Relief at source - eligibility, documentation, deadlines – Romanian bonds
Who can obtain relief at source?
Relief at source from withholding tax on interest from Romanian bonds is available through Clearstream Banking for beneficial owners as follows:
Eligible beneficial owners | Rate applicable at source |
Residents of Double Taxation Treaty (DTT) countries | 0% or Tax treaty ratea |
a. Tax treaty rate applies only to beneficial owners that incurred 16% tax on corporate bonds.
Documentation requirements
The treaty rate is obtained by DTT residents with the following documentation:
- One-time certificate for Romanian securities: original, duly completed and signed.
- Annual certificate of residence: original, duly certified by the beneficial owner’s local tax authorities and valid one calendar year.
- Per payment instruction: Provided to Clearstream Banking via Swift (formatted MT565 message) or Xact Web Portal message (please refer to the CBL Customer Handbook for full formatting requirements). It includes details of the final beneficial owner, such as its name, status, residence, holding and applicable tax rate.
Additional documentation may be required by the issuer depending on the status of the beneficial owner. This will be communicated on an ad hoc basis through our tax notification.
Form descriptions are presented in accordance with the procedures available for relief of withholding tax on income from Romanian bonds.
Deadlines for receipt of documents
Documentation for relief at source from withholding tax on interest from Romanian bonds through the relief at source procedure must be received by Clearstream Banking at the latest on the record date -1 business day of the first income payment to which it applies, at 09:00 CET.
The agent may impose different deadlines. This will be communicated through Clearstream Banking tax notifications to customers.
To ensure a smooth certification process, Clearstream Banking recommends that customers provide the certificates of residence at the beginning of each year.