UNITED STATES FEDERAL TAX
CONSIDERATIONS
The following is a discussion of the
material U.S. federal income and certain estate tax consequences of
the ownership and disposition of the notes. It applies to you only
if you purchase a note for cash in the initial offering at the
“issue
price,” which is the first price at which a
substantial amount of the notes is sold to the public, and hold the
note as a capital asset within the meaning of Section 1221 of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the
“Code”).
It does not address all of the tax consequences that may be
relevant to you in light of your particular circumstances or if you
are an investor subject to special rules, such
as:
●a
financial institution;
●a
“regulated investment company”;
●a
“real estate investment trust”;
●a
tax-exempt entity, including an “individual retirement account” or
“Roth IRA”;
●a
dealer or trader subject to a mark-to-market method of tax
accounting with respect to the notes;
●a
person holding a note as part of a “straddle” or conversion
transaction or who has entered into a “constructive sale” with
respect to a note;
●a
U.S. holder (as defined below) whose functional currency is not the
U.S. dollar; or
●an
entity classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax
purposes.
If an entity that is classified as a
partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes holds the notes,
the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a partner will generally
depend on the status of the partner and the activities of the
partnership. If you are a partnership holding the notes or a
partner in such a partnership, you should consult your tax adviser
as to the particular U.S. federal tax consequences of holding and
disposing of the notes to you.
This discussion is based on the Code,
administrative pronouncements, judicial decisions and final,
temporary and proposed Treasury regulations, all as of the date
hereof, changes to any of which subsequent to the date hereof may
affect the tax consequences described herein, possibly with
retroactive effect. This discussion does not address the effects of
any applicable state, local or non-U.S. tax laws, any alternative
minimum tax consequences, the potential application of the Medicare
tax on net investment income or the consequences to taxpayers
subject to special tax accounting rules under Section 451(b) of the
Code. You should consult your tax adviser concerning the
application of U.S. federal income and estate tax laws to your
particular situation, as well as any tax consequences arising under
the laws of any state, local or non-U.S. taxing
jurisdiction.
General
In the opinion of our counsel, Davis Polk
& Wardwell LLP, the notes will be treated as debt instruments
for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Based on representations
provided by us, the issue price of the notes
for U.S. federal income tax
purposes should be
equal to their stated
principal amount. The remaining discussion is based on
this treatment.
Tax Consequences to U.S. Holders
This section applies only to U.S. holders.
You are a “U.S.
holder” if you are a beneficial owner of a note
that is, for U.S. federal income tax purposes:
●a
citizen or individual resident of the United
States;
●a
corporation created or organized in or under the laws of the United
States, any state therein or the District of Columbia;
or
●an
estate or trust the income of which is subject to U.S. federal
income taxation regardless of its source.
Interest on the
Notes. Stated interest on the notes will
generally be taxable to you as ordinary interest income at the time
it accrues or is received in accordance with your method of
accounting for U.S. federal income tax purposes.