It is an official document issued by your national tax authority (e.g., IRS, HMRC, ФНС). It proves you are a taxpayer in your country and allows you to benefit from Double Tax Treaties.

The tax is withheld at the moment of the actual payout. For example, if your royalty statement shows $100 and you don’t have a TRC, the Label will deduct $13 during the payment process and transfer it to the state budget of Belarus on your behalf. You will receive $87.

Under the Tax Code of the Republic of Belarus, the Label acts as a “Tax Agent”. This means we are legally required to withhold tax on income paid to non-residents:

• 13% (Personal Income Tax): Applied to individual artists (physical persons).

• 15% (Corporate Income Tax): Applied to foreign legal entities (labels or companies).

If you provide a valid TRC, we can apply the Double Tax Treaty (DTT) between Belarus and your country, which typically reduces this rate to 0%.

Belarus has Double Tax Treaties with over 70 countries, including most of Europe, the USA, China, and others. You can check the official list on the website of the Ministry of Taxes and Duties of the Republic of Belarus or consult your local tax advisor. If a treaty exists, you are eligible for the benefits described above.

Providing a TRC allows us to apply a Double Tax Treaty (DTT). In most cases, this reduces your withholding tax rate in Belarus to 0%, meaning you receive a larger share of your royalties.

We are conducting a retrospective compliance audit to ensure our historical archive is fully documented. This protects both the Label and the Artist during potential tax inspections and confirms the legality of all previous payouts.

Pro-tip: Most national tax portals allow you to request certificates for the past 3 to 5 years retroactively in just a few clicks.

Typically, a TRC is valid for one calendar year. You need to provide a fresh certificate annually to maintain your 0% tax status.

You can request it online or in person from your local tax office. Examples:

• USA: Form 6166 via IRS.

• UK: Certificate of Residence via HMRC.

• Russia: Справка о статусе резидента через nalog.ru.

• EU countries: Request a “Tax Residency Certificate” from your local tax department.

If you provide a valid TRC, we can apply the Double Tax Treaty (DTT) between Belarus and your country, which typically reduces this rate to 0%.

The Label will be forced to apply the standard statutory tax rate (13-15%) to your payouts as required by Belarusian law. These funds are paid directly to the state budget and cannot be refunded by the Label.

Please provide all documents you can possibly obtain. We prioritize having a complete record, but any documentation you provide helps strengthen our legal standing. Contact your local tax office; they often keep archives for up to 10 years.

According to our Agreement, royalties are calculated and reported on a specific schedule (typically quarterly or semi-annually, depending on your contract terms). Please remember there is always a reporting lag from DSPs (Spotify, Apple Music, etc.) to the label. For example, earnings generated in January are usually received and processed by us 2-3 months later. Once the statement is issued, payment is processed within the timeframe specified in your Agreement.

Yes. To minimize transaction fees and administrative load, we apply a Minimum Payout Threshold (e.g., $100, as stated in your Agreement). If your earnings in a current period do not reach this threshold, the balance is not lost; it is carried forward (rolled over) to the next accounting period until the total exceeds the threshold.

Several factors affect the final amount:

1. Territory: Streams from different countries have vastly different rates.

2. Currency Exchange: Royalties are often collected in various currencies and converted.

3. Taxes: As explained in Section 1 (Tax Residency), withholding tax may apply if valid tax forms are not on file.

4. Deductions: Recoupable expenses (if applicable under your Agreement) are deducted before the net profit share is calculated.

Payment schedule when an amount equal to or above the payout threshold is reached:

• For the 1st Quarter (January – March), royalties are paid by the end of April.

• For the 2nd Quarter (April – June), royalties are paid by the end of July.

• For the 3rd Quarter (July – September), royalties are paid by the end of October.

• For the 4th Quarter (October – December), royalties are paid by the end of January.

• For the 1st Quarter (January – March), balance update is processed between April 15 – 20th.

• For the 3rd Quarter (July – September), balance update is processed between October 15 – 20th.

• For the 4th Quarter (October – December), balance update is processed between January 15 – 20th.

Important: There is no need to access the bot on other dates to check for balance updates.

This is the most common misconception in the music industry. Every song has two copyrights:

1. The Master Right (the sound recording) – collected by Distribution.

2. The Composition Right (melody & lyrics) – collected by a Publisher. Standard distribution does not collect Performance or Mechanical royalties generated when your music is played on radio, TV, live venues, or even streamed globally. Without Publishing Administration, you are leaving up to 50% of your potential revenue on the table.

Yes, in many cases. Millions of dollars in “black box” royalties sit unclaimed at collection societies because songs weren’t properly registered. If you sign up for our Publishing service, we can audit your catalog and attempt to recover retroactive royalties for periods ranging from 2 to 3 years prior (depending on the specific society’s rules). Many artists are surprised to find accumulated earnings they didn’t know existed.

We act as your worldwide Publishing Administrator. Our duties include:

• Directly registering your songs with global PROs (Performance Rights Organizations) and CMOs.

• Collecting Mechanical Royalties from streams and downloads.

• Collecting Performance Royalties from radio, TV, and live sets.

• Handling synchronization licensing (placing your music in film / ads).

• Auditing royalty reports to ensure you are paid for every use of your composition.

Since this is a specialized service separate from standard distribution, it requires an addendum to your current Agreement. Contact your label manager to start the process and stop losing royalties today.