13 DE SETEMBRO DE 1996

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Hons for taxation purposes on account of civil status or family responsibilities which it grants to its own residents.

3 — Except where the provisions of paragraph 1 of article 9, paragraph 7 of article 11, or paragraph 6 of articJe 12, apply, interest, royalties and other disbursements paid by an enterprise of a Contracting State to a resident of the other Contracting State shall, for the purpose of determining the taxable profits of such enterprise, be deductible under the same conditions as if they had been paid to a resident of the first-mentioned State.

4 — Enterprises of a Contracting State, the capital of which is wholly or partly owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by one or more residents of the other Contracting State, shall not be subjected in the first-mentioned State to any taxation or any requirement connected therewith which is other or more burdensome than the taxation and connected requirements to which other similar enterprises of the first-mentioned State are or may be subjected.

5 — The provisions of this article shall, notwithstanding the provisions of article 2, apply to taxes of every kind and description.

Article 25 Mutual agreement procedure

1 — Where a person considers that the actions of one or both of the Contracting States result or will result for him in taxation not in accordance with the provisions of this Convention, he may, irrespective of the remedies provided by the domestic law of those States, present his case to the competent authority of the Contracting State of which he is a resident or, if his case comes under paragraph 1 of article 24, to that of the Contracting State of which he is a national. The case must be presented within three years from the first notification of the action resulting in taxation not in accordance with the provisions of the Convention.

2 — The competent authority shall endeavour, if the objection appears to it to be justified and if it is not itself able to arrive at a satisfactory solution, to resolve the case by mutual agreement with the competent authority of the other Contracting State, with a view to the avoidance of taxation which is not in accordance with the Convention. Any agreement reached shall be implemented notwithstanding any time limits in the domestic law of the Contracting States.

3—The competent authorities • of the Contracting States shall endeavour to resolve by mutual agreement any difficulties or doubts arising as to the interpretation or application of the Convention.

4 — The competent authorities of the Contracting States may communicate with each other directly for the purpose of reaching an agreement in the sense of the preceding paragraphs. When it seems advisable in order to reach agreement to have an oral exchange of opinions, such exchange may take place through a Commission consisting of representatives of the competent authorities of the Contracting States.

Article 26

Exchange of information

1 — The competent authorities of the Contracting States shall exchange such information as is necessary for carrying out the provisions of this Convention or

of the domestic laws of the Contracting States concerning taxes covered by the Convention insofar as the taxation thereunder is not contrary to the Convention. The exchange of information is not restricted by article 1. Any information received by a Contracting State shall be treated as secret in the same manner as information

obtained under the domestic laws of that State and shall be disclosed only to persons or authorities (including courts and administrative bodies) involved in the assessment or collection of, the enforcement or prosecution in respect of, or the determination of appeals in relation to, the taxes covered by the Convention. Such persons or authorities shall use the information only for such purposes. They may disclose the information in public court proceedings or in judicial decisions.

2 — In no case shall the provisions of paragraph 1 be construed so as to impose on a Contracting State the obligation:

a) To carry out administrative measures at variance with the laws and administrative practice of that or of the other Contracting State;

b) To supply information which is not obtainable under the laws or in the normal course of the administration of that or of the other Contracting State;

c) To supply information which would disclose any trade, business, industrial, commercial ou professional secret or trade process, or information, the disclosure of which would be contrary to public policy (ordre public).

Article 27 Diplomatic agents and consular officers

Nothing in this Convention shall affect the fiscal privileges of diplomatic agents or consular officers under the general rules of international law or under the provisions of special agreements.

Article 28 Entry into force

1 — This Convention shall be ratified and the instruments of ratification shall be exchanged as soon as possible.

2 — The Convention shall enter into force upon the exchange of instruments of ratification and its provisions shall have effect:

a) In Portugal:

i) In respect of taxes withheld at source, the fact giving rise to the appearing on or after the first day of January in the year next following the year in which this Convention enters into force;

ii) In respect of other taxes as to income arising in the .fiscal year beginning on or after the first day of January in the year next following the year in which this Convention enters into force;

b) In the Czech Republic:

i) In respect of taxes withheld at source, to amounts derived on or after 1st Jan-