811.512368 Shipping/10
The Secretary of State to the Greek Minister ( Simopoulos )
The Secretary of State presents his compliments to the Minister of Greece and has the honor to inform the Minister, with reference to his note No. 422 of April 2, 1929, relative to the provisions of the Greek net income tax law whereby ships flying a foreign flag may be exempted from taxation on the profits made in Greece, that the Secretary of the Treasury has notified the Department of State as follows:
“Inasmuch as Greece has not taxed the income of a citizen of the United States not residing in Greece and of a corporation organized in [Page 87] the United States derived from the operation of ships flying the American flag from 1921 and does not tax such income under the present law, Greece satisfies the equivalent exemption provisions of section 213 (b) (8) of the Revenue Acts of 1921, 1924, and 1926 and sections 212 (b) and 231 (b) of the Revenue Act of 1928. It is held, therefore, that the income of a nonresident alien individual and a foreign corporation from sources within the United States which consists exclusively of earnings derived from the operation of a ship or ships documented under the laws of Greece is not required to be included in gross income and is exempt from income, excess-profits and war-profits taxes for 1921 and subsequent years. If any tax on such income has been paid it will be refunded upon proper claims therefor being made by taxpayers who are entitled to the exemption, provided the period of limitation for making refunds has not expired.”