Article 24
Exchange of Information
1. The competent authorities of the Parties shall exchange such information as is foreseeably relevant for carrying out the provisions of this Agreement or to the administration or enforcement of the domestic laws of the Parties concerning taxes covered by this Agreement, insofar as the taxation thereunder is not contrary to this Agreement. The exchange of information is not restricted by Article 1 (Persons Covered).
2. Any information received under paragraph 1 by a Party shall be treated as secret in the same manner as information obtained under the domestic laws of that Party and shall be disclosed only to persons or authorities (including courts and administrative bodies) concerned with the assessment or collection of, the enforcement or prosecution in respect of, or the determination of appeals in relation to the taxes referred to in paragraph 1. Such persons or authorities shall use the information only for such purposes. They may disclose the information in public court proceedings or in judicial decisions.
3. In no case shall the provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2 be construed so as to impose on a Party the obligation:
a) to carry out administrative measures at variance with the laws and administrative practice of that or of the other Party;
b) to supply information which is not obtainable under the laws or in the normal course of the administration of that or of the other Party;
c) to supply information which would disclose any trade, business, industrial, commercial or professional secret or trade process, or information the disclosure of which would be contrary to public policy (ordre public).
4. If information is requested by a Party in accordance with this Article, the other Party shall use its information gathering measures to obtain the requested information, even though that other Party may not need such information for its own tax purposes. The obligation contained in the preceding sentence is subject to the limitations of paragraph 3 but in no case shall such limitations be construed to permit a Party to decline to supply information solely because it has no domestic interest in such information.
5. In no case shall the provisions of paragraph 3 be construed to permit a Party to decline to supply information solely because the information is held by a bank, other financial institution, nominee or person acting in an agency or a fiduciary capacity or because the information relates to ownership interests in a person.