Why in News?

• Recognizing the significance of issues relating to attribution of profits to a permanent establishment as well as the need to bring greater clarity and predictability in the applicable tax regime, a Committee was formed by CBDT to examine the existing scheme of profit attribution to PE under Article 7 of DTAAs and recommend changes in Rule 10 of the Income-tax Rules, 1962. The Committee has submitted its report and it has been decided to seek suggestions/comments of the stakeholders and the general Public

What is a Permanent Establishment?

• A Permanent Establishment in India is a fixed place of business, wholly or partly carried out by a foreign enterprise operating in India.
• Such fixed place of business can be a branch office, a place of management, a factory, a warehouse, a workshop etc. However the definition of permanent establishment differs in each tax treaty
• (PE) has acquired tremendous importance in recent times as it determines taxability of a foreign company in Usually, foreign companies get tax concession under Double
• Taxation Avoidance Treaties and they pay taxes in their home countries. But if they have PEs in India, they should pay taxes for the income they have created in India. Thus PE makes a foreign companies’ Indian income taxable in India.

Tax treatment of PEs:

• The significance PE lies in the fact that “business profits” of a foreign enterprise can be taxed in India only if it has a PE in India and the profits are attributable to the PE. Even the amount for “royalty” or “fee for technical services” received by foreign enterprises will be taxed in India as business profits if they are attributable to a PE in the Country

Background:

• Taxation of non-residents in India is governed by the provisions of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (“the Act”) and the provisions of the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement(s)[DTAA(s)] concluded or adopted by the Central Government under the powers conferred under Section 90 or 90A of the Act, respectively.
• The business income of a non-resident can be taxed in India if it satisfies the requisite thresholds provided under the Act as well as the threshold provided in the applicable tax treaty, by a concept of Permanent Establishment (PE), which is defined in Article 5 of Model Tax Conventions and tax treaties
• Under Article 7 in the Indian treaties, profits are to be attributed to the PE as if it were a distinct and separate entity on the basis of the accounts of the PE and where such accounts are not available to enable determination of profits attributable to the PE, the profits attributable to the PE can be determined under the domestic