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V3122-15 16 October 2015 · SG de Fiscalidad Internacional Criterion in force
IS · cánones

Withholding on software royalties can be deducted in Corporate Tax

A Spanish company asks whether a 10% withholding charge by an US company on software usage is valid and deductible. The DGT states that, due to the 2013 Protocol's non-enforcement, the original Convention applies, allowing US taxation of royalties and deduction in Spain.

The question raised

Question raised: Is it correct for the American company to apply a 10% withholding on the amounts invoiced by the consulting company? Can the latter deduct these withholdings in the payment of Corporate Income Tax?

The DGT's ruling

The 2013 Protocol is not in force due to the failure to comply with internal procedures in the USA, therefore the 1990 Convention applies. According to this, royalties may be subject to taxation in the USA in accordance with its legislation. To avoid double taxation, Spanish regulations allow for the deduction in Corporate Income Tax of the tax effectively paid in the USA, subject to the limit of the portion of the tax corresponding to those incomes.

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