Exemption Method and Credit Method: The Application of Article 23 of the OECD Model

The method article of any tax treaty plays an essential role in avoiding juridical double taxation. It determines the extent to which the residence state refrains from taxing an item of income if both contracting states may tax according to the distributive rules of the treaty. Calculating the respective relief can be challenging, as the wording of both articles 23A and 23B of the OECD Model leaves significant room for interpretation. In the European Union, such interpretation is made even more difficult because the application of the method article needs to comply with EU law, in particular with the fundamental freedoms and the State aid rules. Finally, the method article of the OECD Model has – in the aftermath of the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting Project – undergone adaptations, the impact of which requires further analysis.