On 3 April 2020, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published on its website an OECD Secretariat Analysis of Tax Treaties and the Impact of the COVID-19 Crisis (the guidance).
Governments around the globe are taking increasingly stringent containment measures to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. As a result of these measures, many cross-border workers are unable to physically perform their duties in their country of employment. This unusual situation raises tax issues that could affect how the right to tax is divided between countries, which is governed by international tax treaty rules that delineate taxing rights. At the request of concerned countries, the OECD Secretariat has issued guidance on these issues based on an analysis of the international tax treaty rules. The guidance deals with issues related to:
(i) Creation of permanent establishments
(ii) Residence status of companies (based on place of effective management)
(iii) Treatment of cross-border workers
(iv) Residence status of workers