Hong Kong signed on March 22 an agreement with Portugal for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income.
The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Professor K C Chan, signed the agreement in Hong Kong on behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. The Consul-General of Portugal in Hong Kong, Mr Manuel Carvalho, signed on behalf of his Government. Please click here for the details.

The Agreement between the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of Hungary for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income ("the Agreement") was formally signed on 12 May 2010.
According to Article 26 of the Agreement, the Agreement shall, upon the written notifications by both sides of the completion of their respective required approval procedures, enter into force on the 30th day following the receipt of the later of the notifications.

For the purposes of giving effect to the Agreement, the Chief Executive in Council made an Order on 28 September 2010 under section 49(1A) of the Inland Revenue Ordinance. The Order was published in the Gazette as Legal Notice 124 of 2010. The Order was laid before the Legislative Council for negative vetting on 20 October 2010. The vetting period expired on 8 December 2010 and no resolution was made by the Legislative Council to amend the whole or any part of the Order. On 1 and 10 December 2010, Hungary and Hong Kong notified each other in writing of the completion of the ratification procedures respectively. On 24 January 2011, Hungary acknowledged receipt of the notification from Hong Kong. The Agreement became effective on 23 February 2011 and shall have effect in Hong Kong, according to paragraph 2 of Article 26 of the Agreement, for any year of assessment beginning on or after 1 April 2012.

The Agreement between the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China and the Government of Ireland for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income ("the Agreement") was formally signed on 22 June 2010.
According to Article 26 of the Agreement, the Agreement shall, upon the written notifications by both Sides of the completion of their respective required approval procedures, enter into force on the date of the later of these notifications.

For the purpose of giving effect to the Agreement, an Order was made by the Chief Executive in Council on 28 September 2010, under section 49(1A) of the Inland Revenue Ordinance. The Order was published in the Gazette as Legal Notice 127 of 2010. The Order was laid before the Legislative Council for negative vetting on 20 October 2010. The vetting period expired on 8 December 2010 and no resolution was made by the Legislative Council to amend the whole or any part of the Order. On 10 December 2010, Hong Kong sent a notification of the completion of the ratification procedures to Ireland. Hong Kong received a notification dated 10 February 2011 from Ireland confirming the completion of its approval procedures. The Agreement has therefore become effective on 10 February 2011 and shall have effect in Hong Kong, according to paragraph 2 of Article 26 of the Agreement, for any year of assessment beginning on or after 1 April 2012.

The Agreement between the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of Austria ("Austria") for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income and on Capital ("the Agreement") was formally signed on 25 May 2010.
According to Article 27 of the Agreement, the Agreement shall, upon the written notifications by both Sides of the completion of their respective required approval procedures, enter into force on the first day of the month next following the date of the later of these notifications.

For the purpose of giving effect to the Agreement, an Order was made by the Chief Executive in Council on 28 September 2010, under section 49(1A) of the Inland Revenue Ordinance. The Order was published in the Gazette as Legal Notice 125 of 2010. On 10 December 2010, Hong Kong sent a notification of the completion of the ratification procedures to Austria and received a notification of the same date from Austria confirming the completion of its approval procedures. The Agreement has therefore become effective on 1 January 2011 and shall have effect in Hong Kong, according to paragraph 2 of Article 27 of the Agreement, for any year of assessment beginning on or after 1 April 2012.

The Agreement between the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ("the UK") for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income and on Capital Gains ("the Agreement") was formally signed on 21 June 2010.
According to Article 26 of the Agreement, the Agreement shall, upon the written notifications by both Sides of the completion of their respective required approval procedures, enter into force on the date of the later of these notifications.

For the purpose of giving effect to the Agreement, an Order was made by the Chief Executive in Council on 28 September 2010, under section 49(1A) of the Inland Revenue Ordinance. The Order was published in the Gazette as Legal Notice 126 of 2010. On 10 December 2010, Hong Kong sent a notification of the completion of the ratification procedures to the UK and received a notification dated 20 December 2010 from the UK confirming the completion of its approval procedures. The Agreement has therefore become effective on 20 December 2010 and shall have effect in Hong Kong, according to paragraph 2 of Article 26 of the Agreement, for any year of assessment beginning on or after 1 April 2011.

The Agreement between the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China and the Government of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam ("Brunei") for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income ("the Agreement") was formally signed on 20 March 2010.
According to Article 27 of the Agreement, the Agreement shall, upon the written notifications by both Sides of the completion of their respective required approval procedures, enter into force on the thirtieth day after the date of the later of these notifications.

For the purpose of giving effect to the Agreement, an Order was made by the Chief Executive in Council on 22 June 2010, under section 49(1A) of the Inland Revenue Ordinance. The Order was published in the Gazette as Legal Notice 89 of 2010. Hong Kong received a notification dated 19 July 2010 from Brunei confirming the completion of its approval procedures. On 19 November 2010, Hong Kong sent a notification of the completion of the ratification procedures to Brunei. The Agreement has therefore become effective on 19 December 2010 and shall have effect in Hong Kong, according to paragraph 2 of Article 27 of the Agreement, for any year of assessment beginning on or after 1 April 2011.

Hong Kong signed on December 6 an agreement with Switzerland for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income.
The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Professor K C Chan, signed the agreement in Hong Kong on behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. The Swiss Consul-General, Mrs Rita Hammerli-Weschke, signed on behalf of her Government. Please click here for the details.

Hong Kong signed on December 1 an agreement with New Zealand for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income.
The Financial Secretary, Mr John C Tsang, signed the agreement in Auckland on behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. The New Zealand's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Mr Bill English, signed on behalf of his Government. Please click here for the details.

Hong Kong signed on November 9 an agreement with Japan for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income.
The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury of Hong Kong, Professor K C Chan, signed the agreement in Hong Kong on behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. The Consul-General of Japan in Hong Kong, Mr Yuji Kumamaru, signed on behalf of his Government. Please click here for the details.

Hong Kong signed on October 21 an agreement with France for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income and on Capital.
The Financial Secretary, Mr John C Tsang, signed the agreement in Paris on behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. The French Minister of Economy, Industry and Employment, Mrs Christine Lagarde, signed on behalf of her Government. Please click here for the details.

Hong Kong signed on August 12 an agreement with Liechtenstein for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income and on Capital.
The Special Representative for Hong Kong Economic and Trade Affairs to the European Union, Miss Mary Chow, signed the agreement in Vaduz on behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. The Liechtenstein Prime Minister, Dr Klaus Tschutscher, signed on behalf of his Government. Please click here for the details.

Hong Kong signed on June 22 an agreement with Ireland for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income.
The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Professor K C Chan, signed the agreement in Dublin on behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. The Irish Minister of Finance, Mr Brian Lenihan, signed on behalf of his Government. Please click here for the details.

Hong Kong signed on June 21 an agreement with the United Kingdom for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income and on capital gains.
The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Professor K C Chan, signed the agreement in London on behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. The United Kingdom Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, Mr David Gauke, signed on behalf of his Government. Please click here for the details.

Today, on May 27, the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Professor K C Chan, on behalf of the HKSAR Government, signs the Third Protocol (in Chinese only) to the Arrangement between the Mainland of China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income with the Deputy Commissioner of the State Administration of Taxation, Mr Wang Li, representing the Central Government, in Beijing.

The Third Protocol upgrades the Exchange of Information Article in the Arrangement to the 2004 version of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. The Article requires the contracting parties, upon receiving a request for information, to exchange information even when there is no domestic tax interest involved. The Third Protocol will come into force after the completion of ratification procedures and notification by both sides.

Hong Kong today (May 25) signed an agreement with Austria for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income and on capital.
The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Professor K C Chan, signed the agreement in Hong Kong on behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. The Austrian State Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Mr Andreas Schieder, signed on behalf of his Government. Please click here for the details.

Hong Kong today (May 13) signed an agreement with Kuwait for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income.

The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Professor K C Chan, signed the agreement in Hong Kong on behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. The Kuwaiti Minister of Finance, Mr Mustafa Al-Shamali, signed on behalf of his Government. Please click here for the details.

The Special Representative for Hong Kong Economic and Trade Affairs to the European Union, Miss Mary Chow, signed the agreement for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income on behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in Budapest. The Hungarian Minister of Finance, Dr Peter Oszko, signed on behalf of his Government. Please click here for the details.

On 15 April 2010, Hong Kong and Switzerland had initialed an agreement for the avoidance of double taxation (CDTA) between Hong Kong and Switzerland in Berne. Both sides had reached a consensus on all the provisions of the agreement after the 2nd round of talks held this week, which lasted for 4 days. Both sides will arrange to have the agreement formally signed and put into effect as soon as practicable.
This is the 10th CDTA that Hong Kong has concluded so far that adopts the latest international standard on exchange of information.