agreement, the terms listed below are defined as follows:
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Sec. 2.01. Agreement. AAgreement@ means this Agreement between WP and the IRS.
All appendices to this Agreement and WP=s application to become a withholding foreign
partnership are incorporated into this Agreement by reference.
Sec. 2.03. Chapter 3 of the Code. Any reference to "chapter 3 of the Code" means
sections 1441, 1442, 1443, 1461, 1463, and 1464 of the Code.
Sec. 2.04. Chapter 61 of the Code. Any reference to "chapter 61 of the Code" means
sections 6031, 6041, 6042, 6045, 6049, and 6050N of the Code.
Sec. 2.05. External Auditor. An Aexternal auditor@ is any approved auditor listed in
Appendix A of this Agreement that WP engages to perform the audits required by
section 8 of this Agreement.
Sec. 2.07. Foreign Person. A Aforeign person@ is any person that is not a AUnited
States person@ and includes a Anonresident alien individual,@ a Aforeign corporation,@ a
Aforeign partnership,@ a Aforeign trust,@ and a Aforeign estate,@ as those terms are defined
in section 7701 of the Code.
Sec. 2.08. Form W-8. AForm W-8" means a valid IRS Form W-8BEN, Certificate of
Foreign Status of Beneficial Owner for United States Tax Withholding; IRS Form W-
8ECI, Certificate of Foreign Person=s Claim for Exemption From Withholding on Income
Effectively Connected With the Conduct of a Trade or Business in the United States;
IRS Form W-8EXP, Certificate of Foreign Governments and Other Foreign
Organizations for United States Tax Withholding; and IRS Form W-8IMY, Certificate of
Foreign Intermediary, Foreign Partnership, and Certain U.S. Branches for United States
Tax Withholding, as appropriate. It also includes any acceptable substitute form.
Sec. 2.09. Form W-9. AForm W-9" means a valid IRS Form W-9, Request for
Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification, or any acceptable substitute.
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Sec. 2.10. Form 1042. AForm 1042" means an IRS Form 1042, Annual Withholding
Tax Return for U.S. Source Income of Foreign Persons.
Sec. 2.11. Form 1042-S. AForm 1042-S@ means an IRS Form 1042-S, Foreign
Person=s U.S. Source Income Subject to Withholding.
Sec. 2.12. Form 1065. AForm 1065" means an IRS Form 1065, U.S. Return of
Partnership Income and the Schedules K-1 associated with that form.
Sec. 2.13. Intermediary. An Aintermediary@ means any person that acts on behalf of
another person, such as a custodian, broker, nominee, or other agent.
Sec. 2.15. NRA Withholding. For purposes of this agreement, “nonresident alien
(NRA) withholding” is any withholding required under chapter 3 of the Code (other than
sections 1445 or 1446), whether the payment subject to withholding is made to an
individual or to an entity.
Sec. 2.16. Overwithholding. The term Aoverwithholding@ means the excess of the
amount actually withheld over the amount required to be withheld under chapter 3 of the
Code .
Sec. 2.17. Partnership and Partner. The terms Apartnership@ and Apartner@ is defined
in section 7701(a)(2) of the Code and the regulations thereunder. A direct partner is a
partner, other than an intermediary or flow-through entity, that is not itself a withholding
foreign partnership or withholding foreign trust, for which WP acts as a withholding
foreign partnership. An indirect partner is a person that owns a partnership interest in
WP though one or more passthrough partners. A passthrough partner is a direct or
indirect partner in WP that is an intermediary or flow-through entity. As provided in
Section 2.06 of this Agreement, a withholding foreign partnership or withholding foreign
trust is not a flow-through entity and thus is not a passthrough partner.
interest; and U.S. source interest or original issue discount paid on the redemption of
short-term obligations. The term does not include payments on deposits with banks and
other financial institutions that remain on deposit for two weeks or less. It also does not
include amounts of original issue discount arising from a sale and repurchase
transaction completed within a period of two weeks or less, or amounts described in
Treas. Reg. '1.6049-5(b)(7), (10), or (11) (relating to certain foreign targeted registered
obligations and certain obligations issued in bearer form).
Sec. 2.21. Reporting Pool. A reporting pool is defined in section 5.03 of this
Agreement.
Sec. 2.22. Schedule K-1. ASchedule K-1" or AK-1" is the schedule associated with the
Form 1065 that itemizes an individual Partner=s Share of Income, Credits, Deductions,
etc.
Sec. 2.25. U.S. Person. A AUnited States (or U.S.) person@ is a person described in
section 7701(a)(30) of the Code, the U.S. government (including an agency or
instrumentality thereof), a State of the United States (including an agency or
instrumentality thereof), or the District of Columbia (including an agency or
instrumentality thereof).
Sec. 2.26. Withholding Agent. A "withholding agent" has the same meaning as set
forth in Treas. Reg. '1.1441-7(a) and includes a payor. As used in this Agreement, the
term generally refers to the person making a payment to a withholding foreign
partnership.
Sec. 2.28. Withholding Foreign Partnership (or WP) EIN. A Awithholding foreign
partnership EIN@ or AWP-EIN@ means the employer identification number assigned by
the IRS to a withholding foreign partnership. WP=s WP-EIN is only to be used when WP
is acting as a withholding foreign partnership. For example, WP must give a withholding
agent its non-WP EIN, if any, rather than its WP-EIN, if it is not acting as a withholding
foreign partnership and a taxpayer identification number is required.
Sec. 2.30. Other Terms. Any term not defined in this section has the same meaning
that it has under the Code, the income tax regulations under the Code, or any
applicable income tax treaty.
Sec. 3.03. Deposit Requirements. WP must deposit amounts withheld under chapter
3 of the Code with a Federal Reserve bank or authorized financial institution at the time
and in the manner provided under section 6302 of the Code (see Treas. Reg. '1.6302-
2(a) or '31.6302-1(h)).
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Sec. 4.02. Documentation for Foreign Partners. WP may treat a direct partner as a
foreign beneficial owner if the direct partner provides a Form W-8 that supports such
status. WP may treat a direct partner that has provided a Form W-8 as entitled to a
reduced rate of NRA withholding if all the requirements for a reduced rate are met and
the Form W-8 provided by the direct partner supports entitlement to a reduced rate.
Sec. 4.03. Treaty Claims. WP may not reduce the rate of withholding based on a
direct partner’s claim of treaty benefits unless WP obtains from the partner a Form W-
8BEN with Part II of the form properly completed, including the appropriate limitation on
benefits and section 894 certifications.
Sec. 4.05. Documentation for Foreign Governments and Foreign Central Banks of
Issue.
(1) WP receives from the direct partner a Form W-8EXP establishing that the direct
partner is a foreign government or foreign central bank of issue;
(2) The income distributed to, or included in the distributive share of, the direct partner is
the type of income that qualifies for an exemption from withholding under section 892 or
895; and
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(3) WP does not know, or have reason to know, that the direct partner is a controlled
commercial entity, that the income owned by the foreign government or foreign central
bank of issue is being received from a controlled commercial entity, or that the income
is from the disposition of an interest in a controlled commercial entity.
(B) Treaty Exemption. WP may not treat a direct partner as a foreign government or
foreign central bank of issue entitled to a reduced rate of withholding under an income
tax treaty unless it obtains a Form W-8BEN from the partner that, under section 4.03 of
this Agreement, is sufficient to obtain a reduced rate of withholding under a treaty.
(C) Other Code Exception. If a foreign government or foreign central bank of issue is
not claiming benefits under section 892 or section 895 of the Code but under another
Code exception (e.g., the portfolio interest exception under sections 871(h) or 881(c) of
the Code), the provisions of section 4.02 of this Agreement apply rather than the
provisions of this section 4.05.
(A) Reduced Rate of Withholding Under Section 501. WP may not treat a direct
partner as a foreign organization described under section 501(c) of the Code, and
therefore exempt from withholding (or, if the direct partner is a foreign private
foundation, subject to withholding at a 4-percent rate under section 1443(b) of the
Code) unless WP obtains a valid Form W-8EXP on which Part III of the form is
completed.
(B) Treaty Exemption. WP may not treat a direct partner as a foreign organization that
is tax exempt, or entitled to a reduced rate of withholding, under an income tax treaty
unless it obtains a Form W-8BEN from the partner that, under section 4.03 of this
Agreement, is sufficient to obtain a reduced rate of withholding under a treaty.
Sec. 4.08. Documentation for U.S. Exempt Recipients. WP shall not treat a partner
as a U.S. exempt recipient unless WP obtains a Form W-9 from the partner on which
the partner writes AExempt@ in Part II of the Form.
Sec. 4.09. Documentation for U.S. Non-Exempt Recipients. WP shall not treat a
partner as a U.S. non-exempt recipient unless WP obtains a Form W-9 from the partner.
Sec. 4.10. Documentation Validity. WP may not rely on Forms W-8 or W-9 if WP has
actual knowledge or reason to know that the information or statements contained in the
forms are unreliable or incorrect. Once WP knows, or has reason to know, that a Form
W-8 or W-9 provided by a direct partner is unreliable or incorrect, WP must obtain a
new Form W-8 or W-9 prior to the time withholding is required.
(A) Form W-8. WP may rely on a properly completed Form W-8 until its validity expires
under Treas. Reg. '1.1441-1(e)(4)(ii).
(B) Form W-9. WP may rely on a properly completed Form W-9 as long as it has not
been informed by the IRS or another withholding agent that the form is unreliable.
(A) Maintaining Documentation. WP shall maintain Forms W-8 and W-9 by retaining
the original documentation, a certified copy, a photocopy, a microfiche, or by electronic
storage or similar means of record retention.
(B) Retention Period. WP shall retain a direct partner=s Forms W-8 or W-9 obtained
under this section 4 for as long as it may be relevant to the determination of WP=s tax
liability under this agreement.
part of the Form W-8IMY. The withholding statement may be provided in any manner,
and in any form, to which WP and the withholding agent mutually agree.
(A) In General. WP shall file a return on Form 1042, whether or not WP withheld any
amounts under chapter 3 of the Code, on or before March 15 of the year following any
calendar year in which WP acts as a withholding foreign partnership. In addition to the
information specifically requested on Form 1042 and the accompanying instructions,
WP shall attach a statement setting forth the amounts of any overwithholding or
underwithholding adjustments made under Treas. Reg. '1.1461-2 and sections 7.01
and 7.03 of this Agreement, and an explanation of the circumstances that resulted in the
over- or under- withholding.
(B) Extensions for Filing Returns. WP may request an extension of the time for filing
Form 1042, or any of the information required to be attached to the form, by submitting
Form 2758, Application for Extension of Time to File Certain Excise, Income,
Information, and Other Returns on or before the due date of the return. The application
must be in writing, properly signed by a duly authorized agent of WP, and shall clearly
set forth the following:
(1) The calendar year for which the extension is requested; and
(2) A full explanation of the reason(s) for requesting the extension to assist the IRS in
determining the period of extension, if any, that will be granted.
Sec. 6.02. Form 1042-S Reporting: General Rule. Unless WP has made a pooled
reporting (PR) election pursuant to section 6.03 of this Agreement, WP is required to file
separate Forms 1042-S for each direct partner to whom WP distributes, or in whose
distributive share is included, an amount subject to NRA withholding. WP must file
separate Forms 1042-S by income code, exemption code, recipient code, and
withholding rate. WP must file its Forms 1042-S in the manner required by the
regulations under chapter 3 of the Code and the instructions to the form, including any
requirement to file the forms magnetically or electronically. Any Form 1042-S required
by this section 6 shall be filed on or before March 15 following the calendar year in
which withholding, if any, was required under section 3.02 of this agreement. WP may
request an extension of time to file Forms 1042-S by submitting Form 8809, Request for
Extension of Time to File Information Returns, by the due date of Forms 1042-S in the
manner required by Form 8809.
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Sec. 6.03. Form 1042-S Reporting: Special Rule for PR Election. If WP has made
the PR election pursuant to this section 6.03, WP is not required to file Forms 1042-S
for amounts distributed to, or included in the distributive share of, each separate direct
partner for whom such reporting would otherwise be required. Instead, WP shall file a
separate Form 1042-S for each reporting pool. A reporting pool consists of income that
falls within a particular withholding rate and within a particular income code, exemption
code, and recipient code as determined on Form 1042-S. WP may use a single
recipient code for all reporting pools except for amounts paid to foreign tax-exempt
recipients, for which a separate recipient code must be used. For this purpose, a
foreign tax-exempt recipient includes any organization that is not subject to NRA
withholding and is not liable to tax in its country of residence because it is a charitable
organization, a pension fund, or a foreign government. WP must make the PR election
at the time this agreement is executed by signing the election statement on the
signature page of this agreement. Once made, the PR election remains in effect for the
entire term of this agreement beginning on the date the agreement becomes effective
and ending on the date of its expiration or termination under section 9 of the Agreement.
WP must make a new election for each renewal term of this agreement. If WP makes
the PR election, WP cannot revoke it prior to the end of the term for which WP has
made the PR election. If WP did not make the PR election at the time this agreement
was executed, then WP may make a PR election only by terminating this agreement
pursuant to section 9.03 and requesting to enter into a new agreement.
Sec. 6.04. Form 1065 Filing Requirement. If WP is required to file Form 1065 and
Schedules K-1 under Treas. Reg. '1.6031(a)-1, then WP shall file Form 1065 and
Schedules K-1 in accordance with the regulations and the instructions for the form.
Sec. 6.05. Retention of Returns. WP shall retain Forms 1065 and 1042 for the period
of the applicable statute of limitations on assessments and collection under the Code.
(1) WP states on a Form 1042-S filed by March 15 of the calendar year following the
calendar year of overwithholding, the amount of tax withheld and the amount of any
actual repayments; and
(2) WP states on a Form 1042, filed by March 15 of the calendar year following the
calendar year of overwithholding, that the filing of the Form 1042 constitutes a claim for
credit in accordance with Treas. Reg. '1.6414-1.
(B) Set-Off Procedure. WP may repay its partners by applying the amount
overwithheld against any amount which otherwise would be required under chapter 3 of
the Code to be withheld by WP before the earlier of March 15 of the calendar year
following the calendar year of overwithholding or the date that the Form 1042-S is
actually filed with the IRS. For purposes of making a return on Form 1042 or 1042-S for
the calendar year of overwithholding, and for purposes of making a deposit of the
amount withheld, the reduced amount shall be considered the amount required to be
withheld from such income under chapter 3 of the Code.
(A) WP must not have issued Forms 1042-S to the direct partners who were subjected
to overwithholding;
(B) WP must submit together with its amended return on which it claims a credit or
refund a statement of the reason for the overwithholding;
(C) WP must submit together with its amended return on which it claims a credit or
refund a statement that it has repaid the amount of overwithholding to the appropriate
direct partners prior to filing the claim for credit or refund; and
(D) WP must retain a record showing that it repaid the direct partners the amount of the
overwithholding.
of assets over which it has control. The additional withholding or satisfaction of the tax
owed may only be made before the due date of the Form 1042 (not including
extensions) for the calendar year in which the underwithholding occurred.
Sec. 7.04. NRA Underwithholding after Form 1042 Filed. If, after a Form 1042 has
been filed for a calendar year, WP, WP=s external auditor, or the IRS determines that,
due to WP=s failure to carry out its obligations under this Agreement, WP has
underwithheld tax for such year, WP shall file an amended Form 1042 to report and pay
the underwithheld tax. WP shall pay the underwithheld tax, the interest due on the
underwithheld tax, and any applicable penalties, at the time of filing the amended Form
1042. If WP fails to file an amended return, the IRS shall make such return under
section 6020 of the Code.
Sec. 7.05. Special Rule Regarding Failure to Deposit Penalties. Solely for
purposes of applying section 6656 of the Code (failure to make deposit of taxes), WP
will not be considered to have made an underpayment of a deposit of NRA withholding
taxes if the conditions of this paragraph are met. The conditions of this paragraph are
thatB
(A) WP makes its deposits within the time (deposit period) required by section 6302 of
the Code;
(B) The deposit is not less than 90 percent of the aggregate amount of the tax required
to be withheld under chapter 3 of the Code during the deposit period applicable to WP;
and
(C) WP determines the difference between the total amount required to be deposited
and the amount actually deposited as of the end of the 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 12th months of
the calendar year and the difference is deposited no later than the 15th day of the
second following month (i.e., May 15, August 15, November 15 and February 15,
respectively). In determining whether there has been an underpayment,
reimbursements and set-offs shall be taken into account.
Sec. 8.01. In General. Unless WP requests an IRS audit in lieu of an external audit,
the IRS agrees not to conduct an on-site audit of WP with respect to withholding and
reporting obligations covered by this Agreement provided that an external auditor
designated in Appendix A of this Agreement conducts an audit of WP in accordance
with this section 8. WP shall permit the external auditor to have access to all relevant
records of WP for purposes of performing the external audit, including information
regarding specific partners. WP shall permit the IRS to communicate directly with the
external auditor and to review the audit procedures followed by the external auditor.
WP represents that there are no legal prohibitions that prevent the external auditor from
examining any information relevant to the external audit to be performed under this
section 8 and that there are no legal prohibitions that prevent the IRS from
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communicating directly with the auditor. WP shall permit the IRS to examine the
external auditor=s work papers and reports.
Sec. 8.02. Designation of External Auditor. WP=s external auditor must be one of
the auditors listed in Appendix A of this Agreement, unless WP and the IRS agree, prior
to the audit, to substitute another auditor. WP shall not propose an external auditor
unless it has a reasonable belief that the auditor is subject to laws, regulations, or rules
that impose sanctions for failure to exercise its independence and to perform the audit
competently. The IRS has the right to reject a proposed external auditor, or to revoke
its acceptance of an external auditor, if the IRS, in its sole discretion, reasonably
believes that the auditor is not independent or cannot perform an effective audit under
this Agreement.
Sec. 8.03. Timing External Audits: General Rule. Unless WP has made a PR
election, WP shall have the external auditor conduct an external audit only at such time
and only for such calendar years as the IRS directs.
Sec. 8.04. Timing External Audits: Special Rule for PR Election. If WP has made a
PR election, WP shall have the external auditor conduct an audit after the close of every
other calendar year that this Agreement is in effect. The auditor shall examine the two
previous calendar years. For example, the first audit will occur in the third calendar year
that the agreement is in effect and the external auditor will examine calendar years one
and two.
Sec. 8.05. Scope of External Audit. The external auditor shall verify whether WP is in
compliance with this Agreement by conducting an audit that meets the requirements of
this section 8.05. The report, described in section 8.06 of this Agreement, must
disclose that the external auditor has, at a minimum, performed the following checks
listed in this section 8.05, and set forth how each of those checks was performed and
the results of the checks. WP=s external auditor is encouraged to contact the IRS at the
address set forth in section 10.06 of this Agreement and submit an audit plan (which
includes, if relevant, the extent to which the external auditor proposes to rely on WP=s
internal audit procedures) prior to performing the audit so that the audit may be
conducted in the most efficient and least costly manner possible.
(A) Documentation. The external auditor must review information contained in partner
files to determine whether the documentation requirements of section 4 of this
Agreement are being met.
(1) Perform test checks of direct partners, to verify that WP is withholding the proper
amounts.
(2) Verify that amounts withheld were timely deposited in accordance with section 3.03
of this Agreement.
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(C) Return Filing and Information Reporting. The external auditor mustB
(1) Obtain copies of original and amended Forms 1042, and any schedules, statements,
or attachments required to be filed with those forms, and determine whether the
amounts of income, taxes, and other information reported on those forms are accurate
byB
(ii) Reviewing Forms W-8IMY, together with the associated withholding statements, that
WP has provided to withholding agents;
(iii) Reviewing copies of Forms 1042-S that withholding agents have provided WP;
(vi) Interviewing personnel responsible for preparing the Form 1042 and the work
papers used to prepare those forms.
(2) Obtain copies of original and corrected Forms 1042-S and Schedules K-1 together
with the work papers used to prepare those forms and determine whether the amounts
reported on those forms are accurate byB
(3) Thoroughly review the statements attached to amended Forms 1042 filed to claim a
refund, ascertain their veracity, and determine the causes of any overwithholding
reported and ensure WP did not issue Forms 1042-S to persons whom it included as
part of its collective credit or refund.
(4) Determine, in the case of collective credits or refunds, that WP repaid the
appropriate partners prior to requesting a collective refund or credit.
(E) Change in Circumstances. The external auditor must verify that in the course of
the audit it has not discovered any significant change in circumstances, as described in
section 9.05 (A) or (D) of this Agreement.
Sec. 8.06. External Auditor’s Report. Upon completion of the audit of WP, the
external auditor shall issue a report, or reports, of audit findings directly to the IRS by
sending the original report to the IRS at the address set forth in section 10.06 of this
27
Agreement. This report is due by December 31 following the calendar year being
audited, or if that date falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the next U.S. business day. The
IRS may, however, upon request by the external auditor, extend the due date of the
audit report upon good cause. The report must be in writing, in English, and currency
amounts must be stated in U.S. dollars. The report must fully describe the scope of the
audit, the methodologies (including sampling techniques) used to determine whether
WP is in compliance with the provisions of this Agreement, and the result of each such
determination. The report must also specifically address each of the items in section
8.05 of this Agreement.
Sec. 8.07. Expanding Scope and Timing of External Audit. Upon review of the
external auditor=s report, the IRS may request, and WP must permit, the external auditor
to perform additional audit procedures.
Sec. 9.01. Term of Agreement: General Rule. If WP has not made a PR election,
this Agreement shall be in effect on _________and shall continue in force until
terminated under 9.03 or 9.04 of this Agreement.
Sec. 9.02. Term of Agreement: Special Rule for PR Election. If WP has made a PR
election, this Agreement shall be in effect on _________ and shall expire on December
31 of the fifth full calendar year after the year in which this Agreement first takes effect.
This Agreement may be renewed for additional terms as provided in section 9.08 of this
Agreement.
makes that discovery. This Agreement will be reinstated, effective the same date it was
automatically terminated, if WP obtains appropriate Forms W-8 or W-9 (that relate to the
time withholding or reporting was required) for each such partner before January 31 of
the year following the year in which the agreement automatically terminated. In the
event of automatic termination of this agreement, WP must pay any underwithholding of
tax, interest, and penalties that the IRS determines is attributable to each
undocumented direct partner for the period during which the partner was
undocumented, and, if WP has made a PR election, WP must file partner specific
Forms 1042-S for every foreign direct partner from the earliest time the Forms W-8 or
W-9 were required for any undocumented direct partner through the date of termination.
After the date of automatic termination of this agreement, WP may not act as a
withholding foreign partnership, and must so notify any persons to which WP has
furnished a withholding foreign partnership certificate. After the date of automatic
termination of this agreement, the IRS may reinstate this agreement (or the IRS may
require WP to enter into a new withholding foreign partnership agreement) on such
terms and conditions and with such modifications as the IRS may determine.
(B) A change in U.S. federal law or policy, or applicable foreign law or policy, that
affects the validity of any provision of this Agreement, materially affects the procedures
contained in this Agreement, or affects WP=s ability to perform its obligations under this
Agreement;
(C) A ruling of any court that affects the validity of any provision of this Agreement; or
(D) A significant change in WP=s business practices that affects WP=s ability to meet its
obligations under this Agreement.
Sec. 9.06. Events of Default. For purposes of this Agreement, an event of default
occurs if WP fails to perform any material duty or obligation required under this
Agreement, and includes, but is not limited to, the occurrence of any of the following:
(D) WP fails to file Forms 1042, 1042-S, 1065 (if required), or Schedules K-1 (if
required) by the due date specified on such forms or files forms that are materially
incorrect or fraudulent;
(E) WP fails to have an external audit performed when required, WP=s external auditor
fails to provide its report directly to the IRS on a timely basis, WP fails to cooperate with
the external auditor, or WP or its external auditor fails to cooperate with the IRS;
(F) WP fails to inform the IRS within 90 days of any significant change in its business
practices to the extent that change affects WP=s obligations under this Agreement;
(I) The IRS determines that WP=s external auditor is not sufficiently independent to
adequately perform its audit function or the external auditor fails to provide an audit
report that complies with section 8 of this Agreement;
(J) WP is prohibited by any law from disclosing the identity of a partner or partner
information to WP=s external auditor;
(K) WP fails to make deposits in the time and manner required by section 3.03 of this
Agreement or fails to make adequate deposits, taking into account the procedures of
7.05 of this Agreement; or
(L) WP fails to permit the external auditor to perform additional audit procedures under
the provisions of section 8.07 of this Agreement.
Sec. 9.07. Notice and Cure. Upon the occurrence of an event of default, the IRS may
deliver to WP a notice of default specifying the event of default that has occurred. WP
shall respond to the notice of default within 60 days (60-day response) from the date of
the notice of default. The 60-day response shall contain an offer to cure the event of
default and the time period in which the cure will be accomplished or shall state the
reasons why WP does not agree that an event of default has occurred. If WP does not
provide a 60-day response, the IRS may deliver a notice of termination as provided in
section 9.03 of this Agreement. If WP provides a 60-day response, the IRS shall either
accept or reject WP=s statement that no default has occurred or accept or reject WP=s
proposal to cure an event of default. If the IRS rejects WP=s contention that no default
has occurred or rejects WP=s proposal to cure a default, the IRS will offer a counter-
proposal to cure the event of default. Within 30 days of receiving the IRS=s counter-
proposal, WP shall notify the IRS (30-day response) whether it continues to maintain
that no default has occurred or whether it rejects the IRS=s counter-proposal to cure an
event of default. If WP=s 30-day response states that no default has occurred or it
rejects the IRS=s counter-proposal to cure, the parties shall seek to resolve their
disagreement within 30 days of the IRS=s receipt of WP=s 30-day response. If a
30
satisfactory resolution has not been achieved at the end of this latter 30-day period, or if
WP fails to provide a 30-day response, the IRS may terminate this Agreement by
providing a notice of termination in accordance with section 9.03 of this Agreement. If
WP receives a notice of termination from the IRS, it may appeal the determination within
30 days of the date of the notice of termination by sending a written notice to the
address specified in section 10.06 of this Agreement. If WP appeals the notice of
termination, this Agreement shall not terminate until the appeal has been decided. If an
event of default is discovered in the course of an external audit, the WP may cure the
default, without following the procedures of this section 9.07, if the external auditor=s
report describes the default and the actions that WP took to cure the default and the
IRS determines that the cure procedures followed by WP were sufficient. If the IRS
determines that WP=s actions to cure the default were not sufficient, the IRS shall issue
a notice of default and the procedures described in this section 9.07 shall be followed.
Sec. 9.08. Renewal. If WP has made the PR election under section 6.03 of this
agreement and intends to renew this Agreement for an additional term, it shall submit
an application for renewal to the IRS no earlier than one year and no later than six
months prior to the expiration of this Agreement. Any such application for renewal must
contain an update of the information provided by WP to the IRS in connection with the
application to enter into this Agreement, and any other information the IRS may request
in connection with the renewal process. This Agreement shall be renewed only upon
the signatures of both WP and the IRS. Either the IRS or WP may seek to negotiate a
new withholding foreign partnership agreement rather than renew this Agreement.
Sec. 10.01. WP=s application to become a withholding foreign partnership and the
Appendix to this Agreement are hereby incorporated into and made an integral part of
this Agreement. This Agreement, WP=s application, and the Appendix to this
Agreement constitute the complete agreement between the parties.
Sec. 10.02. This Agreement may be amended by the IRS if the IRS determines that
such amendment is needed for the sound administration of the internal revenue laws or
internal revenue regulations. The agreement may also be modified by either WP or the
IRS upon mutual agreement. Such amendments or modifications shall be in writing.
Sec. 10.03. Any waiver of a provision of this Agreement by the IRS is a waiver solely of
that provision. The waiver does not obligate the IRS to waive other provisions of this
Agreement or the same provision at a later date.
Sec. 10.04. This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the United States. Any
legal action brought under this Agreement shall be brought only in a U.S. court with
jurisdiction to hear and resolve matters under the internal revenue laws of the United
States. For this purpose, WP agrees to submit to the jurisdiction of such U.S. court.
Sec. 10.05. WP=s rights and responsibilities under this Agreement cannot be assigned
to another person.
31
Sec. 10.06. Notices provided under this Agreement shall be mailed registered, first
class airmail. Notice shall be directed as follows:
To the IRS
All notices sent to the IRS must include the WP=s WP-EIN.
To WP:
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
_______________________________
(name and title of person signing for WP)
_________________________________
(name and title of person signing for IRS)
PR Election Statement
32
_______________________________
(name and title of person signing for WP)
Appendix
WP and the IRS agree that any of the following auditors may be used by WP to
perform the external audits required by section 8 of this Agreement.
APPENDIX 2
SECTION 2. DEFINITIONS
Sec. 2.01. Agreement
Sec. 2.02. Amounts Subject to NRA Withholding
Sec. 2.03. Chapter 3 of the Code
Sec. 2.04. Chapter 61 of the Code
Sec. 2.05. Distributive Share
Sec. 2.06. External Auditor
Sec. 2.07. Flow -Through Entity
Sec. 2.08. Foreign Person
Sec. 2.09. Form W-8
Sec. 2.10. Form W-9
Sec. 2.11. Form 1042
Sec. 2.12. Form 1042-S
Sec. 2.13. Form 3520
Sec. 2.14. Form 3520-A
Sec. 2.15. Intermediary
Sec. 2.16. Nonwithholding Foreign Trust
Sec. 2.17. NRA Withholding
Sec. 2.18. Overwithholding
Sec. 2.19. Trust and Beneficiary or Owner
Sec. 2.20. Payment
Sec. 2.21. Reduced Rate of Withholding
Sec. 2.22. Reportable Amount
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THIS AGREEMENT is made in duplicate under and in pursuance of section 1441 of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, (the “Code”) and Treasury Regulation
§1.1441-5(e)(5)(v) by and between ______________, (referred to as “WT”), and the
INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE (the “IRS”):
WHEREAS, WT and the IRS desire to enter into an agreement to establish WT’s
rights and obligations regarding documentation, withholding, information reporting, tax
return filing, deposits, and adjustment procedures under sections 1441, 1442, 1443,
1461, 6048, 6302, 6402, and 6414 of the Code with respect to certain types of
payments;
thereunder. WT may act in its capacity as a withholding foreign trust pursuant to this
Agreement only for payments of amounts subject to NRA withholding that are
distributed to, or included in the distributive shares of, its direct beneficiaries or owners.
WT is required to act as a withholding foreign trust for all such amounts paid to WT, or
included in WT’s distributive share, by any withholding agent to which WT has provided
a Form W-8IMY that represents that WT is acting as a withholding foreign trust with
respect to such amounts. WT must act as a withholding foreign trust for any such
amounts paid with respect to such a Form W-8IMY that are distributed to, or included in
the distributive shares of, its direct foreign beneficiaries or owners. WT may act as a
withholding foreign trust for such amounts that are distributed to, or included in the
distributive shares of, its direct beneficiaries or owners that are U.S. persons. WT may
also act as a withholding foreign trust and may treat itself as a direct foreign beneficiary
if (i) WT is a trust the terms of which described in section 651(a)(1) and (2) of the Code
and (ii) in any taxable year, WT distributes amounts other than amounts of income
described in section 651(a)(1). In no event may WT act as a withholding foreign trust
for amounts subject to NRA withholding that are distributed to, or included in the
distributive shares of, passthrough beneficiaries or owners or indirect beneficiaries or
owners. For passthrough beneficiaries or owners and indirect beneficiaries or owners,
WT must act as a nonwithholding foreign trust.
SECTION 2. DEFINITIONS
For purposes of this Agreement, the terms listed below are defined as follows:
Sec. 2.01. Agreement. “Agreement” means this Agreement between WT and the IRS.
All appendices to this Agreement and WT’s application to become a withholding foreign
trust are incorporated into this Agreement by reference.
Sec. 2.03. Chapter 3 of the Code. Any reference to "chapter 3 of the Code" means
sections 1441, 1442, 1443, 1461, 1463, and 1464 of the Code.
Sec. 2.04. Chapter 61 of the Code. Any reference to "chapter 61 of the Code" means
sections 6041, 6042, 6045, 6048, 6049, and 6050N of the Code.
36
Sec. 2.06. External Auditor. An “external auditor” is any approved auditor listed in
Appendix A of this Agreement that WT engages to perform the audits required by
section 8 of this Agreement.
Sec. 2.08. Foreign Person. A “foreign person” is any person that is not a “United
States person” and includes a “nonresident alien individual,” a “foreign corporation,” a
“foreign partnership,” a “foreign trust,” and a “foreign estate,” as those terms are defined
in section 7701 of the Code.
Sec. 2.09. Form W-8. “Form W-8" means a valid IRS Form W-8BEN, Certificate of
Foreign Status of Beneficial Owner for United States Tax Withholding; IRS Form W-
8ECI, Certificate of Foreign Person’s Claim for Exemption From Withholding on Income
Effectively Connected With the Conduct of a Trade or Business in the United States;
IRS Form W-8EXP, Certificate of Foreign Governments and Other Foreign
Organizations for United States Tax Withholding; and IRS Form W-8IMY, Certificate of
Foreign Intermediary, Foreign Partnership, and Certain U.S. Branches for United States
Tax Withholding, as appropriate. It also includes any acceptable substitute form.
Sec. 2.10. Form W-9. “Form W-9" means a valid IRS Form W-9, Request for Taxpayer
Identification Number and Certification, or any acceptable substitute.
Sec. 2.11. Form 1042. “Form 1042" means an IRS Form 1042, Annual Withholding
Tax Return for U.S. Source Income of Foreign Persons.
Sec. 2.12. Form 1042-S. “Form 1042-S” means an IRS Form 1042-S, Foreign
Person’s U.S. Source Income Subject to Withholding.
Sec. 2.13. Form 3520. “Form 3520" means an IRS Form 3520, Annual Return to
Report Transaction With Foreign Trust and Receipt of Certain Foreign Gifts.
Sec. 2.14. Form 3520-A. “Form 3520-A" means an IRS Form 3520-A, Annual
Information Return of Foreign Trust with a U.S. Owner.
37
Sec. 2.15. Intermediary. An “intermediary” means any person that acts on behalf of
another person, such as a custodian, broker, nominee, or other agent.
Sec. 2.17. NRA Withholding. For purposes of this agreement “nonresident alien
(NRA) withholding” is any withholding required under chapter 3 of the Code (other than
sections 1445 or 1446), whether the payment subject to withholding is made to an
individual or to an entity.
Sec. 2.18. Overwithholding. The term Aoverwithholding@ means the excess of the
amount actually withheld over the amount required to be withheld under chapter 3 of the
Code.
Sec. 2.19. Trust, Beneficiary and Owner. The term “trust” is defined in Treas. Reg. §
301.7701-4. The term “beneficiary” is defined in section 643(c) of the Code and the
regulations thereunder. An “owner” is a person treated as a grantor or owner under
Subpart C of Subchapter J of the Code. A direct beneficiary or owner is a beneficiary or
owner, other than an intermediary or flow-through entity that is not itself a withholding
foreign trust or withholding foreign partnership, for which WT acts as a withholding
foreign trust. An indirect beneficiary or owner is a person that owns a trust interest in
WT though one or more passthrough beneficiaries or owners. A passthrough
beneficiary or owner is a direct or indirect beneficiary or owner in WT that is an
intermediary or flow-through entity. As provided in Section 2.07 of this Agreement, a
withholding foreign partnership or withholding foreign trust is not a flow-through entity
and thus is not a passthrough beneficiary or owner.
Sec. 2.23. Reporting Pool. A reporting pool is defined in section 5.03 of this
Agreement.
Sec. 2.26. U.S. Person. A “United States (or U.S.) person” is a person described in
section 7701(a)(30) of the Code, the U.S. government (including an agency or
instrumentality thereof), a State of the United States (including an agency or
instrumentality thereof), or the District of Columbia (including an agency or
instrumentality thereof).
Sec. 2.27. Withholding Agent. A "withholding agent" has the same meaning as set
forth in Treas. Reg. §1.1441-7(a) and includes a payor. As used in this Agreement, the
term generally refers to the person making a payment to a withholding foreign trust.
Sec. 2.28. Withholding Foreign Trust (or WT). A “withholding foreign trust” is a
person, described in Treas. Reg. §1.1441-5(e)(5)(v), that has entered into a withholding
agreement with the IRS to be treated as a withholding foreign trust and is acting in its
capacity as a withholding foreign trust.
Sec. 2.29. Withholding Foreign Trust (or WT) EIN. A “withholding foreign trust EIN”
or “WT-EIN” means the employer identification number assigned by the IRS to a
withholding foreign trust. WT’s WT-EIN is only to be used when WT is acting as a
withholding foreign trust. For example, WT must give a withholding agent its non-WT
EIN, if any, rather than its WT-EIN, if it is not acting as a withholding foreign trust and a
taxpayer identification number is required.
Sec. 2.31. Other Terms. Any term not defined in this section has the same meaning
that it has under the Code, the income tax regulations under the Code, or any
applicable income tax treaty.
Sec. 3.03. Deposit Requirements. WT must deposit amounts withheld under chapter
3 of the Code with a Federal Reserve bank or authorized financial institution at the time
and in the manner provided under section 6302 of the Code (see Treas. Reg. §§1.6302-
2(a) or 31.6302-1(h)).
Sec. 4.03. Treaty Claims. WT may not reduce the rate of withholding based on a
direct beneficiary or owner’s claim of treaty benefits unless WT obtains from the
beneficiary or owner a Form W-8BEN with Part II of the form properly completed,
including the appropriate limitation on benefits and section 894 certifications.
Sec. 4.05. Documentation for Foreign Governments and Foreign Central Banks of
Issue.
(1) WT receives from the direct beneficiary or owner a Form W-8EXP establishing that
the direct beneficiary or owner is a foreign government or foreign central bank of issue;
(2) The income distributed to, or included in the distributive share of, the direct
beneficiary or owner is the type of income that qualifies for an exemption from
withholding under section 892 or 895; and
(3) WT does not know, or have reason to know, that the direct beneficiary or owner is a
controlled commercial entity, that the income owned by the foreign government or
foreign central bank of issue is being received from a controlled commercial entity, or
that the income is from the disposition of an interest in a controlled commercial entity.
(B) Treaty Exemption. WT may not treat a direct beneficiary or owner as a foreign
government or foreign central bank of issue entitled to a reduced rate of withholding
under an income tax treaty unless it has obtains a Form W-8BEN from the beneficiary
or owner that, under section 4.03 of this Agreement, is sufficient to obtain a reduced
rate of withholding under a treaty.
41
(C) Other Code Exception. If a foreign government or foreign central bank of issue is
not claiming benefits under section 892 or section 895 of the Code but under another
Code exception (e.g., the portfolio interest exception under sections 871(h) or 881(c) of
the Code), the provisions of section 4.02 of this Agreement apply rather than the
provisions of this section 4.05.
(A) Reduced Rate of Withholding Under Section 501. WT may not treat a direct
beneficiary or owner as a foreign organization described under section 501(c) of the
Code, and therefore exempt from withholding (or, if the direct beneficiary or owner is a
foreign private foundation, subject to withholding at a 4-percent rate under section
1443(b) of the Code) unless WT obtains a valid Form W-8EXP on which Part III of the
form is completed.
Sec. 4.08. Documentation For U.S. Exempt Recipients. WT shall not treat a
beneficiary or owner as a U.S. exempt recipient unless WT obtains from the beneficiary
or owner a Form W-9 on which the beneficiary or owner writes “Exempt” in Part II of the
Form.
Sec. 4.09. Documentation for U.S. Non-Exempt Recipients. WT shall not treat a
beneficiary or owner as a U.S. non-exempt recipient unless WT obtains a Form W-9
from the beneficiary or owner.
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Sec. 4.10. Documentation Validity. WT may not rely on Forms W-8 or W-9 if WT
has actual knowledge or reason to know that the information or statements contained in
the forms are unreliable or incorrect. Once WT knows, or has reason to know, that a
Form W-8 or W-9 provided by a direct beneficiary or owner is unreliable or incorrect,
WT must obtain a new Form W-8 or W-9 prior to the time withholding is required.
(A) Form W-8. WT may rely on a properly completed Form W-8 until its validity expires
under Treas. Reg. §1.1441-1(e)(4)(ii).
(B) Form W-9. WT may rely on a properly completed Form W-9 as long as it has not
been informed by the IRS or another withholding agent that the form is unreliable.
(A) Maintaining Documentation. WT shall maintain Forms W-8 and W-9 by retaining
the original documentation, a certified copy, a photocopy, a microfiche, or by electronic
storage or similar means of record retention.
(B) Retention Period. WT shall retain a direct beneficiary’s or owner’s Forms W-8 or
W-9 obtained under this section 4 for as long as it may be relevant to the determination
of WT’s tax liability under this agreement.
Sec. 5.03. Withholding Rate Pools. When it is acting as a withholding foreign trust,
WT must assume withholding responsibility for amounts subject to withholding that are
distributed to, or included in the distributive shares of, its direct beneficiaries or owners.
Accordingly, withholding rate pool information is not required as part of WT’s
withholding statement.
43
(A) In general. WT shall file a return on Form 1042, whether or not WT withheld any
amounts under chapter 3 of the Code, on or before March 15 of the year following any
calendar year in which WT acts as a withholding foreign trust. In addition to the
information specifically requested on Form 1042 and the accompanying instructions,
WT shall attach a statement setting forth the amounts of any overwithholding or
underwithholding adjustments made under Treas. Reg. §1.1461-2 and sections 7.01
and 7.03 of this Agreement, and an explanation of the circumstances that resulted in the
over- or under- withholding.
(B) Extensions for Filing Returns. WT may request an extension of the time for filing
Form 1042, or any of the information required to be attached to the form, by submitting
Form 2758, Application for Extension of Time to File Certain Excise, Income,
Information, and Other Returns on or before the due date of the return. The application
must be in writing, properly signed by a duly authorized agent of WT, and shall clearly
set forth the following:
(1) The calendar year for which the extension is requested; and
(2) A full explanation of the reason(s) for requesting the extension to assist the IRS in
determining the period of extension, if any, that will be granted.
Sec. 6.02. Form 1042-S Reporting: General Rule. Unless WT has made a pooled
reporting (PR) election pursuant to section 6.03 of this Agreement, WT is required to file
separate Forms 1042-S for each direct beneficiary or owner to whom WT distributes, or
in whose distributive share is included, an amount subject to NRA withholding. WT
must file separate Forms 1042-S by income code, exemption code, recipient code, and
withholding rate. WT must file its Forms 1042-S in the manner required by the
regulations under chapter 3 of the Code and the instructions to the form, including any
requirement to file the forms magnetically or electronically. Any Form 1042-S required
by this section 6 shall be filed on or before March 15 following the calendar year in
which withholding, if any, was required under section 3.02 of this agreement. WT may
request an extension of time to file Forms 1042-S by submitting Form 8809, Request for
Extension of Time to File Information Returns, by the due date of Forms 1042-S in the
manner required by Form 8809.
Sec. 6.03. Form 1042-S Reporting: Special Rule for PR Election. If WT has made
the PR election pursuant to this section 6.03, WT is not required to file Forms 1042-S
for amounts distributed to, or included in the distributive share of, each separate direct
beneficiary or owner for whom such reporting would otherwise be required. Instead,
WT shall file a separate Form 1042-S for each reporting pool. A reporting pool consists
of income that falls within a particular withholding rate and within a particular income
code, exemption code, and recipient code as determined on Form 1042-S. WT may
44
use a single recipient code for all reporting pools except for amounts paid to foreign tax-
exempt recipients, for which a separate recipient code must be used. For this purpose,
a foreign tax-exempt recipient includes any organization that is not subject to NRA
withholding and is not liable to tax in its country of residence because it is a charitable
organization, a pension fund, or a foreign government. WT must make the PR election
at the time this agreement is executed by signing the election statement on the
signature page of this agreement. Once made, the PR election remains in effect for the
entire term of this agreement beginning on the date the agreement becomes effective
and ending on the date of its expiration or termination under section 9 of this
Agreement. WT must make a new election for each renewal term of this agreement. If
WT makes the PR election, WT cannot revoke it prior to the end of the term for which
WT has made the PR election. If WT did not make the PR election at the time this
agreement was executed, then WT may make a PR election only by terminating this
agreement pursuant to section 9.03 and requesting to enter into a new agreement.
Sec. 6.04. Form 3520-A Filing Requirement. If WT is required to file Form 3520-A
under section 6048 of the Code, then WT shall file Form 3520-A and furnish any
required statements to U.S. beneficiaries or owners in accordance with the instructions
for the form.
Sec. 6.05. Retention of Returns. WT shall retain 1042 and Form 3520-A, if required,
for the period of the applicable statute of limitations on assessments and collection
under the Code.
(1) WT states on a Form 1042-S, filed by March 15 of the calendar year following the
calendar year of overwithholding, the amount of tax withheld and the amount of any
actual repayments; and
45
(2) WT states on a Form 1042, filed by March 15 of the calendar year following the
calendar year of overwithholding, that the filing of the Form 1042 constitutes a claim for
credit in accordance with Treas. Reg. §1.6414-1.
(B) Set-Off Procedure. WT may repay its beneficiaries or owners by applying the
amount overwithheld against any amount which otherwise would be required under
chapter 3 of the Code to be withheld by WT before the earlier of March 15 of the
calendar year following the calendar year of overwithholding or the date that the Form
1042-S is actually filed with the IRS. For purposes of making a return on Form 1042 or
1042-S for the calendar year of overwithholding, and for purposes of making a deposit
of the amount withheld, the reduced amount shall be considered the amount required to
be withheld from such income under chapter 3 of the Code.
(A) WT must not have issued Forms 1042-S to the direct beneficiaries or owners who
were subjected to overwithholding;
(B) WT must submit together with its amended return on which it claims a credit or
refund a statement of the reason for the overwithholding;
(C) WT must submit together with its amended return on which it claims a credit or
refund a statement that it has repaid the amount of overwithholding to the appropriate
direct beneficiaries or owners prior to filing the claim for credit or refund; and
(D) WT must retain a record showing that it repaid the direct beneficiaries or owners the
amount of the overwithholding.
Sec. 7.04. NRA Underwithholding after Form 1042 Filed. If, after a Form 1042 has
been filed for a calendar year, WT, WT’s external auditor, or the IRS determines that,
due to WT’s failure to carry out its obligations under this Agreement, WT has
underwithheld tax for such year, WT shall file an amended Form 1042 to report and pay
the underwithheld tax. WT shall pay the underwithheld tax, the interest due on the
underwithheld tax, and any applicable penalties, at the time of filing the amended Form
1042. If WT fails to file an amended return, the IRS shall make such return under
section 6020 of the Code.
Sec. 7.05. Special Rule Regarding Failure to Deposit Penalties. Solely for
purposes of applying section 6656 of the Code (failure to make deposit of taxes), WT
will not be considered to have made an underpayment of a deposit of NRA withholding
taxes if the conditions of this paragraph are met. The conditions of this paragraph are
that-
(A) WT makes its deposits within the time (deposit period) required by section 6302 of
the Code;
(B) The deposit is not less than 90 percent of the aggregate amount of the tax required
to be withheld under chapter 3 of the Code during the deposit period applicable to WT;
and
(C) WT determines the difference between the total amount required to be deposited
and the amount actually deposited as of the end of the 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 12th months of
the calendar year and the difference is deposited no later than the 15th day of the
second following month (i.e., May 15, August 15, November 15 and February 15,
respectively). In determining whether there has been an underpayment,
reimbursements and set-offs shall be taken into account.
Sec. 8.01. In General. Unless WT requests an IRS audit in lieu of an external audit,
the IRS agrees not to conduct an on-site audit of WT with respect to withholding and
reporting obligations covered by this Agreement provided that an external auditor
designated in Appendix A of this Agreement conducts an audit of WT in accordance
with this section 8. WT shall permit the external auditor to have access to all relevant
records of WT for purposes of performing the external audit, including information
regarding specific beneficiaries or owners. WT shall permit the IRS to communicate
directly with the external auditor and to review the audit procedures followed by the
external auditor. WT represents that there are no legal prohibitions that prevent the
external auditor from examining any information relevant to the external audit to be
performed under this section 8 and that there are no legal prohibitions that prevent the
IRS from communicating directly with the auditor. WT shall permit the IRS to examine
the external auditor’s work papers and reports.
Sec. 8.02. Designation of External Auditor. WT’s external auditor must be one of the
auditors listed in Appendix A of this Agreement, unless WT and the IRS agree, prior to
47
the audit, to substitute another auditor. WT shall not propose an external auditor unless
it has a reasonable belief that the auditor is subject to laws, regulations, or rules that
impose sanctions for failure to exercise its independence and to perform the audit
competently. The IRS has the right to reject a proposed external auditor, or to revoke
its acceptance of an external auditor, if the IRS, in its sole discretion, reasonably
believes that the auditor is not independent or cannot perform an effective audit under
this Agreement.
Sec. 8.03. Timing External Audits: General Rule. Unless WT has made a PR
election, WT shall have the external auditor conduct an external audit only at such time
and only for such calendar years as the IRS directs.
Sec. 8.04. Timing External Audits: Special Rule for PR Election. If WT has made a
PR election, WT shall have the external auditor conduct an audit after the close of every
other calendar year that this Agreement is in effect. The auditor shall examine the two
previous calendar years. For example, the first audit will occur in the third calendar year
that the agreement is in effect and the external auditor will examine calendar years one
and two.
Sec. 8.05. Scope of External Audit. The external auditor shall verify whether WT is in
compliance with this Agreement by conducting an audit that meets the requirements of
this section 8.05. The report, described in section 8.06 of this Agreement, must
disclose that the external auditor has, at a minimum, performed the following checks
listed in this section 8.05, and set forth how each of those checks was performed and
the results of the checks. WT’s external auditor is encouraged to contact the IRS at the
address set forth in section 10.06 of this Agreement and submit an audit plan (which
includes, if relevant, the extent to which the external auditor proposes to rely on WT’s
internal audit procedures) prior to performing the audit so that the audit may be
conducted in the most efficient and least costly manner possible.
(1) Perform test checks of direct beneficiaries or owners, to verify that WT is withholding
the proper amounts;
(2) Verify that amounts withheld were timely deposited in accordance with section 3.03
of this Agreement.
(C) Return Filing and Information Reporting. The external auditor must-
(1) Obtain copies of original and amended Forms 1042, and any schedules, statements,
or attachments required to be filed with those forms, and determine whether the
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amounts of income, taxes, and other information reported on those forms are accurate
by-
(ii) Reviewing Forms W-8IMY, together with the associated withholding statements, that
WT has provided to withholding agents;
(iii) Reviewing copies of Forms 1042-S that withholding agents have provided WT;
(vi) Interviewing personnel responsible for preparing the Form 1042 and the work
papers used to prepare those forms.
(2) Obtain copies of original and corrected Forms 1042-S and Forms 3520-A together
with the work papers used to prepare those forms and determine whether the amounts
reported on those forms are accurate by-
(3) Thoroughly review the statements attached to amended Forms 1042 filed to claim a
refund, ascertain their veracity, and determine the causes of any overwithholding
reported and ensure WT did not issue Forms 1042-S to persons whom it included as
part of its collective credit or refund.
(4) Determine, in the case of collective credits or refunds, that WT repaid the
appropriate beneficiaries or owners prior to requesting a collective refund or credit.
(E) Change in Circumstances. The external auditor must verify that in the course of
the audit it has not discovered any significant change in circumstances, as described in
section 9.05 (A) or (D) of this Agreement.
Sec. 8.06. External Auditor’s Report. Upon completion of the audit of WT, the
external auditor shall issue a report, or reports, of audit findings directly to the IRS by
sending the original report to the IRS at the address set forth in section 10.06 of this
Agreement. This report is due by December 31 following the calendar year being
audited, or if that date falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the next U.S. business day. The
IRS may, however, upon request by the external auditor, extend the due date of the
audit report upon good cause. The report must be in writing, in English, and currency
amounts must be stated in U.S. dollars. The report must fully describe the scope of the
audit, the methodologies (including sampling techniques) used to determine whether
49
WT is in compliance with the provisions of this Agreement, and the result of each such
determination. The report must also specifically address each of the items in section
8.05 of this Agreement.
Sec. 8.07. Expanding Scope and Timing of External Audit. Upon review of the
external auditor’s report, the IRS may request, and WT must permit, the external auditor
to perform additional audit procedures.
Sec. 9.01. Term of Agreement: General Rule. If WT has not made a PR election, this
Agreement shall be in effect on _________and shall continue in force until terminated
under 9.03 or 9.04 of this Agreement.
Sec. 9.02. Term of Agreement: Special Rule for PR Election. If WT has made a PR
election, this Agreement shall be in effect on _________ and shall expire on December
31 of the fifth full calendar year after the year in which this Agreement first takes effect.
This Agreement may be renewed for additional terms as provided in section 9.08 of this
Agreement.
each undocumented direct beneficiary or owner for the period during which the
beneficiary or owner was undocumented, and, if WT has made a PR election, WT must
file beneficiary or owner specific Forms 1042-S for every foreign direct beneficiary or
owner from the earliest time the Forms W-8 or W-9 were required for any
undocumented direct beneficiary or owner through the date of termination. After the
date of automatic termination of this agreement, WT may not act as a withholding
foreign trust, and must so notify any persons to which WT has furnished a withholding
foreign trust certificate. After the date of automatic termination of this agreement, the
IRS may reinstate this agreement (or the IRS may require WT to enter into a new
withholding foreign trust agreement) on such terms and conditions and with such
modifications as the IRS may determine.
(A) A change in U.S. federal law or policy, or applicable foreign law or policy, that
affects the validity of any provision of this Agreement, materially affects the procedures
contained in this Agreement, or affects WT’s ability to perform its obligations under this
Agreement;
(B) A ruling of any court that affects the validity of any provision of this Agreement; or
(C) A significant change in WT’s business practices that affects WT’s ability to meet its
obligations under this Agreement.
Sec. 9.06. Events of Default. For purposes of this Agreement, an event of default
occurs if WT fails to perform any material duty or obligation required under this
Agreement, and includes, but is not limited to, the occurrence of any of the following:
(D) WT fails to file Forms 1042, 1042-S, 3520-A (if required), 1041 (if required), and
Schedules K-1 (if required) by the due date specified on such forms or files forms or
schedules that are materially incorrect or fraudulent;
(E) WT fails to have an external audit performed when required, WT’s external auditor
fails to provide its report directly to the IRS on a timely basis, WT fails to cooperate with
the external auditor, or WT or its external auditor fails to cooperate with the IRS;
51
(F) WT fails to inform the IRS within 90 days of any significant change in its business
practices to the extent that change affects WT’s obligations under this Agreement;
(I) The IRS determines that WT’s external auditor is not sufficiently independent to
adequately perform its audit function or the external auditor fails to provide an audit
report that complies with section 8 of this Agreement;
(J) WT is prohibited by any law from disclosing the identity of a beneficiary or owner or
beneficiary or owner information to WT’s external auditor;
(K) WT fails to make deposits in the time and manner required by section 3.03 of this
Agreement or fails to make adequate deposits, taking into account the procedures of
7.05 of this Agreement; or
(L) WT fails to permit the external auditor to perform additional audit procedures under
the provisions of section 8.07 of this Agreement.
Sec. 9.07. Notice and Cure. Upon the occurrence of an event of default, the IRS may
deliver to WT a notice of default specifying the event of default that has occurred. WT
shall respond to the notice of default within 60 days (60-day response) from the date of
the notice of default. The 60-day response shall contain an offer to cure the event of
default and the time period in which the cure will be accomplished or shall state the
reasons why WT does not agree that an event of default has occurred. If WT does not
provide a 60-day response, the IRS may deliver a notice of termination as provided in
section 9.03 of this Agreement. If WT provides a 60-day response, the IRS shall either
accept or reject WT’s statement that no default has occurred or accept or reject WT’s
proposal to cure an event of default. If the IRS rejects WT’s contention that no default
has occurred or rejects WT’s proposal to cure a default, the IRS will offer a counter-
proposal to cure the event of default. Within 30 days of receiving the IRS’s counter-
proposal, WT shall notify the IRS (30-day response) whether it continues to maintain
that no default has occurred or whether it rejects the IRS’s counter-proposal to cure an
event of default. If WT’s 30-day response states that no default has occurred or it
rejects the IRS’s counter-proposal to cure, the parties shall seek to resolve their
disagreement within 30 days of the IRS’s receipt of WT’s 30-day response. If a
satisfactory resolution has not been achieved at the end of this latter 30-day period, or if
WT fails to provide a 30-day response, the IRS may terminate this Agreement by
providing a notice of termination in accordance with section 9.03 of this Agreement. If
WT receives a notice of termination from the IRS, it may appeal the determination within
30 days of the date of the notice of termination by sending a written notice to the
address specified in section 10.06 of this Agreement. If WT appeals the notice of
termination, this Agreement shall not terminate until the appeal has been decided. If an
event of default is discovered in the course of an external audit, the WT may cure the
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default, without following the procedures of this section 9.07, if the external auditor’s
report describes the default and the actions that WT took to cure the default and the IRS
determines that the cure procedures followed by WT were sufficient. If the IRS
determines that WT’s actions to cure the default were not sufficient, the IRS shall issue
a notice of default and the procedures described in this section 9.07 shall be followed.
Sec. 9.08. Renewal. If WT has made the PR election under section 6.03 of this
agreement and intends to renew this Agreement for an additional term, it shall submit
an application for renewal to the IRS no earlier than one year and no later than six
months prior to the expiration of this Agreement. Any such application for renewal must
contain an update of the information provided by WT to the IRS in connection with the
application to enter into this Agreement, and any other information the IRS may request
in connection with the renewal process. This Agreement shall be renewed only upon
the signatures of both WT and the IRS. Either the IRS or WT may seek to negotiate a
new withholding foreign trust agreement rather than renew this Agreement.
Sec. 10.01. WT’s application to become a withholding foreign trust and the Appendix
to this Agreement are hereby incorporated into and made an integral part of this
Agreement. This Agreement, WT’s application, and the Appendix to this Agreement
constitute the complete agreement between the parties.
Sec. 10.02. This Agreement may be amended by the IRS if the IRS determines that
such amendment is needed for the sound administration of the internal revenue laws or
internal revenue regulations. The agreement may also be modified by either WT or the
IRS upon mutual agreement. Such amendments or modifications shall be in writing.
Sec. 10.03. Any waiver of a provision of this Agreement is a waiver solely of that
provision. The waiver does not obligate the IRS to waive other provisions of this
Agreement or the same provision at a later date.
Sec. 10.04. This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the United States. Any
legal action brought under this Agreement shall be brought only in a U.S. court with
jurisdiction to hear and resolve matters under the internal revenue laws of the United
States. For this purpose, WT agrees to submit to the jurisdiction of such U.S. court.
Sec. 10.05. WT’s rights and responsibilities under this Agreement cannot be assigned
to another person.
Sec. 10.06. Notices provided under this Agreement shall be mailed registered, first
class airmail. Notice shall be directed as follows:
To the IRS
290 Broadway
New York, NY 10007-1867
USA
All notices sent to the IRS must include the WT’s WT-EIN.
To WT:
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
Sec. 10.07. WT, acting in its capacity as a withholding foreign trust or in any other
capacity, does not act as an agent of the IRS, nor does it have the authority to hold itself
out as an agent of the IRS.
_______________________________
(name and title of person signing for WT)
_________________________________
(name and title of person signing for IRS)
PR Election Statement
_______________________________
(name and title of person signing for WT)
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Appendix
WT and the IRS agree that any of the following auditors may be used by WT to
perform the external audits required by section 8 of this Agreement.