Agreements - ISDA Provision

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2002 ISDA Master Agreement
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[[{{{1}}} - 1992 ISDA Provision|This provision in the 1992]]

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Index: Click to expand:

Section 4 in a Nutshell

Use at your own risk, campers!
4. Agreements

While either party has any obligation under this Agreement or any Credit Support Document:—
4(a) Furnish Specified Information. It will deliver to the other party (or to such government or taxing authority as it reasonably directs):—

(i) any tax documents specified in the Schedule or any Confirmation;
(ii) any other documents specified in the Schedule or any Confirmation; and
(iii) any other document the other party reasonably requests to minimise withholding tax on any payment (and which would not materially prejudice the provider’s position), if need be accurately completed and executed and delivered as specified in the Schedule or such Confirmation or, otherwise as soon as reasonably practicable.

4(b) Maintain Authorisations. It will use all reasonable efforts to maintain all regulatory consents and licences it needs to perform this Agreement or any Credit Support Document and will use all reasonable efforts to obtain any it may need in the future.
4(c) Comply With Laws. It will comply with all applicable laws if not doing so would materially impair its performance of this Agreement or any Credit Support Document.
4(d) Tax Agreement. It will tell the other party promptly after learning that any of its Section 3(f) representations have ceased to be accurate.

4(e) Payment of Stamp Tax. Unless incurred closing out a Transaction against a Defaulting Party (as to that, see Section 11), it will pay any Stamp Tax it incurs performing this Agreement by reason of it being in a Stamp Tax Jurisdiction, and will indemnify the other party against any such Stamp Tax that that party suffers, unless the jurisdiction in question also happens to be a Stamp Tax Jurisdiction for that other party.

Full text of Section 4

4. Agreements

Each party agrees with the other that, so long as either party has or may have any obligation under this Agreement or
under any Credit Support Document to which it is a party:―
4(a) Furnish Specified Information. It will deliver to the other party or, in certain cases under clause (iii) below, to such government or taxing authority as the other party reasonably directs:―

(i) any forms, documents or certificates relating to taxation specified in the Schedule or any Confirmation;
(ii) any other documents specified in the Schedule or any Confirmation; and
(iii) upon reasonable demand by such other party, any form or document that may be required or reasonably requested in writing in order to allow such other party or its Credit Support Provider to make a payment under this Agreement or any applicable Credit Support Document without any deduction or withholding for or on account of any Tax or with such deduction or withholding at a reduced rate (so long as the completion, execution or submission of such form or document would not materially prejudice the legal or commercial position of the party in receipt of such demand), with any such form or document to be accurate and completed in a manner reasonably satisfactory to such other party and to be executed and to be delivered with any reasonably required certification, in each case by the date specified in the Schedule or such Confirmation or, if none is specified, as soon as reasonably practicable.

4(b) Maintain Authorisations. It will use all reasonable efforts to maintain in full force and effect all consents of any governmental or other authority that are required to be obtained by it with respect to this Agreement or any Credit Support Document to which it is a party and will use all reasonable efforts to obtain any that may become necessary in the future.
4(c) Comply With Laws. It will comply in all material respects with all applicable laws and orders to which it may be subject if failure so to comply would materially impair its ability to perform its obligations under this Agreement or any Credit Support Document to which it is a party.
4(d) Tax Agreement. It will give notice of any failure of a representation made by it under Section 3(f) to be accurate and true promptly upon learning of such failure.

4(e) Payment of Stamp Tax. Subject to Section 11, it will pay any Stamp Tax levied or imposed upon it or in respect of its execution or performance of this Agreement by a jurisdiction in which it is incorporated, organised, managed and controlled or considered to have its seat, or where an Office through which it is acting for the purpose of this Agreement is located (“Stamp Tax Jurisdiction”), and will indemnify the other party against any Stamp Tax levied or imposed upon the other party or in respect of the other party’s execution or performance of this Agreement by any such Stamp Tax Jurisdiction which is not also a Stamp Tax Jurisdiction with respect to the other party.

Related agreements and comparisons

Click here for the text of Section 4 in the 1992 ISDA
Click to compare this section in the 1992 ISDA and 2002 ISDA.

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Content and comparisons

Redlines


Discussion

The 1992 ISDA introduced a new 4(a)(iii) to cover such tax representations as are needed to allow Credit Support Providers to pay without withholding. Beyond that there were minimal changes between the versions, down to punctuation changes, though in Section 4(e) a clearer reference to offices and branches. So that is nice.

Summary

A hodge-podge of “state the bleeding obvious” rules, breach of some of which justifies (eventual) close-out as a “breach of agreement” — agreeing to provide the credit information you have patiently listed in your schedule, flagrantly breaking the law, carelessly losing one’s regulatory authorisations — and random tax provisions and indemnities (providing the necessary tax forms to minimise tax, and pay tax if you don’t).

These are the dull agreements — which by and large don’t justify close-out.

General discussion

See also

References

4 Agreements

4(a) Furnish Specified Information
4(b) Maintain Authorisations
4(c) Comply with Laws
4(d) Tax Agreement
4(e) Payment of Stamp Tax

Not providing documents for delivery is an Event of Default ... eventually

The importance of promptly sending required documents for delivery goes as follows:

  • By dint of Section {{{{{1}}}|4(a)}} you agree to furnish each other {{{{{1}}}|Specified Information}} set out in {{{{{1}}}|Part 3}} of the {{{{{1}}}|Schedule}}.
  • By dint of Section {{{{{1}}}|5(a)(ii)}} if you don’t then that can be a {{{{{1}}}|Breach of Agreement}} {{{{{1}}}|Event of Default}} (Section {{{{{1}}}|5(a)(ii)}}). Be warned: you must pursue a tortured chain of nested double negatives and carefully parse the interplay between Sections {{{{{1}}}|4(a)}} and {{{{{1}}}|5(a)(ii)}} to grasp this, but it is true.
  • But, Section {{{{{1}}}|5(a)(ii)}} imposes a thirty freaking day grace period following notice before a {{{{{1}}}|Breach of Agreement}} counts as an {{{{{1}}}|Event of Default}} allowing termination. (A {{{{{1}}}|Failure to Pay or Deliver}} is excluded from that definition, by the way, because it has its own EOD with a much tighter grace period).
  • So if you need a document “furnished” urgently and can’t wait a month for it (you might not, if you are a credit officer and it is a monthly NAV statement, for example) then you must upgrade a simple {{{{{1}}}|5(a)(ii)}} {{{{{1}}}|Breach of Agreement}} to a full-blown {{{{{1}}}|Additional Termination Event}}.

References