Four non-resident LPs with the same non-resident corporate general partner (GP Co) collectively control Canco through their holdings of a common and preferred shares (with the minority shareholders being unrelated investors) and have also made unsecured interest-bearing loans to Canco. The limited partners are unrelated investors who deal at arm’s length with each other and with GP Co as a factual matter, and include both Canadian residents and residents of the U.K. for purposes of the Canada-U.K Treaty (in each case holding a relatively small limited partnership interest).
CRA ruled that Canco was not required to withhold on the U.K. partners’ share of each interest payment since each such share was exempted under Art. 11(3)(c) of the Canada-U.K Treaty, which referenced interest arising in one contracting state and paid to a beneficial owner in the other contracting state who dealt at arm’s length with the payer.