Protocol Amending the Convention… US and France... Taxes on Estates and Gifts, August 12, 2004

PROTOCOL

AMENDING THE CONVENTION BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

AND THE FRENCH REPUBLIC FOR THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBLE TAXATION AND

THE PREVENTION OF FISCAL EVASION WITH RESPECT TO TAXES ON ESTATES,

INHERITANCES, AND GIFTS,

SIGNED AT WASHINGTON ON NOVEMBER 24, 1978

The Government of the United States of America and the Government of the
French Republic, desiring to amend the Convention Between the United States of America and
the French Republic for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal
Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Estates, Inheritances, and Gifts, signed at Washington on
November 24, 1978, have agreed as follows:

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ARTICLE I
A new paragraph (4) shall be added to Article 1 (Estates and Gifts Covered) of the Convention
as follows:
“ (4)(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of the Convention, the provisions of this
Convention shall not preclude the United States from taxing in accordance with its law
the estate of a decedent or the gift of a donor who, at his death or at the making of the
gift, was
(i) a citizen of the United States,

(ii) domiciled (within the meaning of Article 4 (Fiscal Domicile)) in the United

States, or

(iii) a former citizen or long-term resident whose loss of such status had as one

of its principal purposes the avoidance of tax (as defined under the laws of the

United States), but only for a period of ten years following such loss;

(b) Subparagraph (a) of this paragraph (4) shall not, however, affect the obligation
undertaken by the United States under:
(i) Article 10 (Charitable Exemptions and Deductions); paragraph (2) of Article
11 (Community Property and Marital Deduction); paragraphs (2) or (8) of
Article 12 (Exemptions and Credits); Article 13 (Time Limitations on Claims
for Credit or Refund) or Article 14 (Mutual Agreement Procedure);
(ii) paragraph (3) of Article 11 (Community Property and Marital Deduction) as
applied to the estates of persons other than former citizens or long-term
residents referred to in subparagraph (a) of this paragraph (4); or
(iii) the benefits conferred by the United States under Article 17 (Diplomatic
and Consular Officials), as applied to transfers by individuals who are neither
citizens of, nor have immigrant status in, the United States.”
ARTICLE II
Paragraph (2) of Article 3 (General Definitions) of the Convention shall be deleted and
replaced with the following:

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“(2) As regards the application of the Convention at any time by a Contracting State any
term not defined therein shall, unless the context otherwise requires, or the competent
authorities agree to a common meaning pursuant to the provisions of Article 14 (Mutual
Agreement Procedure), have the meaning which it has at that time under the law of that
State for the purposes of the taxes to which the Convention 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 III
Article 5 (Immovable (Real) Property) of the Convention shall be deleted and replaced with the
following:
"ARTICLE 5 - REAL PROPERTY
(1) Real property may be taxed by a Contracting State if such property is situated in that
State.
(2) The term "real property" shall have the meaning which it has under the law of the
Contracting State in which the property in question is situated, being understood,
however, that mortgages or other debt-claims secured by real property shall not be
regarded as real property. The term shall in any case include property accessory to real
property, livestock and equipment used in agriculture and forestry, rights to which the
provisions of general law respecting landed property apply, usufruct of real 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 and aircraft shall
not be regarded as real property.
(3) The term "real property" shall also include shares, participations and other rights in
a company or legal person the assets of which consist, directly or through one or more
other companies or legal entities, at least 50 percent of real property situated in one of
the Contracting States or of rights pertaining to such property. These shares,
participations and other rights shall be deemed to be situated in the Contracting State in
which the real property is situated.

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(4) The provisions of paragraph (1) shall also apply to real property of an enterprise and
to real property used for the performance of independent personal services."
ARTICLE IV
The last sentence of Article 6 (2) (Business Property of a Permanent Establishment and Assets
Pertaining to a Fixed Base Used for the Performance of Professional Services) of the
Convention shall be deleted and replaced with the following:
“If an individual is a member of a partnership or other similar pass-through entity which
is engaged in industrial or commercial activity through a fixed place of business, he
shall be deemed to have been so engaged to the extent of his interest therein.”
ARTICLE V
Paragraph (2) (b) of Article 10 (Charitable Exemptions and Deductions) of the Convention
shall be deleted and replaced with the following:
“(b) Is organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, literary,
educational, or cultural purposes; and”.
ARTICLE VI
1. Paragraph (2) of Article 11 (Community Property and Marital Deduction) of the Convention
shall be deleted and replaced with the following:
“(2) Property (other than community property) which passes to a spouse who is not a
citizen of the United States from a decedent or donor who was domiciled in France, and
which may be taxed by the United States solely in accordance with Article 5 (Real
Property), 6 (Business Property of a Permanent Establishment and Assets Pertaining to
a Fixed Base Used for the Performance of Professional Services), or 7 (Tangible
Movable Property), shall, for the purpose of determining United States tax, be included
in the taxable base only to the extent its value (after taking into account any applicable
deductions) exceeds 50 per cent of the value of all property included in the taxable base
which may be taxed by the United States. The provisions of this paragraph shall not

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apply to a citizen of the United States domiciled in France or a former citizen or long-
term resident of the United States referred to in subparagraph (4) (a) (iii) of Article 1
(Estates and Gifts Covered) of the Convention.”
2. Paragraph (3) of Article 11 (Community Property and Marital Deduction) of the Convention
shall be renumbered as paragraph (4).
3. A new paragraph (3) shall be added to Article 11 (Community Property and Marital
Deduction) of the Convention as follows:
“(3) In determining the estate tax imposed by the United States on a decedent's estate
with respect to property that (within the meaning of the law of the United States) passes
to the decedent's surviving spouse and that would qualify for the estate tax marital
deduction under the law of the United States if the surviving spouse were a citizen of
the United States and all applicable elections were properly made (the “qualifying
property”), the decedent's estate shall be entitled to a marital deduction provided that:
(a) At the time of the decedent's death (i) the decedent was domiciled in either
France or the United States or was a citizen of the United States; (ii) the
decedent's surviving spouse was domiciled in either the United States or France;
and (iii) if both the decedent and the decedent’s surviving spouse were
domiciled in the United States at the time of the decedent’s death, one or both
was a citizen of France; and
(b) The executor of the decedent's estate elects the benefits of this paragraph and
irrevocably waives the benefits of any other estate tax marital deduction that
would be allowed under the law of the United States on a United States federal
estate tax return for the decedent's estate by the date on which a qualified
domestic trust election could be made under the law of the United States.
The marital deduction allowed under this paragraph (3) shall be equal to the lesser of
the value of the qualifying property or the applicable exclusion amount (within the
meaning of the law of the United States of America as of the date of death of the
decedent) determined without regard to any gift previously made by the decedent.”

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ARTICLE VII
Article 12 (Exemptions and Credits) of the Convention shall be deleted and replaced with the
following:
“ARTICLE 12 - EXEMPTIONS AND CREDITS
(1) Except as otherwise provided in this Convention, each Contracting State shall
impose its tax, and shall allow exemptions, deductions, credits, and other allowances, in
accordance with its laws.
(2) Double taxation shall be avoided in the following manner:
(a) In determining the French tax, where the decedent or the donor was
domiciled in France at the time of the transfer:
(i) France shall tax the entire property comprising the estate or the gift,
including any property which may be taxed by the United States in
accordance with the provisions of this Convention, and shall allow as a
deduction from that tax an amount equal to the United States tax paid
upon the transfer of any property, which, in relation to the same event,
may be taxed in the United States.
(ii) The deduction referred to in subparagraph (i) shall not, however,
exceed that part of the French tax, as computed before any deduction is
made, which is attributable to the property in respect of which the
deduction is to be allowed. For purposes of this subparagraph (ii), “that
part of the French tax” means:
(A) Where the tax on the property concerned is computed by

applying a proportional rate, the amount of the taxable net value

of such property multiplied by the rate which actually applies to

that property; and

(B) Where the tax on the property concerned is computed by

applying a progressive scale, the amount of the taxable net value

of such property multiplied by the rate resulting from the ratio of

the French tax actually payable on the total property taxable in

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accordance with French law to the net value of that total
property.
(iii) For purposes of subparagraph (i), the United States tax
(A) shall include any United States tax referred to in Article 2
(Taxes Covered) but shall not include any tax that is permitted to
be imposed by the United States under this Convention solely by
reason of paragraph (4) of Article 1 (Estates and Gifts Covered),
and
(B) shall be considered, in the case of property which may be
taxed by the United States pursuant to Article 5 (Real Property),
6 (Business Property of a Permanent Establishment and Assets
Pertaining to a Fixed Base Used for the Performance of
Professional Services), or 7 (Tangible Movable Property), to be
equal to that part of the French tax, as defined in subparagraph
(ii), which is attributable to such property, but only if the
decedent at his death or the donor at the time of the gift was a
citizen of the United States and if it is established that the United
States tax obligations with respect to the death or gift have been
complied with.
(b) In determining the United States tax:
(i) Where both Contracting States impose tax with respect to
property which is taxable by France in accordance with Article 5
(Real Property), 6 (Business Property of a Permanent
Establishment and Assets Pertaining to a Fixed Base Used for the
Performance of Professional Services), or 7 (Tangible Movable
Property), the United States shall allow a credit equal to the
amount of the tax imposed by France with respect to such
property.

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(ii) If the decedent or donor was a citizen of the United States at the
time of death or the making of a gift and would be considered
under Article 4 (Fiscal Domicile) as having been domiciled in
France at such time, the United States shall allow a credit equal
to the amount of the tax imposed by France (after allowing for
the deduction from tax, if any, allowed under paragraph (2) (a) of
this Article).
If the decedent was a former citizen or long-term resident of the
United States described in subparagraph (4) (a) (iii) of Article 1
(Estates and Gifts Covered), the United States shall allow a credit
equal to the amount of the tax imposed by France in respect of all
property which is included in the United States gross estate solely
by reason of such status.
(iii) Notwithstanding the provisions of subparagraphs (i) and (ii), the
total amount of all credits allowed by the United States pursuant
to this Article or pursuant to its laws or other conventions with
respect to all property in respect of which a credit is allowable
under subparagraphs (i) and (ii) shall not exceed that part of the
tax of the United States which is attributable to such property.
(3) In determining the estate tax imposed by the United States, the estate of a decedent
(other than a citizen of the United States) who was domiciled in France at the time of
his death shall be allowed a unified credit equal to the greater of:
(a) The amount that bears the same ratio to the credit allowed under the law of
the United States to the estate of a citizen of the United States as the value of the
part of the decedent's gross estate that at the time of the decedent's death is
situated in the United States bears to the value of the decedent's entire gross
estate wherever situated; or
(b) The unified credit allowed under the law of the United States to the estate of
a nonresident not a citizen of the United States.

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The amount of any unified credit otherwise allowable under this paragraph shall be
reduced by the amount of any credit previously allowed with respect to any gift made
by the decedent. For purposes of subparagraph (a), the part of the decedent’s gross
estate that is situated in the United States shall not exceed the part of the decedent’s
gross estate that may be taxed by the United States in accordance with this Convention.
A credit otherwise allowable under subparagraph (a) shall be allowed only if all
information necessary for the verification and computation of the credit is provided.
(4) In determining the gift or inheritance tax imposed by France with respect to
transfers by reason of death or by gift by an individual, who at the time of the death or
the making of the gift was a citizen of the United States or was domiciled in the United
States, there shall be allowed the same deductions and credits as if the individual were
domiciled in France. In determining the gift or inheritance tax imposed by France with
respect to transfers by reason of death or by gift by an individual, who at the time of
death or the making of the gift was domiciled in France, to an individual who is a
citizen of the United States or is domiciled in the United States, there shall be allowed
the same deductions and credits as if the recipient were domiciled in France.
(5) Any credits or deductions for tax imposed by a Contracting State allowable under
this Article are in lieu of, and not in addition to, any such credits or deductions allowed
by the laws of the other Contracting State and shall be computed in accordance with the
provisions and subject to the limitations of the law of the other Contracting State, as it
may be amended from time to time without changing the general principle thereof.
(6) If under this Convention any property would be taxable only in one Contracting
State and tax, though chargeable, is not paid (otherwise than as a result of a specific
exemption, deduction, exclusion, credit, or allowance) in that State, tax may be imposed
on that property in the other Contracting State notwithstanding any other provision to
the contrary.
(7) Where in accordance with the provisions of the Convention property may not be
taxed in a Contracting State, that Contracting State may nevertheless, in calculating the
amount of tax on property that may be taxed in that Contracting State under the

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provisions of the Convention, take into account the exempted property that is taxable

under the internal law of that Contracting State.

(8) The provisions of this Convention shall not result in an increase in the amount of the

tax imposed by either Contracting State under its domestic laws. A reduction in the

credit or deduction allowed against a Contracting State’s tax for the tax paid to the other

Contracting State which results from the application of this Convention shall not be

construed as an increase in tax.”

ARTICLE VIII
The last sentence of paragraph (2) of Article 15 (Filing of Returns and Exchange of
Information) shall be deleted and replaced with the following:
“Any information furnished shall be treated as secret and shall not be disclosed to any
persons other than those (including a court or administrative body) involved in the
assessment, collection, enforcement, or prosecution in respect of the taxes which are the
subject of this Convention.”
ARTICLE IX
1. The Contracting States shall notify each other when their respective constitutional and
statutory requirements for the entry into force of this Protocol have been satisfied.
2. This Protocol shall enter into force on the date of receipt of the later of such notifications and
shall have effect with respect to gifts made and deaths occurring after that date.
3. Notwithstanding paragraph (2) of this Article, paragraph (3) of Article 11 (Community
Property and Marital Deduction) of the Convention and paragraph (3) of Article 12
(Exemptions and Credits) of the Convention, in each case as amended by this Protocol shall,
notwithstanding any limitation imposed under the law of a Contracting State on the assessment
or refund with respect to a person's or estate's return, have effect with respect to gifts made or
deaths occurring after November 10, 1988, provided that (i) any claim for refund by reason of
this Article IX is filed before the date that is one year after the first day of the second month
following the date on which this Protocol enters into force or within the otherwise applicable
period for filing such claims under domestic law, and (ii) the provisions of paragraph (4) of

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Article 1 (Estates and Gifts Covered) shall apply with respect to such claim for refund. In the
case of an estate that, prior to the date on which this Protocol enters into force, was allowed a
marital deduction by reason of a transfer to a qualified domestic trust, such estate may, within
the time limit for filing a claim for refund referred to in the preceding sentence, elect to treat
the qualified domestic trust as if it had not been established in order to claim the benefits of
paragraph (3) of Article 11 (Community Property and Marital Deduction) or paragraph (3) of
Article 12 (Exemptions and Credits) of the Convention. If such an election is made, the
property shall be treated as having been transferred to the surviving spouse at the time of the
decedent’s death for all purposes of this Convention.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the representatives of the governments, being duly
authorized thereto, have signed this Protocol.
Done at Washington, this eighth day of December, 2004, in duplicate, in the English
and French languages, each text being equally authentic.
FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA THE FRENCH REPUBLIC