Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

"Iris Oifigiúil" of 21st October, 2014.

WHEREAS it is enacted by section 826(1) (as amended by section 157 of the Finance Act 2010 (No. 5 of 2010)) of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 (No. 39 of 1997) that where 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 income tax, corporation tax in respect of income and chargeable gains, capital gains tax or any taxes of a similar character imposed by the laws of the State or by the laws of that territory and, in the case of taxes of any kind or description imposed by the laws of the State or the laws of that territory, in relation to exchanging information for the purposes of the prevention and detection of tax evasion, granting relief from taxation under the laws of that territory to persons who are resident in the State for the purposes of tax or collecting and recovering tax (including interest, penalties and costs in connection with such tax) for the purpose of the prevention of tax evasion, and that it is expedient that those arrangements should have the force of law, and that the order so made is referred to in Part 1 of Schedule 24A of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 , then, subject to section 826 of that Act, the arrangements shall, notwithstanding any enactment, have the force of law as if such order were an Act of the Oireachtas on and from the date of the insertion of a reference to the order into Part 1 of Schedule 24A;

AND WHEREAS it is further enacted by section 826 (6) of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 that where such an order is proposed to be made, a draft of the order 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;

AND WHEREAS a draft of the following Order has been laid before Dáil Éireann and a resolution approving of the draft has been passed by Dáil Éireann;

NOW, the Government, in exercise of the powers conferred on them by section 826(1) (as amended by section 157 of the Finance Act 2010 (No. 5 of 2010)) of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 , hereby order as follows:

1. This Order may be cited as the Double Taxation Relief (Taxes on Income) (Botswana) Order 2014.

2. It is declared that-

(a) the arrangements specified in the Agreement, the text of which is set out in the Schedule, have been made with the Government of the Republic of Botswana in relation to-

(i) affording relief from double taxation and the prevention from fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income, corporation tax in respect of income and chargeable gains, capital gains tax and any taxes of a similar character imposed by the laws of the State or by the laws of the Republic of Botswana, and

(ii) in the case of taxes of any kind or description imposed by the laws of the State or the laws of the Republic of Botswana, exchanging information for the purposes of the prevention and detection of tax evasion and granting relief from taxation under the laws of the Republic of Botswana to persons who are resident in the State for the purposes of tax,

and

(b) it is expedient that those arrangements should have the force of law.

SCHEDULE

AGREEMENT

BETWEEN

THE GOVERNMENT OF IRELAND

AND

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF BOTSWANA

FOR

THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBLE TAXATION

AND

THE PREVENTION OF FISCAL EVASION WITH RESPECT

TO

TAXES ON INCOME

Preamble

The Government of Ireland and the Government of the Republic of Botswana, desiring to conclude an Agreement for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income, have agreed as follows:

Article 1

PERSONS COVERED

This Agreement shall apply to persons who are residents of one or both of the Contracting States.

Article 2

TAXES COVERED

1. This Agreement shall apply to taxes on income imposed by each Contracting State, irrespective of the manner in which they are levied.

2. There shall be regarded as taxes on income all taxes imposed on total income or on elements of income, including taxes on gains from the alienation of movable or immovable property.

3. The existing taxes to which this Agreement shall apply are in particular:

(a) in Botswana:

(i) the income tax; and

(ii) the capital gains tax;

(hereinafter referred to as "Botswana tax"); and

(b) in Ireland:

(i) the income tax;

(ii) the universal social charge;

(iii) the corporation tax; and

(iv) the capital gains tax;

(hereinafter referred to as " Irish tax").

4. The Agreement shall apply also to any identical or substantially similar taxes which are imposed by either Contracting State after the date of signature of the Agreement in addition to, or in place of, the existing taxes. The competent authorities of the Contracting States shall notify each other of any significant changes which have been made in their respective taxation laws.

Article 3

GENERAL DEFINITIONS

1. For the purposes of this Agreement, unless the context otherwise requires:

(a) the term "Botswana" means the Republic of Botswana;

(b) the term "Ireland" includes any area outside the territorial waters of Ireland which has been or may hereafter be designated, under the laws of Ireland concerning the Exclusive Economic Zone and the Continental Shelf, as an area within which Ireland may exercise such sovereign rights and jurisdiction as are in conformity with international law;

(c) the terms "a Contracting State" and "the other Contracting State" mean Botswana or Ireland, as the context requires; and the term "Contracting States" means Botswana and Ireland;

(d) the term "company" means any body corporate or any entity which is treated as a body corporate for tax purposes;

(e) the term "competent authority" means:

(i) in Botswana, the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, represented by the Commissioner General of the Botswana Unified Revenue Service or his authorised representative; and

(ii) in Ireland, the Revenue Commissioners or their authorised representative;

(f) the term "enterprise" applies to the carrying on of any business;

(g) the terms "enterprise of a Contracting State" and "enterprise of the other Contracting State" mean respectively an enterprise carried on by a resident of a Contracting State and an enterprise carried on by a resident of the other Contracting State;

(h) the term "international traffic" means any transport by a ship or aircraft operated by an enterprise of a Contracting State, except when the ship or aircraft is operated solely between places in the other Contracting State;

(i) the term "national", in relation to a Contracting State, means:

(i) any individual possessing the nationality or citizenship of that Contracting State; and

(ii) any legal person or association deriving its status as such from the laws in force in that Contracting State;

(j) the term "person" includes an individual, a trust, a company and any other body of persons;

(k) the term "business" includes the performance of professional services and of other activities of an independent character.

2. As regards the application of the provisions of this Agreement at any time by a Contracting State, any term not defined therein shall, unless the context otherwise requires, have the meaning that it has at that time under the law of that State for the purposes of the taxes to which this Agreement applies, any meaning under the applicable tax laws of that State prevailing over a meaning given to the term under other laws of that State.

Article 4

RESIDENT

1. For the purposes of this Agreement, the term "resident of a Contracting State" means any person who, under the laws of that State, is liable to tax therein by reason of his domicile, residence, place of management or any other criterion of a similar nature, and also includes that State and any local authority thereof. This term, however, does not include any person who is liable to tax in that State in respect only of income from sources in that State.

2. Where by reason of the provisions of paragraph 1 an individual is a resident of both Contracting States, then his status shall be determined as follows:

(a) he shall be deemed to be a resident only of the State in which he has a permanent home available to him; if he has a permanent home available to him in both States, he shall be deemed to be a resident only of the State with which his personal and economic relations are closer (centre of vital interests);

(b) if the State in which he has his centre of vital interests cannot be determined, or if he has not a permanent home available to him in either State, he shall be deemed to be a resident only of the State in which he has an habitual abode;

(c) if he has an habitual abode in both States or in neither of them, he shall be deemed to be a resident only of the State of which he is a national;

(d) if he is a national of both States or of neither of them, the competent authorities of the Contracting States shall settle the question by mutual agreement.

3. Where by reason of the provisions of paragraph 1 a person other than an individual is a resident of both Contracting States, then it shall be deemed to be a resident only of the State in which its place of effective management is situated. If the place in which its place of effective management is situated cannot be determined, then the competent authorities of the Contracting States shall endeavour to settle the question by mutual agreement.

Article 5

PERMANENT ESTABLISHMENT

1. For the purposes of this Agreement, the term "permanent establishment" means a fixed place of business through which the business of an enterprise is wholly or partly carried on.

2. The term "permanent establishment" includes especially:

(a) a place of management;

(b) a branch;

(c) an office;

(d) a factory;

(e) a workshop;

(f) a mine, an oil or gas well, a quarry or any other place of extraction or exploitation of natural resources; and

(g) an installation or structure used for the exploration of natural resources provided that the installation or structure continues for a period of more than six months within any twelve-month period.

3. The term "permanent establishment" likewise encompasses:

(a) a building site, a construction, assembly or installation project, but only where such site or project continues for a period of more than six months within any twelve-month period;

(b) the furnishing of services, including consultancy services, by an enterprise through employees or other personnel engaged by an enterprise for such purpose, but only where activities of that nature continue (for the same or a connected project) within the Contracting State for a period or periods aggregating more than six months within any twelve-month period; and

(c) the performance of professional services or other activities of an independent character by an individual, but only where those services or activities continue within a Contracting State for a period or periods exceeding in the aggregate 183 days in any twelve-month period commencing or ending in the fiscal year concerned.

4. Notwithstanding the preceding provisions of this Article, the term "permanent establishment" shall be deemed not to include:

(a) the use of facilities solely for the purpose of storage, display or delivery of goods or merchandise belonging to the enterprise;

(b) the maintenance of a stock of goods or merchandise belonging to the enterprise solely for the purpose of processing by another enterprise;

(c) the maintenance of a stock of goods or merchandise belonging to the enterprise solely for the purpose of storage, display or delivery;

(d) the maintenance of a fixed place of business solely for the purpose of purchasing goods or merchandise, or for collecting information, for the enterprise;

(e) the maintenance of a fixed place of business solely for the purpose of carrying on, for the enterprise, any other activity of a preparatory or auxiliary character; and

(f) the maintenance of a fixed place of business solely for any combination of activities mentioned in subparagraphs (a) to (e), provided that the overall activity of the fixed place of business resulting from this combination is of a preparatory or auxiliary character.

5. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2, where a person - other than an agent of an independent status to whom paragraph 6 applies - is acting in a Contracting State on behalf of an enterprise of the other Contracting State, that enterprise shall be deemed to have a permanent establishment in the first-mentioned Contracting State in respect of any activities which that person undertakes for the enterprise, if such person has, and habitually exercises, in that State an authority to conclude contracts in the name of the enterprise, unless the activities of such person are limited to those mentioned in paragraph 4 which, if exercised through a fixed place of business, would not make this fixed place of business a permanent establishment under the provisions of that paragraph.

6. An enterprise of a Contracting State shall not be deemed to have a permanent establishment in the other Contracting State merely because it carries on business in that other State through a broker, general commission agent or any other agent of an independent status, provided that such persons are acting in the ordinary course of their business.

7. The fact that a company which is a resident of a Contracting State controls or is controlled by a company which is a resident of the other Contracting State, or which carries on business in that other State (whether through a permanent establishment or otherwise), shall not of itself constitute either company a permanent establishment of the other.

Article 6

INCOME FROM IMMOVABLE PROPERTY

1. Income derived by a resident of a Contracting State from immovable property, including income from agriculture or forestry, situated in the other Contracting State may be taxed in that other State.

2. The term "immovable property" shall have the meaning which it has under the law of the Contracting State in which the property in question is situated. The term shall in any case include property accessory to immovable property, livestock and equipment used in agriculture and forestry, rights to which the provisions of general law respecting landed property apply, usufruct of immovable property and rights to variable or fixed payments as consideration for the working of, or the right to work, mineral deposits, sources and other natural resources; ships, boats and aircraft shall not be regarded as immovable property.

3. The provisions of paragraph 1 shall apply to income derived from the direct use, letting or use in any other form of immovable property.

4. The provisions of paragraphs 1 and 3 shall also apply to the income from immovable property of an enterprise.

Article 7

BUSINESS PROFITS

1. The profits of an enterprise of a Contracting State shall be taxable only in that State unless the enterprise carries on business in the other Contracting State through a permanent establishment situated therein. If the enterprise carries on business as aforesaid, the profits of the enterprise may be taxed in the other State but only so much of them as is attributable to that permanent establishment.

2. Subject to the provisions of paragraph 3, where an enterprise of a Contracting State carries on business in the other Contracting State through a permanent establishment situated therein, there shall in each Contracting State be attributed to that permanent establishment the profits which it might be expected to make if it were a distinct and separate enterprise engaged in the same or similar activities under the same or similar conditions and dealing wholly independently with the enterprise of which it is a permanent establishment.

3. In determining the profits of a permanent establishment, there shall be allowed as deductions expenses which are incurred for the purposes of the permanent establishment, including executive and general administrative expenses so incurred, whether in the State in which the permanent establishment is situated or elsewhere. However, no such deduction shall be allowed in respect of amounts, if any, paid (otherwise than towards reimbursement of actual expenses) by the permanent establishment to the head office of the enterprise or any of its other offices, by way of royalties, fees or other similar payments in return for the use of patents or other rights, or by way of commission, for specific services performed or for management, or, except in the case of a banking enterprise, by way of interest on moneys lent to the permanent establishment. Likewise, no account shall be taken, in the determination of the profits of a permanent establishment, for amounts charged (otherwise than towards reimbursement of actual expenses) by the permanent establishment to the head office of the enterprise or any of its other offices, by way of royalties, fees or other similar payments in return for use of patents or other rights, or by way of commission for specific services performed or for management, or except in the case of a banking enterprise, by way of interest on moneys lent to the head office of the enterprise or any of its other offices.

4. Insofar as it has been customary in a Contracting State to determine the profits to be attributed to a permanent establishment on the basis of an apportionment of the total profits of the enterprise to its various parts, nothing in paragraph 2 shall preclude that Contracting State from determining the profits to be taxed by such an apportionment as may be customary; the method of apportionment adopted shall, however, be such that the result shall be in accordance with the principles contained in this Article.

5. No profits shall be attributed to a permanent establishment by reason of the mere purchase by that permanent establishment of goods or merchandise for the enterprise.

6. For the purposes of the preceding paragraphs, the profits to be attributed to the permanent establishment shall be determined by the same method year by year unless there is good and sufficient reason to the contrary.

7. Where profits include items of income or gains which are dealt with separately in other Articles of this Agreement, then the provisions of those Articles shall not be affected by the provisions of this Article.

Article 8

INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT

1. Profits of an enterprise of a Contracting State from the operation of ships or aircraft in international traffic shall be taxable only in that State.

2. For the purposes of this Article, profits derived from the operation of ships or aircraft in international traffic include profits derived from the rental of ships or aircraft if such ships or aircraft are operated in international traffic or if such rental profits are incidental to other profits described in paragraph 1.

3. Profits of an enterprise of a Contracting State from the use or rental of containers (including trailers, barges, and related equipment for the transport of containers) used for the transport in international traffic of goods or merchandise shall be taxable only in that State.

4. The provisions of paragraph 1 shall also apply to profits from the participation in a pool, a joint business or an international operating agency.

Article 9

ASSOCIATED ENTERPRISES

1. Where:

(a) an enterprise of a Contracting State participates directly or indirectly in the management, control or capital of an enterprise of the other Contracting State, or

(b) the same persons participate directly or indirectly in the management, control or capital of an enterprise of a Contracting State and an enterprise of the other Contracting State, and in either case conditions are made or imposed between the two enterprises in their commercial or financial relations which differ from those which would be made between independent enterprises, then any profits which would, but for those conditions, have accrued to one of the enterprises, but, by reason of those conditions, have not so accrued, may be included in the profits of that enterprise and taxed accordingly.

2. Where a Contracting State includes in the profits of an enterprise of that State - and taxes accordingly - profits on which an enterprise of the other Contracting State has been charged to tax in that other State and the profits so included are profits which would have accrued to the enterprise of the first-mentioned State if the conditions made between the two enterprises had been those which would have been made between independent enterprises, then that other State shall make an appropriate adjustment to the amount of the tax charged therein on those profits. In determining such adjustment, due regard shall be had to the other provisions of this Agreement and the competent authorities of the Contracting States shall if necessary consult each other.

Article 10

DIVIDENDS

1. Dividends paid by a company which is a resident of a Contracting State to a resident of the other Contracting State may be taxed in that other State.

2. However, such dividends may also be taxed in the Contracting State of which the company paying the dividends is a resident and according to the laws of that State, but if the beneficial owner of the dividends is a resident of the other Contracting State, the tax so charged shall not exceed 5 per cent of the gross amount of the dividends in all cases.

This paragraph shall not affect taxation of the company in respect of the profits out of which the dividends are paid.

3. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 2, dividends arising in a Contracting State and paid to, and beneficially owned by, the Government of the other Contracting State shall be exempt from tax in the first-mentioned State.

4. The term "dividends" as used in this Article means income from shares, "jouissance" shares or "jouissance" rights, mining shares, founders’ shares or other rights (not being debt-claims) participating in profits, as well as income from other corporate rights which is subjected to the same taxation treatment as income from shares by the laws of the Contracting State of which the company making the distribution is a resident.

5. The provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2 shall not apply if the beneficial owner of the dividends, being a resident of a Contracting State, carries on business in the other Contracting State of which the company paying the dividends is a resident through a permanent establishment situated therein and the holding in respect of which the dividends are paid is effectively connected with such permanent establishment. In such case, the provisions of Article 7 shall apply.

6. Where a company which is a resident of a Contracting State derives profits or income from the other Contracting State, that other State may not impose any tax on the dividends paid by the company, except insofar as such dividends are paid to a resident of that other State or insofar as the holding in respect of which the dividends are paid is effectively connected with a permanent establishment situated in that other State, nor subject the company’s undistributed profits to a tax on undistributed profits, even if the dividends paid or the undistributed profits consist wholly or partly of profits or income arising in such other State.

Article 11

INTEREST

1. Interest arising in a Contracting State and paid to a resident of the other Contracting State may be taxed in that other State.

2. However, such interest may also be taxed in the State in which it arises and according to the laws of that State, but if the recipient is the beneficial owner of the interest, the tax so charged shall not exceed 7.5 per cent of the gross amount of the interest.

3. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 2, interest arising in a Contracting State shall be exempt from tax in that State if it is paid to, and beneficially owned by, the Government of the other Contracting State or a local authority thereof.

4. The term "interest" as used in this Article means income from debt-claims of every kind, whether or not secured by mortgage and whether or not carrying a right to participate in the debtor’s profits, and in particular, income from government securities and income from bonds or debentures, including premiums and prizes attaching to such securities, bonds or debentures. Penalty charges for late payment shall not be regarded as interest for the purposes of this Article.

5. The provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2 shall not apply if the beneficial owner of the interest, being a resident of a Contracting State, carries on business in the other Contracting State in which the interest arises through a permanent establishment situated therein and the debt-claim in respect of which the interest is paid is effectively connected with such permanent establishment. In such case, the provisions of Article 7 shall apply.

6. Interest shall be deemed to arise in a Contracting State when the payer is a resident of that State. Where, however, the person paying the interest, whether he is a resident of a Contracting State or not, has in a Contracting State a permanent establishment in connection with which the indebtedness on which the interest is paid was incurred, and such interest is borne by such permanent establishment, then such interest shall be deemed to arise in the State in which the permanent establishment is situated.

7. Where, by reason of a special relationship between the payer and the beneficial owner or between both of them and some other person, the amount of the interest, having regard to the debt-claim for which it is paid, exceeds the amount which would have been agreed upon by the payer and the beneficial owner in the absence of such relationship, the provisions of this Article shall apply only to the last-mentioned amount. In such case, the excess part of the payments shall remain taxable according to the laws of each Contracting State, due regard being had to the other provisions of this Agreement.

Article 12

ROYALTIES

1. Royalties arising in a Contracting State and paid to a resident of the other Contracting State may be taxed in that other State.

2. However, such royalties may also be taxed in the Contracting State in which they arise, and according to the laws of that State, but if the recipient is the beneficial owner of the royalties, the tax so charged shall not exceed:

(a)5 per cent of the gross amount of the royalties in respect of the use of or the right to use industrial, commercial or scientific equipment; and

(b)7.5 per cent of the gross amount of the royalties in all other cases.

3. The term "royalties" as used in this Article means payments of any kind received as a consideration for the use of, or the right to use, any copyright of literary, artistic or scientific work (including cinematographic films and recordings on tape or other media used for radio or television broadcasting or other means of reproduction or transmission), any patent, trade mark, design or model, plan, secret formula or process, or the use of or the right to use industrial, commercial or scientific equipment or for information concerning industrial, commercial or scientific experience.

4. The provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2 shall not apply if the beneficial owner of the royalties, being a resident of a Contracting State, carries on business in the other Contracting State in which the royalties arise through a permanent establishment situated therein and the right or property in respect of which the royalties are paid is effectively connected with such permanent establishment. In such case, the provisions of Article 7 shall apply.

5. Royalties shall be deemed to arise in a Contracting State when the payer is a resident of that State. Where, however, the person paying the royalties, whether he is a resident of a Contracting State or not, has in a Contracting State a permanent establishment in connection with which the liability to pay the royalties was incurred, and such royalties are borne by such permanent establishment, then such royalties shall be deemed to arise in the State in which the permanent establishment is situated.

6. Where, by reason of a special relationship between the payer and the beneficial owner or between both of them and some other person, the amount of the royalties, having regard to the use, right or information for which they are paid, exceeds the amount which would have been agreed upon by the payer and the beneficial owner in the absence of such relationship, the provisions of this Article shall apply only to the last-mentioned amount. In such case, the excess part of the payments shall remain taxable according to the laws of each Contracting State, due regard being had to the other provisions of this Agreement.

Article 13

CAPITAL GAINS

1. Gains derived by a resident of a Contracting State from the alienation of immovable property referred to in Article 6 and situated in the other Contracting State may be taxed in that other State.

2. Gains from the alienation of movable property forming part of the business property of a permanent establishment which an enterprise of a Contracting State has in the other Contracting State, including such gains from the alienation of such a permanent establishment (alone or with the whole enterprise), may be taxed in that other State.

3. Gains of an enterprise of a Contracting State from the alienation of ships or aircraft operated in international traffic, or movable property pertaining to the operation of such ships or aircraft, shall be taxable only in that State.

4. Gains derived by a resident of a Contracting State from the alienation of:

(a) shares, other than shares quoted on a recognised stock exchange, deriving more than 50 per cent of their value directly or indirectly from immovable property situated in the other Contracting State; or

(b) an interest in a partnership or trust deriving more than 50 per cent of its value directly or indirectly from immovable property situated in the other Contracting State,

may be taxed in that other State.

5. Gains from the alienation of any property, other than that referred to in paragraphs 1, 2, 3 and 4, shall be taxable only in the Contracting State of which the alienator is a resident.

6. The provisions of paragraph 5 shall not affect the right of a Contracting State to levy, according to its law, a tax on gains from the alienation of any property derived by an individual who is a resident of the other Contracting State and has been a resident of the first-mentioned State at any time during the five years immediately preceding the alienation of the property.

Article 14

INCOME FROM EMPLOYMENT

1. Subject to the provisions of Articles 15, 17 and 18, salaries, wages and other similar remuneration derived by a resident of a Contracting State in respect of an employment shall be taxable only in that State unless the employment is exercised in the other Contracting State. If the employment is so exercised, such remuneration as is derived therefrom may be taxed in that other State.

2. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 1, remuneration derived by a resident of a Contracting State in respect of an employment exercised in the other Contracting State shall be taxable only in the first-mentioned State if:

(a) the recipient is present in the other Contracting State for a period or periods not exceeding in the aggregate 183 days in any twelve-month period commencing or ending in the fiscal year concerned; and

(b) the remuneration is paid by, or on behalf of, an employer who is not a resident of the other State; and

(c) the remuneration is not borne by a permanent establishment which the employer has in the other State.

3. Notwithstanding the preceding provisions of this Article, remuneration derived in respect of an employment exercised aboard a ship or aircraft operated in international traffic by an enterprise of a Contracting State may be taxed in that Contracting State.

Article 15

DIRECTORS’ FEES

Directors’ fees and other similar payments derived by a resident of a Contracting State in his capacity as a member of the board of directors of a company which is a resident of the other Contracting State may be taxed in that other State.

Article 16

ENTERTAINERS AND SPORTSPERSONS

1. Notwithstanding the provisions of Articles 7 and 14, income derived by a resident of a Contracting State as an entertainer, such as a theatre, motion picture, radio or television artiste, or a musician, or as a sportsperson, from his personal activities as such exercised in the other Contracting State, may be taxed in that other State.

2. Where income in respect of personal activities exercised by an entertainer or a sportsperson is his capacity as such accrues not to the entertainer or sportsperson himself but to another person, that income may, notwithstanding the provisions of Articles 7 and 14, be taxed in the Contracting State in which the activities of the entertainer or sportsperson are exercised.

3. The provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2 shall not apply to income derived by entertainers or sportspersons who are residents of a Contracting State from their personal activities as entertainers or sportspersons exercised in the other Contracting State if their visit to that other State is supported wholly or mainly by public funds of the first-mentioned Contracting State, or a local authority thereof, or takes place under a cultural agreement or arrangement between the Governments of the Contracting States. In such a case, the income shall be taxable only in the Contracting State of which the entertainer or sportsperson, as the case may be, is a resident.

Article 17

PENSIONS AND ANNUITIES

1. Subject to the provisions of paragraph 2 of Article 18, pensions and other similar remuneration in consideration of past employment and any annuity arising in a Contracting State and paid to a resident of the other Contracting State may be taxed in the first-mentioned Contracting State.

2. The term "annuity" means a stated sum payable periodically at stated times during life or during a specified or ascertainable period of time under an obligation to make the payments in return for adequate and full consideration in money or money’s worth.

Article 18

GOVERNMENT SERVICE

1.(a) Salaries, wages and other similar remuneration paid by a Contracting State or a local authority thereof to an individual in respect of services rendered to that State or authority shall be taxable only in that State.

(b) However, such salaries, wages and other similar remuneration shall be taxable only in the other Contracting State if the services are rendered in that State and the individual is a resident of that State who:

(i) is a national of that State; or

(ii) did not become a resident of that State solely for the purpose of rendering the services.

2. (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 1, pensions and other similar remuneration paid by, or out of funds created by, a Contracting State or a local authority thereof to an individual in respect of services rendered to that State or authority shall be taxable only in that State.

(b) However, such pensions and other similar remuneration shall be taxable only in the other Contracting State if the individual is a resident of, and a national of, that State.

3. The provisions of Articles 14, 15, 16 and 17 shall apply to salaries, wages, pensions and other similar remuneration in respect of services rendered in connection with a business carried on by a Contracting State or a local authority thereof.

Article 19

STUDENTS, APPRENTICES AND BUSINESS TRAINEES

A student, apprentice or business trainee who is present in a Contracting State solely for the purpose of his education or training and who is, or immediately before being so present was, a resident of the other Contracting State shall be exempt from tax in the first-mentioned State on payments received from outside that first-mentioned State for the purposes of his maintenance, education or training.

Article 20

TECHNICAL FEES

1. Technical fees arising in a Contracting State which are paid to a resident of the other Contracting State may be taxed in that other State.

2. However, such technical fees may also be taxed in the Contracting State in which they arise, and according to the law of that State, but where such technical fees are paid to a resident of the other Contracting State who is subject to tax in that State in respect thereof, the tax charged in the Contracting State in which the technical fees arise shall not exceed 7.5 per cent of the gross amount of such fees.

3. The term "technical fees" as used in this Article means payments of any kind to any person, other than to an employee of the person making the payments, in consideration for any services of an administrative, technical, managerial or consultancy nature.

4. The provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article shall not apply if the recipient of the technical fees, being a resident of a Contracting State, carries on business in the other Contracting State in which the technical fees arise, through a permanent establishment situated therein and the technical fees are effectively connected with such permanent establishment. In such case, the provisions of Article 7 shall apply.

5. Technical fees shall be deemed to arise in a Contracting State when the payer is that State, or a local authority thereof or a resident of that State. Where, however, the person paying the technical fees, whether he is a resident of a Contracting State or not, has in a Contracting State a permanent establishment in connection with which the obligation to pay the technical fees was incurred, and such technical fees are borne by that permanent establishment, then such technical fees shall be deemed to arise in the State in which the permanent establishment is situated.

6. Where, by reason of a special relationship between the payer and the recipient or between both of them and some other person, the amount of the technical fees paid exceeds, for whatever reason, the amount which would have been agreed upon by the payer and the recipient in the absence of such relationship, the provisions of this Article shall apply only to the last-mentioned amount. In such case, the excess part of the payments shall remain taxable according to the law of each Contracting State, due regard being had to the other provisions of this Agreement.

7. Notwithstanding paragraph 2, where, in any Agreement for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion entered into by Botswana with any State other than Ireland after the signing of this Agreement, the rate of tax specified in the Article relating to technical fees is a rate less than 7.5 per cent, such lower rate shall apply as if it had been the rate specified in this Article.

Article 21

OTHER INCOME

1. Items of income of a resident of a Contracting State, wherever arising, not dealt with in the foregoing Articles of this Agreement shall be taxable only in that State.

2. The provisions of paragraph 1 shall not apply to income, other than income from immovable property as defined in paragraph 2 of Article 6, if the beneficial owner of such income, being a resident of a Contracting State, carries on business in the other Contracting State through a permanent establishment situated therein and the right or property in respect of which the income is paid is effectively connected with such permanent establishment. In such case, the provisions of Article 7 shall apply.

Article 22

MISCELLANEOUS RULES APPLICABLE TO CERTAIN OFFSHORE ACTIVITIES

1. The provisions of this Article shall apply notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement where activities (in this Article called "relevant activities") are carried on offshore in connection with the exploration or exploitation of the seabed and subsoil and their natural resources situated in a Contracting State.

2. An enterprise of a Contracting State which carries on relevant activities in the other Contracting State shall, subject to paragraph 3 of this Article, be deemed to be carrying on business in that other State through a permanent establishment situated therein.

3. Relevant activities which are carried on by an enterprise of a Contracting State in the other Contracting State for a period or periods not exceeding in the aggregate 30 days within any period of twelve months shall not constitute the carrying on of business through a permanent establishment situated therein. For the purposes of this paragraph:

(a) where an enterprise of a Contracting State carrying on relevant activities in the other Contracting State is associated with another enterprise carrying on substantially similar relevant activities there, the former enterprise shall be deemed to be carrying on all such activities of the latter enterprise, except to the extent that those activities are carried on at the same time as its own activities;

(b) an enterprise shall be regarded as associated with another enterprise if one participates directly or indirectly in the management, control or capital of the other or if the same persons participate directly or indirectly in the management, control or capital of both enterprises.

4. Salaries, wages and similar remuneration derived by a resident of a Contracting State in respect of an employment connected with relevant activities in the other Contracting State may, to the extent that the duties are performed offshore in that other State, be taxed in that other State.

5. Gains derived by a resident of a Contracting State from the alienation of:

(a) exploration or exploitation rights; or

(b) shares (or comparable instruments) deriving their value or the greater part of their value directly or indirectly from such rights, may be taxed in that other State.

In this paragraph "exploration or exploitation rights" mean rights to assets to be produced by the exploration or exploitation of the seabed or subsoil or their natural resources in the other Contracting State, including rights to interests in or to the benefit of such assets.

Article 23

ELIMINATION OF DOUBLE TAXATION

1. Double taxation shall be eliminated as follows:

(a) in Botswana, subject to the provisions of the laws of Botswana regarding the allowance of a credit against Botswana tax of tax payable under the laws of a country outside Botswana, Irish tax payable under the laws of Ireland and in accordance with this Agreement, whether directly or by deduction, on profits or income liable to tax in Ireland shall be allowed as a credit against any Botswana tax payable in respect of the same profits or income by reference to which the Irish tax is computed. However, the amount of such credit shall not exceed the amount of the Botswana tax payable on that income in accordance with the laws of Botswana;

(b) in Ireland, subject to the provisions of the laws of Ireland regarding the allowance as a credit against Irish tax of tax payable in a territory outside Ireland (which shall not affect the general principle thereof)-

(i) Botswana tax payable under the laws of Botswana and in accordance with this Agreement, whether directly or by deduction, on profits, income or gains from sources within Botswana (excluding in the case of a dividend tax payable in respect of the profits out of which the dividend is paid) shall be allowed as a credit against any Irish tax computed by reference to the same profits, income or gains by reference to which Botswana tax is computed;

(ii) in the case of a dividend paid by a company which is a resident of Botswana to a company which is a resident of Ireland and which controls directly or indirectly 5 per cent or more of the voting power in the company paying the dividend, the credit shall take into account (in addition to any Botswana tax creditable under the provisions of subparagraph (b)(i)) Botswana tax payable by the company in respect of the profits out of which such dividend is paid;

(iii) for the purposes of subparagraph (i), profits, income and capital gains owned by a resident of Ireland which may be taxed in Botswana in accordance with this Agreement shall be deemed to be derived from sources in Botswana.

2. Where in accordance with any provision of the Agreement income derived by a resident of a Contracting State is exempt from tax in that State, such State may nevertheless, in calculating the amount of tax on the remaining income of such resident, take into account the exempted income.

3. Where under any provision of this Agreement, income or gains is or are wholly or partly relieved from tax in a Contracting State and, under the laws in force in the other Contracting State, an individual, in respect of the said income or gains, is subject to tax by reference to the amount thereof which is remitted to or received in that other State, and not by reference to the full amount thereof, then the relief to be allowed under this Agreement in the first-mentioned State shall apply only to so much of the income or gains as is remitted to or received in that other State.

Article 24

NON-DISCRIMINATION

1. Nationals of a Contracting State shall not be subjected in the other Contracting State to any taxation or any requirement connected therewith, which is other or more burdensome than the taxation and connected requirements to which nationals of that other State in the same circumstances, in particular with respect to residence, are or may be subjected. This provision shall, notwithstanding the provisions of Article 1, also apply to persons who are not residents of one or both of the Contracting States.

2. The taxation on a permanent establishment which an enterprise of a Contracting State has in the other Contracting State shall not be less favourably levied in that other State than the taxation levied on enterprises of that other State carrying on the same activities. This provision shall not be construed as obliging a Contracting State to grant to residents of the other Contracting State any personal allowances, reliefs and reductions for taxation purposes on account of civil status or family responsibilities which it grants to its own residents.

3. 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 that first-mentioned State are or may be subjected.

4. Except where the provisions of paragraph 1 of Article 9, paragraph 7 of Article 11, paragraph 6 of Article 12 and paragraph 6 of Article 20 apply, interest, royalties, technical fees 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.

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 Agreement, 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 this Agreement.

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 Agreement. 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 Agreement. They may also consult together for the elimination of double taxation in cases not provided for in the Agreement.

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.

Article 26

Exchange of Information

1. The competent authorities of the Contracting States shall exchange such information as is foreseeably relevant for carrying out the provisions of this Agreement or to the administration or enforcement of the domestic laws concerning taxes of every kind and description imposed on behalf of the Contracting States, or of their political subdivisions or local authorities, insofar as the taxation thereunder is not contrary to the Agreement. The exchange of information is not restricted by Articles 1 and 2.

2. Any information received under paragraph 1 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) concerned with the assessment or collection of, the enforcement or prosecution in respect of, the determination of appeals in relation to the taxes referred to in paragraph 1, or the oversight of the above. 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.

3. In no case shall the provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2 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 or professional secret or trade process, or information the disclosure of which would be contrary to public policy (ordre public).

4. If information is requested by a Contracting State in accordance with this Article, the other Contracting State shall use its information gathering measures to obtain the requested information, even though that other State may not need such information for its own tax purposes. The obligation contained in the preceding sentence is subject to the limitations of paragraph 3 but in no case shall such limitations be construed to permit a Contracting State to decline to supply information solely because it has no domestic interest in such information.

5. In no case shall the provisions of paragraph 3 be construed to permit a Contracting State to decline to supply information solely because the information is held by a bank, other financial institution, nominee or person acting in an agency or a fiduciary capacity or because it relates to ownership interests in a person.

Article 27

ASSISTANCE IN COLLECTION

1. The Contracting States shall to the extent permitted by their respective domestic law, lend assistance to each other in order to collect the taxes referred to in Article 2 as well as interest and penalties with regard to such taxes, provided that reasonable steps to recover such taxes have been taken by the Contracting State requesting such assistance.

2. Claims which are the subject of requests for assistance shall not have priority over taxes owing in the Contracting State rendering assistance and the provisions of paragraph 1 of Article 26 shall also apply to any information which, by virtue of this Article, is supplied to the competent authority of a Contracting State.

3. The competent authorities of the Contracting States shall by mutual agreement settle the mode of application of the provisions of this Article.

Article 28

MEMBERS OF DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS AND CONSULAR POSTS

Nothing in this Agreement shall affect the fiscal privileges of members of diplomatic missions or consular posts under the general rules of international law or under the provisions of special agreements.

Article 29

ENTRY INTO FORCE

1. Each of the Contracting States shall notify to the other the completion of the procedures required by its law for the bringing into force of this Agreement. This Agreement shall enter into force on the date of receipt of the later of these notifications.

2. The provisions of the Agreement shall thereupon have effect:

(a) in Botswana:

(i) as respects taxes withheld at source, for any amounts paid or credited on or after the thirtieth day following the date upon which the Agreement enters into force; and

(ii) as respects other taxes, for any year of assessment beginning on or after the first day of July next following the year in which the Agreement enters into force;

(b) in Ireland:

(i) as respects income tax, the universal social charge and capital gains tax, for any year of assessment beginning on or after the first day of January next following the year in which this Agreement enters into force;

(ii) as respects corporation tax, for any financial year beginning on or after the first day of January next following the year in which this Agreement enters into force.

Article 30

TERMINATION

1. This Agreement shall remain in force until terminated by a Contracting State. Either Contracting State may terminate the Agreement after five years from the date on which the Agreement enters into force provided that at least six months prior written notice of termination has been given through diplomatic channels.

2. In such event this Agreement shall cease to have effect:

(a) in Botswana:

(i) as respects taxes withheld at source, for any amounts credited on or after the thirtieth day following the date on which the notice of termination is given;

(ii) as respects other taxes, for taxable income derived on or after the first day of July of the year next following that in which the notice of termination is given;

(b) in Ireland:

(i) as respects income tax, the universal social charge and capital gains tax, for any year of assessment beginning on or after the first day of January in the calendar year next following that in which the notice of termination is given;

(ii) as respects corporation tax, for any financial year beginning on or after the first day of January in the calendar year next following that in which the notice of termination is given.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned, being duly authorised thereto, have signed this Agreement.

DONE at Gaborone, this 10 day of June 2014 in duplicate, in the English language.

PROTOCOL

On signing the Agreement between the Government of Ireland and the Government of the Republic of Botswana for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income, the signatories, being duly authorised thereto, have in addition agreed on the following provisions which shall form an integral part of the said Agreement:

(1) With reference to Article 4:

It is understood that a Common Contractual Fund (CCF) established in Ireland shall not be regarded as a resident of Ireland and shall be treated as fiscally transparent for the purposes of granting treaty benefits.

(2) With reference to Articles 10 and 11:

For the purpose of paragraph 3 of Article 10 and paragraph 3 of Article 11, the term "Government" shall include:

(i) in the case of Botswana, the Bank of Botswana;

(ii) in the case of Ireland, the Central Bank of Ireland and the National Treasury Management Agency and bodies under its aegis;

and

(iii) in either case, a statutory body or any institution wholly or mainly owned by the Government of Botswana or the Government of Ireland as may be agreed from time to time between the competent authorities of the Contracting States.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned, being duly authorised thereto, have signed this Protocol.

DONE at Gaborone, this 10 day of June 2014 in duplicate, in the English language.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Government,

14 October 2014.

ENDA KENNY,

Taoiseach.