income as original issue discount as it accrues. It is expected, and the following discussion assumes, that any difference between the issue price of the notes and their stated principal amount, if any, will be less than the de minimis amount and, therefore, that the notes will not be treated as issued with original issue discount for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Sale, Redemption, Taxable Exchange, Retirement, or Other Taxable Disposition of the Notes
You will generally recognize capital gain or loss on the sale, redemption, exchange, retirement or other taxable disposition of a note equal to the difference, if any, between the amount realized on such sale, redemption, exchange, retirement or other taxable disposition (excluding any amount attributable to accrued but unpaid interest, which will be taxable as ordinary interest income to the extent not previously included in income) and your adjusted tax basis in the note. The amount realized by you will include the amount of any cash and the fair market value of any other property received for the note. Your adjusted tax basis in the note will generally equal the amount you paid for the note. Any such gain or loss will generally be long-term capital gain or loss if you held the note for more than one year at the time of the sale, redemption, exchange, retirement or other taxable disposition. Otherwise, such gain or loss will be short-term capital gain or loss. Long-term capital gains of individuals, estates and trusts currently are generally eligible for reduced rates of U.S. federal income tax. The deductibility of capital losses may be subject to limitations.
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
Information reporting generally will apply to payments of interest on, and the proceeds of the sale or other disposition (including a redemption, exchange or retirement) of, the notes held by you (unless you are a recipient exempt from such information reporting (such as a corporation) and certify as to that status as required). Additionally, backup withholding (currently at a rate of 24%) generally will apply to such payments if you fail to provide to the applicable withholding agent your taxpayer identification number, certified under penalties of perjury, as well as certain other information, or otherwise fail to establish an exemption from backup withholding, or if you have been notified by the IRS that (1) you failed to report in full payments of interest and dividend income or (2) payments to you are subject to backup withholding.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amount withheld under the backup withholding rules is allowable as a credit against your U.S. federal income tax liability, if any, and a refund may be obtained from the IRS if the amounts withheld exceed your actual U.S. federal income tax liability, in each case, provided that you timely furnish the required information or appropriate claim form to the IRS.
Additional Tax on Net Investment Income
An additional 3.8% tax is generally imposed on the “net investment income” of certain United States citizens, United States residents, estates, and certain trusts and on the undistributed “net investment income” of certain estates and trusts, to the extent that such persons’ modified adjusted gross income for the taxable year exceeds a specified threshold amount. Among other items, “net investment income” generally includes gross income from interest and certain net gain from the disposition of property, such as the notes, less certain deductions. You are urged to consult your tax advisor with respect to this additional tax and its applicability in your particular circumstances.
Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences to Non-U.S. Holders
The following summary will apply to you if you are a “non-U.S. holder” of the notes. You are a “non-U.S. holder” for purposes of this discussion if you are a beneficial owner of notes that is an individual, corporation, estate or trust and that is not a U.S. holder.
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