811.512356Shipping/24
The Netherlands Chargé (Van Asch van Wyck) to the Secretary of State
Sir: I had the honor to receive your note of September 13, 1926 by which you informed me of the receipt of a communication from the Treasury Department regarding the draft of a Royal Decree, with English translation, to be issued by Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands, relative to the prevention of double taxation on income derived exclusively from the operation of ships, which was left at the Treasury Department on July 29, 1926.
In this note you stated that the English translation of the proposed decree reads as follows:
“We, Wilhelmina, by the Grace of God, Queen of The Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau etc. etc.
“Whereas it is provided in the Unique Section of the Law of June 26, 1926, (Statute book No. 209), that we reserve Ourselves under No. 2 to make provisions, on a basis of reciprocity, preventing double taxation on earnings derived from the operation of ships, corresponding with equivalent provisions existing in the laws of foreign nations; and
“Whereas under Section 213, litt. b, No. 8 of the Revenue Act of the United States no tax is imposed on the income of an alien individual non-resident in the United States or of a foreign corporation which consists exclusively of earnings derived from the operation of a ship or ships documented under the laws of a foreign country which grants an equivalent exemption to citizens of the United States and to corporations organized in the United States, do hereby proclaim and make known:
[Page 761]“UNIQUE SECTION
“citizens of the united states non-resident in the netherlands and corporations organized in the united states which effectuate in the netherlands the sea transport with ships documented under the law of the united states are (with retroactive power till january 1, 1921) not subject to taxation as far as income derived exclusively from such industry is concerned.”
You further informed me that the Treasury Department states that it interprets the proposed decree as exempting from tax the income from sources within the Netherlands received by citizens of the United States non-resident in the Netherlands and by corporations organized in the United States, which consists exclusively of earnings derived from the operation of ships documented under the laws of the United States, such exemption applying to income received on or after January 1, 1921, and that it notes that the exemption is granted to corporations organized in the United States without limiting such exemption in any way.
You also advised me that the Treasury Department states that the decree as submitted to it meets the equivalent exemption requirements of Section 213 (b) (8) of the United States Revenue Acts of 1921, 1924, and 1926, and you finally stated that you should be pleased to have me inform you when the decree is issued.
In reply thereto I have in compliance with instructions from my Government the honor to inform you that the Treasury Department’s above mentioned interpretation of the Royal Decree in question is correct and that the Decree in the form in which it was submitted was published on October 8, 1926 after having been promulgated on October 1, 1926.
Please accept [etc.]