Liability (for withholding) - ISDA Provision

ISDA Anatomy™ →Go uptown In a Nutshell™ Section 2(d)(ii): 2(d)(ii) Liability. If the payer :— (1) is required by law to withhold a non-Indemnifiable Tax; (2) nonetheless does not do so; and (3) suffers by direct assessment a liability for that Tax, then, unless the recipient has satisfied the Tax liability directly, it must reimburse the payer for that liability (plus interest, but not penalties unless it failed to provide tax information required under Section 4(a), or breached any Payee Tax Representations. view template 2002 ISDA full text of Section 2(d)(ii): 2(d)(ii) Liability. If:― (1) X is required by any applicable law, as modified by the practice of any relevant governmental revenue authority, to make any deduction or withholding in respect of which X would not be required to pay an additional amount to Y under Section 2(d)(i)(4); (2) X does not so deduct or withhold; and (3) a liability resulting from such Tax is assessed directly against X, then, except to the extent Y has satisfied or then satisfies the liability resulting from such Tax, Y will promptly pay to X the amount of such liability (including any related liability for interest, but including any related liability for penalties only if Y has failed to comply with or perform any agreement contained in Section 4(a)(i), 4(a)(iii) or 4(d)). view template Click here for the text of Section 2(d)(ii) in the 1992 ISDA Index: Click ᐅ to expand: ISDA Navigation See ISDA Comparison for a comparison between the 1992 ISDA and the 2002 ISDA. The Varieties of ISDA Experience Subject 2002 (wikitext) 1992 (wikitext) 1987 (wikitext) Preamble Pre Pre Pre Interpretation 1 1 1 Obligns/Payment 2 2 2 Representations 3 3 3 Agreements 4 4 4 EODs & Term Events 5 Events of Default: FTPD • Breach • CSD • Misrep • DUST • Cross Default • Bankruptcy • MWA Termination Events: Illegality • FM • Tax Event • TEUM • CEUM • ATE 5 Events of Default: FTPD • Breach • CSD • Misrep • DUST • Cross Default • Bankruptcy • MWA Termination Events: Illegality • Tax Event • TEUM • CEUM • ATE 5 Events of Default: FTPD • Breach • CSD • Misrep • DUSS • Cross Default • Bankruptcy • MWA Termination Events: Illegality • Tax Event • TEUM • CEUM Early Termination 6 Early Termination: ET right on EOD • ET right on TE • Effect of Designation • Calculations; Payment Date • Payments on ET • Set-off 6 Early Termination: ET right on EOD • ET right on TE • Effect of Designation • Calculations • Payments on ET • Set-off 6 Early Termination: ET right on EOD • ET right on TE • Effect of Designation • Calculations • Payments on ET Transfer 7 7 7 Contractual Currency 8 8 8 Miscellaneous 9 9 9 Offices; Multibranch Parties 10 10 10 Expenses 11 11 11 Notices 12 12 12 Governing Law 13 13 13 Definitions 14 14 14 Schedule Schedule Schedule Schedule Termination Provisions Part 1 Part 1 Part 1 Tax Representations Part 2 Part 2 Part 2 Documents for Delivery Part 3 Part 3 Part 3 Miscellaneous Part 4 Part 4 Part 4 Other Provisions Part 5 Part 5 Part 5 Tell me more Sign up for our newsletter — or just get in touch: for ½ a weekly 🍺 you get to consult JC. Ask about it here.

It is hard to peer into the fevered mind of an ISDA ninja who came up with this provision to work out just what it is meant to do, and why.

The best guess we’ve seen comes from our old friend, the tiresome FT book about derivatives, whose learned author contends that it addresses the time where a Payer makes a payment gross, relying in good faith on a Payee Tax Representation that that turned out to be false, only to then find that the Taxing authority in question requires the Payer to make that payment net, and account to it for the Tax, after all. In this case the Payer can require the Payee to indemnify it for the payment, interest and penalties.

This seems a stretch (though probably one they cribbed from 2002 ISDA User Guide) — the usually fulsome prose of the ISDA Master Agreement neglects in this case to say anything about Payee Tax Representations, right or wrong, much less the Payer’s legitimate reliance on them or Change in Tax Law — all of that is in the previous section (2(d)(i)) about the liability to withhold and gross-up in the first place.

It seems to say if the Payer, whether through blameless inadvertence, stupidity or the falsity of a Payee Tax Representation, neglects to account for a Tax it was obliged to account for, the poor old Payee has to cover.

But on the other hand, it is hard to think of a better explanation than the one nicked from the 2002 ISDA User Guide. So, go Paul C. Harding!!!

Importing into other master agreements

You may well be asked to wire this concept into other master agreements, like the 2010 GMSLA. Good luck explaining that!

See also

• Withholding tax
• Indemnifiable Tax
• That awful FT book about derivatives