SELECTED RISK FACTORS
An investment in the Notes involves significant risks. You should read the risks summarized below in connection with, and the risks summarized below are qualified by reference to, the risks described in more detail in the Risk Factors section beginning on page S-6 of the prospectus supplement. We urge you to consult your investment, legal, tax, accounting and other advisers and to invest in the Notes only after you and your advisors have carefully considered the suitability of an investment in the Notes in light of your particular circumstances.
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Issuer Credit Risk
The Notes are our unsecured debt obligations, and are not, either directly or indirectly, an obligation of any third party. Any payment to be made on the Notes, including any principal protection provided at maturity, depends on our ability to satisfy our obligations as they come due. As a result, the actual and perceived creditworthiness of Barclays Bank PLC may affect the market value of the Notes and, in the event we were to default on our obligations, you may not receive the principal protection or any other amounts owed to you under the terms of the Notes.
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Certain Built-In Costs Are Likely to Adversely Affect the Value of the Notes Prior to Maturity
While the payment at maturity described in this pricing supplement is based on the full principal amount of your Notes, the original issue price of the Notes includes the agents commission and the cost of hedging our obligations under the Notes through one or more of our affiliates. As a result, the price, if any, at which Barclays Capital Inc. and other affiliates of Barclays Bank PLC will be willing to purchase Notes from you in secondary market transactions will likely be lower than the price you paid for your Notes, and any sale prior to the Maturity Date could result in a substantial loss to you.
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Potential Conflicts
We and our affiliates play a variety of roles in connection with the issuance of the Notes, including hedging our obligations under the Notes. In performing these duties, the economic interests of our affiliates of ours are potentially adverse to your interests as an investor in the Notes.
In addition, Barclays Wealth, the wealth management division of Barclays Capital Inc., may arrange for the sale of the Notes to certain of its clients. In doing so, Barclays Wealth will be acting as agent for Barclays Bank PLC and may receive compensation from Barclays Bank PLC in the form of discounts and commissions. The role of Barclays Wealth as a provider of certain services to such customers and as agent for Barclays Bank PLC in connection with the distribution of the Notes to investors may create a potential conflict of interest, which may be adverse to such clients. Barclays Wealth is not acting as your agent or investment adviser, and is not representing you in any capacity with respect to any purchase of Notes by you. Barclays Wealth is acting solely as agent for Barclays Bank PLC. If you are considering whether to invest in the Notes through Barclays Wealth, we strongly urge you to seek independent financial and investment advice to assess the merits of such investment.
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Lack of Liquidity
The Notes will not be listed on any securities exchange. Barclays Capital Inc. and other affiliates of Barclays Bank PLC intend to make a secondary market for the Notes but are not required to do so, and may discontinue any such secondary market making at any time, without notice. Barclays Capital Inc. may at any time hold unsold inventory, which may inhibit the development of a secondary market for the Notes. Even if there is a secondary market, it may not provide enough liquidity to allow you to trade or sell the Notes easily. Because other dealers are not likely to make a secondary market for the Notes, the price at which you may be able to trade your Notes is likely to depend on the price, if any, at which Barclays Capital Inc. and other affiliates of Barclays Bank PLC are willing to buy the Notes. The Notes are not designed to be short-term trading instruments. Accordingly, you should be able and willing to hold your Notes to maturity.
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Many Economic and Market Factors Will Impact the Value of the Notes
The value of the Notes will be affected by a number of economic and market factors that may either offset or magnify each other, including:
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the time to maturity of the Notes;
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interest and yield rates in the market generally;
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a variety of economic, financial, political, regulatory or judicial events; and
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our creditworthiness, including actual or anticipated downgrades in our credit ratings.
PS-1
UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME TAX TREATMENT
The following discussion supplements the discussion in the prospectus supplement under the heading Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations and supersedes it to the extent inconsistent therewith. The following discussion (in conjunction with the discussion in the prospectus supplement) summarizes certain of the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of the purchase, beneficial ownership, and disposition of the Notes.
We intend to treat the Notes as indebtedness for U.S. federal income tax purposes and any reports to the Internal Revenue Service (the IRS) and U.S. holders will be consistent with such treatment, and each holder will agree to treat the Notes as indebtedness for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The discussion that follows is based on this approach.
We intend to take the position that we are deemed to exercise the call option prior to the first interest rate step-up (solely for purposes of determining whether the Notes are issued with original issue discount for federal income tax purposes) and, if we do not exercise the call option at such time, the Notes will be deemed to be reissued (solely for purposes of the original issue discount rules) at such time and immediately before each subsequent interest rate step-up for their adjusted issue price. Accordingly, we intend to take the position that the Notes will not be issued with original issue discount for federal income tax purposes and that interest on the Notes will be taxable to a U.S. holder as ordinary interest income at the time it accrues or is received in accordance with the U.S. holders normal method of accounting for tax purposes. See Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax ConsiderationsU.S. Federal Income Tax Treatment of the Notes as Indebtedness for U.S. Federal Income Tax PurposesNotes Subject to Call or Put Options in the prospectus supplement.
3.8% Medicare Tax On Net Investment Income
U.S. holders that are individuals, estates, and certain trusts are subject to an additional 3.8% tax on all or a portion of their net investment income, which may include the interest payments and any gain realized with respect to the Notes, to the extent of their net investment income that, when added to their other modified adjusted gross income, exceeds $200,000 for an unmarried individual, $250,000 for a married taxpayer filing a joint return (or a surviving spouse), or $125,000 for a married individual filing a separate return. U.S. holders should consult their advisors with respect to the 3.8% Medicare tax.
Information Reporting
Holders that are individuals (and, to the extent provided in future regulations, entities) may be required to disclose information about their Notes on IRS Form 8938Statement of Specified Foreign Financial Assets if the aggregate value of their Notes and their other specified foreign financial assets exceeds $50,000. Significant penalties can apply if a holder fails to disclose its specified foreign financial assets. We urge you to consult your tax advisor with respect to this and other reporting obligations with respect to your Notes.
Non-U.S. Holders
Barclays currently does not withhold on interest payments to non-U.S. holders in respect of instruments such as the Notes. However, if Barclays determines that there is a material risk that it will be required to withhold on any such payments, Barclays may withhold on such payments at a 30% rate, unless non-U.S. holders have provided to Barclays an appropriate and valid Internal Revenue Service Form W-8. In addition, non-U.S. holders will be subject to the general rules regarding information reporting and backup withholding as described under the heading Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax ConsiderationsInformation Reporting and Backup Withholding in the accompanying prospectus supplement.
CERTAIN EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT INCOME SECURITY ACT CONSIDERATIONS
Your purchase of a Note in an Individual Retirement Account (an IRA), will be deemed to be a representation and warranty by you, as a fiduciary of the IRA and also on behalf of the IRA, that (i) neither the issuer, the placement agent nor any of their respective affiliates has or exercises any discretionary authority or control or acts in a fiduciary capacity with respect to the IRA assets used to purchase the Note or renders investment advice (within the meaning of Section 3(21)(A)(ii) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)) with respect to any such IRA assets and (ii) in connection with the purchase of the Note, the IRA will pay no more than adequate consideration (within the meaning of Section 408(b)(17) of ERISA) and in connection with any redemption of the Note pursuant to its terms will receive at least adequate consideration, and, in making the foregoing representations and warranties, you have (x) applied sound business principles in determining whether fair market value will be paid, and (y) made such determination acting in good faith.
For additional ERISA considerations, see Employee Retirement Income Security Act in the prospectus supplement.
PS-2