UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 20-F/A
AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO ANNUAL REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2003
Commission File Number: 1-14728
Lan Airlines S.A.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Lan Airlines S.A. | Republic of Chile | |
(Translation of registrant's name into English) | (Jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
Avenida Américo Vespucio Sur 901 Comuna de Renca, Santiago, Chile |
(Address of principal executive offices) |
Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class: | Name of each exchange on which registered: | |
American Depositary Shares (as evidenced by AmericanDepositary Receipts), each representing five shares of Common Stock, without par value | New York Stock Exchange |
Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
None
Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act:
None
Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each of the issuer’s classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period covered by the annual report:318,909,090
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports) and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
Yes X No __
Indicate by check mark which financial statement item the registrant has elected to follow:
Item 17 ___ Item 18 X
EXPLANATORY NOTE
This amended annual report dated December 21, 2004 has been prepared for the purpose of presenting a purchase agreement we entered into with The Boeing Company for the acquisition of two Boeing 767 freighter aircraft. In this amendment to Form 20-F, we have included this purchase agreement as Exhibit 4.2. Accordingly, we also have added Exhibit 4.2 to the Exhibit List in Item 19. We note that portions of Exhibit 4.2 have been omitted pursuant to a request for confidential treatment and that such omitted portions have been filed separately with the SEC. We have also added a summary narrative description of the material terms of the contract in Item 10. See Item 10, “Additional Information – Material Contracts”, and Item 19, “Exhibits”, presented herein.
We believe that these changes are not material to our financial condition, operations or prospects.
Except as described above, no other change has been made to the annual report on Form 20-F filed on June 14, 2004. The filing of this amended annual report should not be understood to mean that any statements contained herein are true or complete as of any date subsequent to June 14, 2004.
ITEM 10. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Memorandum and Articles of Association
Set forth below is information concerning our share capital and a brief summary of certain significant provisions of our by-laws and Chilean law. This description contains all material information concerning the common shares but does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to our by-laws, the Chilean Corporation Law and the Securities Market Law, each referred to below. For additional information regarding the common shares, reference is made to our by-laws, a copy of which are included as Exhibit 1.1 to this annual report on Form 20-F.
Organization and Register
LanChile is a publicly-held stock corporation (sociedad anónima abierta) incorporated under the laws of Chile. LanChile was incorporated by a public deed dated December 30, 1983, an abstract of which was published in the Chilean Gazette (Diario Oficial de la República de Chile) No. 31.759 on December 31, 1983, and registered on page 20,341, No. 11,248 of the Chilean Real Estate and Commercial Registrar (Registro de Comercio del Conservador de Bienes Raices y Comercio de Santiago) for the year 1983. Our corporate purpose, as stated in our by-laws, is to provide a broad range of transportation and related services, as more fully set forth in Article Four thereof.
General
Shareholders’ rights in a Chilean company are generally governed by the company’s by-laws. Article 22 of the Chilean Corporation Law states that the purchaser of shares of a company implicitly accepts its by-laws and any agreements adopted at shareholders’ meetings. Additionally, the Chilean Corporation Law regulates the government and operation of corporations (“sociedades anónimas”, or S.A.) and provides for certain shareholder rights. Article 137 of the Chilean Corporation Law provides that the provisions of the Chilean Corporation Law take precedence over any contrary provision in a corporation’s by-laws. The Chilean Corporation Law and our by-laws also provide that all disputes arising among shareholders in their capacity as such or between us or our administrators and the shareholders may either be submitted to arbitration in Chile or to the courts of Chile at the election of the plaintiff initiating the action. Finally, Decree-Law 3500, which allows pension funds to invest in the stock of qualified corporations, indirectly affects corporate governance and prescribes certain rights of shareholders. The Chilean Corporation Law sets forth the rules and requirements for establishing publicly held corporations. Article 2 of the Chilean Corporation Law defines publicly held corporations as corporations:
• | with 500 or more shareholders; | |
• | in which 100 or more shareholders own at least 10% of the subscribed capital (excluding any direct or indirect individual holdings exceeding 10%); and | |
• | which have voluntary registered their shares in the Security Register of the SVS. |
The framework of the Chilean securities market is regulated by the Chilean exchange entity, the SVS, under the Securities Market Law and the Chilean Corporation Law, which imposes certain disclosure requirements, restricts insider trading, prohibits price manipulation and protects minority investors. Both the Chilean Corporation Law and the Securities Market Law state rules and requirements for establishing publicly held corporations. In particular, the Securities Market Law establishes requirements for public offerings, stock exchanges and brokers and outlines disclosure requirements for corporations that issue publicly offered securities.
Ownership Restrictions
Under Article 12 of the Securities Market Law and Circular 585 of the SVS, certain information regarding transactions in shares of publicly held corporations must be reported to the SVS and the Chilean stock exchanges on which the shares are listed. Since the ADRs are deemed to represent the shares underlying the ADSs, transactions in ADRs will be subject to those reporting requirements. Among other matters, beneficial owners of ADSs will be required to report to the SVS and the Chilean stock exchanges within two stock exchange business days:
• | any direct or indirect acquisition or sale of shares that results in the holder’s acquiring or disposing, directly or indirectly, of 10% or more of the corporation’s total subscribed shares; and |
• | any direct or indirect acquisition or sale of shares or options to buy or sell shares, in any amount, if made by a holder of 10% or more of a publicly held corporation’s total subscribed shares, or if made by a director, liquidator, principal officer, general manager or manager of such corporation. |
In addition, majority shareholders must state in their report whether their purpose is to acquire control of the company or if they are making a financial investment.
Under Article 54 of the Securities Market Law and under SVS regulations, persons or entities that intend to acquire control, whether directly or indirectly, of a publicly traded company, must follow certain notice requirements, regardless of the acquisition vehicle or procedure or whether the acquisition will be made through direct subscriptions or private transactions. The potential acquiror must first send a written communication to the target corporation, any companies controlling or controlled by the target corporation, the SVS and the Chilean stock exchanges on which the securities are listed, stating, among other things, the person or entity purchasing or selling and the price and conditions of any negotiations.
The potential acquiror must also inform the public of its planned acquisition at least ten business days prior to the date on which the transaction is to close, any in any event, as soon as negotiations regarding the change of control begin (i.e., when information and documents concerning the target are delivered to the potential acquiror). Notice is made through a filing with the SVS, the relevant Chilean stock exchanges and any companies controlling or controlled by the target corporation and through a notice published in two Chilean newspapers, and must also state, among other things, the person or entity purchasing or selling and the price and conditions of any negotiations.
In addition to the foregoing, Article 54A of the Securities Market Law requires that within two business days of the completion of the transactions pursuant to which a person has acquired control of a publicly traded company, a notice shall be published in the same newspapers in which the notice referred to above was published and notices shall be sent to the same persons mentioned in the preceding paragraphs.
A beneficial owner of ADSs intending to acquire control of LanChile will be subject to the foregoing reporting requirements.
The provisions of the aforementioned articles do not apply whenever the acquisition is being made through a tender or exchange offer.
Title XXV of the Securities Market Law on tender offers and SVS regulations provide that the following transactions shall be carried out through a tender offer:
• | An offer which allows a person to take control of a publicly traded company, unless the shares are being sold by a controlling shareholder of such company at a price in cash which is not substantially higher than the market price and the shares of such company are actively traded on a stock exchange; |
• | An offer for all the outstanding shares of a publicly traded company upon acquiring two thirds or more of its voting shares (this offer must be made at a price not lower than the price at which appraisal rights may be exercised, that is, book value if the shares of the company are not actively traded or, if the shares of the company are actively traded, the weighted average price at which the stock has been traded during the two months immediately preceding the acquisition); and |
• | An offer for a controlling percentage of the shares of a listed operating company if such person intends to take control of the company (whether listed or not) controlling such operating company, to the extent that the operating company represents 75.0% or more of the consolidated net worth of the holding company. |
Article 200 of the Securities Market Law prohibits any shareholder that has taken control of a publicly traded company from acquiring, for a period of 12 months from the date of the transaction that granted it control of the publicly traded company, a number of shares equal to or higher than 3.0% of the outstanding issued shares of the target without making a tender offer at a price per share not lower than the price paid at the time of taking control. Should the acquisition from the other shareholders of the company be made on the floor of a stock exchange and on a pro rata basis, the controlling shareholder may purchase a higher percentage of shares, if so permitted by the regulations of the stock exchange.
Title XV of the Securities Market Law sets forth the basis for determining what constitutes a controlling power, a direct holding and a related party.
Capitalization
Under Chilean law, the shareholders of a company, acting at an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting, have the power to authorize an increase in the company’s share capital. When an investor subscribes for issued shares, the shares are registered in that investor’s name, even without payment therefor, and the investor is treated as a shareholder for all purposes except with regard to receipt of dividends and return of capital. The investor becomes eligible to receive dividends once it has paid for the shares, or, if it has paid for only a portion of such shares, it is entitled to receive a corresponding pro rata portion of the dividends declared with respect to such shares, unless the company’s by-laws provide otherwise. If an investor does not pay for shares for which it has subscribed on or prior to the date agreed upon for payment, the company is entitled under Chilean law to auction the shares on the appropriate stock exchange, and it has a cause of action against the investor to recover the difference between the subscription price and the price received for the sale of those shares at auction. However, until such shares are sold at auction, the investor continues to exercise all the rights of a shareholder (except the right to receive dividends and return of capital). Shares issued but not paid for within the period determined by the extraordinary shareholders’ meeting for their payment (which in any case cannot exceed three years from the date of such shareholders’ meeting which authorizes the increase in capital) will be canceled and will no longer be available for issuance by us. Fully paid shares are not subject to further calls or assessments or to liabilities of LanChile.
At April 30, 2004, our share capital consisted of 318,909,090 common shares, all of which were subscribed and fully paid. Chilean law recognizes the right to issue common and preferred shares. To date, we have issued and are authorized by our shareholders to issue only common shares.
Preemptive Rights and Increases in Share Capital
The Chilean Corporation Law requires Chilean companies to offer existing shareholders the right to purchase a sufficient number of shares to maintain their existing percentage of ownership in a company whenever that company issues new shares for cash. Under this requirement, any preemptive rights will be offered by us to the depositary as the registered owner of the common shares underlying the ADSs, but holders of ADSs and shareholders located in the United States will not be allowed to exercise preemptive rights with respect to new issuances of shares by us unless a registration statement under the Securities Act is effective with respect to those common shares or an exemption from the registration requirements thereunder is available.
Under the procedures established by the Central Bank of Chile, a Chilean company with an existing ADR program under Chapter XXVI of the Compendium of Foreign Exchange Regulations of the Central Bank of Chile may apply to amend its foreign investment contract with such Bank so as to extend the benefits of such contract to new shares issued pursuant to preemptive rights offerings to existing ADS owners and enable them to exercise their preemptive rights. Although approval is expected to be granted upon satisfaction of certain formal requirements, any such amendment (which will be deemed to incorporate all laws and regulations applicable to international offerings in effect as of date of the amendment) will be reviewed by the Central Bank of Chile on a case-by-case basis. These procedures are expected to make it easier for Chilean companies to offer preemptive rights to ADS holders in connection with capital increases.
We intend to evaluate at the time of any preemptive rights offering the costs and potential liabilities associated with the preparation and filing of a registration statement with the Commission, as well as the indirect benefits of enabling the exercise by the holders of ADSs and shareholders located in the United States of preemptive rights and any other factors we consider appropriate at the time. No assurances can be given that any registration statement would be filed. If preemptive rights are not made available to ADS holders, the depositary may sell those holders’ preemptive rights and distribute the proceeds thereof if a secondary market for such rights exists and a premium can be recognized over the cost of such sale. See “Description of American Depositary Receipts—Dividends, Other Distributions and Rights”. In the event that the depositary does not sell such rights at a premium over the cost of any such sale, all or certain holders of ADRs may receive no value for the preemptive rights. The inability of holders of ADSs to exercise preemptive rights in respect of common shares underlying their ADSs could result in a change in their percentage ownership of common shares following a preemptive rights offering.
Under Chilean law, preemptive rights are exercisable or freely transferable by shareholders during a 30-day period commencing upon publication of the official notice announcing the start of the preemptive rights period in the newspaper designated by the shareholders. The preemptive right of the shareholders is the pro rata amount of the shares registered in their name in the shareholders’ registry as of the fifth business day prior to the date of publication of the notice announcing the start of the preemptive rights period. During such 30-day period (except for shares as to which preemptive rights have been waived), Chilean companies are not permitted to offer any newly issued common shares for sale to third parties. For an additional 30-day period, Chilean publicly held corporations are not permitted to offer any unsubscribed common shares for sale to third parties on terms that are more favorable to the purchaser than those offered to shareholders. At the end of such additional 30-day period, Chilean publicly held corporations are authorized to sell non-subscribed shares to third parties on any terms, provided they are sold on a Chilean stock exchange.
Directors
Our by-laws provide for a board of nine directors. Compensation to be paid to directors must be approved by vote at the annual shareholders’ meeting. We hold elections for all positions on the board of directors every two years.
Under the Chilean Corporation Law, transactions in which a director is materially interested (including a transaction in which a director proposes to borrow from the company) must be conducted on an arm’s-length basis and must satisfy certain disclosure requirements. These transactions include transactions involving a director’s spouse or close relatives, transactions involving other companies on whose board such director also serves or transactions with other companies where the director controls 10% of such company (directly or indirectly). Corporations may enter into transactions in which a director is materially interested if the transaction has been approved by the board of directors (which must be disclosed at the next shareholders’ meeting) and is consistent with standards of fairness similar to those that normally prevail in the market. Transactions which do not meet these conditions are valid and enforceable, but each director who approved the transaction is jointly and severally liable for damages suffered by the company, the shareholders or any interested third parties, and the director who directly or indirectly benefits from the transaction must pay all benefits received from such transaction to the corporation. The directors are also subject to fines and administrative sanctions.
Whenever a transaction in which a director is materially interested exceeds 1% of the net worth of the company and exceeds the equivalent of 2,000 UF (approximately US$53,000 as of the date of this annual report) or whenever such a transaction exceeds 20,000 UF, the board of directors of the company must determine whether the transaction complies with arm-length’s conditions similar to those prevailing in the market. If the board of directors is unable to determine those conditions, the board, without the vote of the interested director, may approve or reject the transaction or may appoint two independent experts to provide an opinion. The experts’ reports must indicate the terms of the transaction and in the case of non-cash assets, must indicate the planned method of payment. Experts’ valuation reports must be made available to the shareholders and to the board of directors for a period of 20 business days. The board of directors may decide to approve or reject the proposed transaction only after this 20-day period has expired. If shareholders representing 5% of the voting shares determine, within the 20-day period, that the transaction is not favorable to the corporation’s interests or that the reports of the experts are substantially different, those shareholders may require the board of directors to call an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting. Approval of the transaction then requires the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the voting shares of the company.
Shareholders’ Meetings and Voting Rights
The Chilean Corporation Law requires that an ordinary annual meeting of shareholders be held within the first four months of each year (generally they are held in April, but in any case following the preparation of our financial statements, including the report of our auditors, for the previous fiscal year). LanChile’s by-laws further provide that the ordinary annual meeting of shareholders must take place between February 1 and April 30. The shareholders at the ordinary annual meeting approve the annual financial statements, including the report of our auditors, the annual report, the dividend policy and the final dividend on the prior year’s profits, elect the board of directors (in our case, every two years or earlier if a vacancy occurs) and approve any other matter that does not require an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting. The most recent ordinary annual meeting of our shareholders was held on April 30, 2004. Extraordinary shareholders’ meetings may be called by the board of directors, if deemed appropriate, and ordinary or extraordinary shareholders’ meetings must be called by the board of directors when requested by shareholders representing at least 10% of the issued voting shares or by the SVS.
Notice to convene the ordinary annual meeting or an extraordinary meeting is given by means of three notices which must be published in a newspaper of our corporate domicile (currently Santiago de Chile) designated by the shareholders at their annual meeting and, if the shareholders fail to make such designation, the notice must be published in the Official Journal pursuant to legal requirements. The first notice must be published not less than 15 days and not more than 20 days in advance of the scheduled meeting. Notice also must be mailed not less than 15 days in advance of the meeting to each shareholder and to the SVS and the Chilean stock exchanges. Currently, we publish our official notice in the newspaperLa Tercera.
The quorum for a shareholders’ meeting is established by the presence, in person or by proxy, of shareholders representing a majority of our issued common shares. If a quorum is not present, the meeting can be reconvened, and at a second meeting the shareholders present are deemed to constitute a quorum regardless of the percentage of the common shares that they represent.
Only shareholders registered with us on the fifth business day prior to the date of a meeting are entitled to attend and vote their shares. A shareholder may appoint another individual (who need not be a shareholder) as his proxy to attend and vote on his behalf. Proxies addressed to us that do not designate a person to exercise the proxy are taken into account in order to determine if there is a sufficient quorum to hold the meeting, but the shares represented thereby are not entitled to vote at the meeting. Every shareholder entitled to attend and vote at a shareholders’ meeting has one vote for every share subscribed.
The following matters can only be considered at an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting:
• | our dissolution; |
• | a merger, transformation, division or other change in our corporate form or the amendment of our by-laws; |
• | the issuance of bonds or debentures convertible into shares; |
• | the conveyance of 50% or more of our assets or 50% or more of our liabilities; |
• | granting of a security interest or a personal guarantee, unless to secure or guarantee the obligations of a subsidiary, inwhich case only the approval of the board of directors will suffice; and |
• | other matters that require shareholder approval according to Chilean law or the by-laws. |
The matters referred to in the first four items listed above may only be approved at a meeting held before a notary public, who shall certify that the minutes are a true record of the events and resolutions of the meeting.
The by-laws establish that resolutions are passed at shareholders’ meetings by the affirmative vote of an absolute majority of those voting shares present or represented at the meeting. However, under the Chilean Corporation Law, the vote of a two-thirds majority of the outstanding voting shares is required to approve any of the following actions:
• | a change in our corporate form, division or merger with another entity; |
• | amendment to our term of existence, if any; |
• | our early dissolution; |
• | change in our corporate domicile; |
• | decrease of our capital stock; |
• | approval of contributions and the assessment thereof whenever consisting of assets other than money; |
• | any modification of the authority reserved for the shareholders’ meetings or limitations on the powers of the board of directors; |
• | decrease in the number of members of the board of directors; |
• | the conveyance of 50% or more our assets, either including or not including our liabilities, or the submittal of, or changes to, any business plan that contemplates the conveyance of assets in an amount that exceeds the percentage mentioned above; |
• | the form that dividends are paid in; |
• | granting a security interest or a personal guarantee that exceeds 50% of our assets, unless to secure or guarantee the obligations of a subsidiary, in which case only approval of the board of directors will suffice; |
• | the acquisition of our own shares, when, and on the terms and conditions, permitted by law; | |
• | all other matters provided for in the by-laws; and |
• | the correction of any formal defect in our incorporation or any amendment to our by-laws that refers to any of the matters indicated in the first thirteen items listed above. |
Amendments to the by-laws that have the effect of establishing, modifying or eliminating any special rights pertaining to any series of shares require the consenting vote of holders of two-thirds of the shares of the affected series.
In general, Chilean law does not require a publicly held corporation to provide the level and type of information that the U.S. securities laws require a reporting company to provide to its shareholders in connection with a solicitation of proxies. However, shareholders are entitled to examine the books of the company within the 15-day period before the scheduled meeting. No later than the first notice summoning an ordinary shareholder’s meeting, the board of directors of a publicly held corporation shall send to every shareholder a copy of the annual report and the financial statements of the company. However, the SVS may authorize companies that have a large number of shareholders to limit the sending of such documents only to those shareholders who have a number of shares exceeding a certain number, and, in any case, to any shareholder that has required of the company such sending. Shareholders who do not fall into this category but who request it must be sent a copy of our annual report. In addition to these requirements, we regularly have provided, and currently intend to continue to provide, together with the notice of shareholders’ meeting, a proposal for the final annual dividend for shareholder approval. See “—Dividend and Liquidation Rights”.
The Chilean Corporation Law provides that, whenever shareholders representing 10% or more of the issued voting shares so request, a Chilean company’s annual report must include such shareholders’ comments and proposal in relation to the company’s affairs. Similarly, the Chilean Corporation Law provides that whenever the board of directors of a publicly held corporation convenes an ordinary meeting of the shareholders and solicits proxies for that meeting, or distributes information supporting its decisions or other similar material, it is obligated to include as an annex to its annual report any pertinent comments and proposals that may have been made by shareholders owning 10% or more of the company’s voting shares who have requested that such comments and proposals be included.
Dividend and Liquidation Rights
In accordance with Chilean Law, LanChile must distribute an annual cash dividend equal to at least 30% of its annual net income calculated in accordance with Chilean GAAP, unless otherwise decided by a unanimous vote of the holders of all issued shares, and unless and except to the extent it has accumulated losses. If there is no net income in a given year, LanChile can elect but is not legally obligated to distribute dividends out of retained earnings. All outstanding common shares are entitled to share equally in all dividends declared by LanChile. See “Dividends”.
LanChile may grant an option to its shareholders to receive any dividend in excess of 30% of net income in cash, in its own shares or in shares of publicly held corporations held by it. Shareholders who do not expressly elect to receive a dividend other than in cash are legally presumed to have decided to receive the dividend in cash. A U.S. holder of ADSs may, in the absence of an effective registration statement under the Securities Act or an available exemption from the registration requirement thereunder, effectively be required to receive a dividend in cash. See “—Preemptive Rights and Increases of Share Capital”.
Dividends that are declared but not paid within the appropriate time period set forth in the Chilean Corporation Law (as to minimum dividends, 30 days after declaration; as to additional dividends, the date set for payment at the time of declaration) are adjusted to reflect the change in the value of the UF. The UF is a daily indexed, Chilean peso-denominated accounting unit designed to discount the effect of Chilean inflation and it is based on the previous month’s inflation rate as officially determined. Such dividends also accrue interest at the then-prevailing rate for UF-denominated deposits during such period. The right to receive a dividend lapses if it is not claimed within five years from the date such dividend is payable.
In the event of LanChile’s liquidation, the holders of fully paid common shares would participate pro rata in the distribution of assets remaining after payment of all creditors. Holders of shares not fully paid will participate in such distribution in proportion to the amount paid.
Approval of Financial Statements
The board of directors is required to submit our consolidated financial statements to the shareholders for their approval at the annual ordinary shareholders’ meeting. If the shareholders reject the financial statements, the board of directors must submit new financial statements not later than 60 days from the date of that meeting. If the shareholders reject the new financial statements, the entire board of directors is deemed removed from office and a new board is elected at the same meeting. Directors who approved such financial statements are disqualified for re-election for the ensuing period.
Right of Dissenting Shareholders to Tender Their Shares
The Chilean Corporation Law provides that, upon the adoption at an extraordinary meeting of shareholders of any of the resolutions enumerated below, dissenting shareholders acquire the right to withdraw and to compel the company to repurchase their shares, subject to the fulfillment of certain terms and conditions. However, such right shall be suspended if we are declared bankrupt or are subject to a creditor’s agreement pursuant to Title XII of the Chilean Bankruptcy Law. In the case of holders of ADRs, however, in order to exercise such rights, holders of ADRs would be required to first withdraw the common shares represented by the ADRs pursuant to the terms of the deposit agreement. Such holders of ADRs would need to perfect the withdrawal of the common shares on or before the fifth business day prior to the date of the meeting.
“Dissenting shareholders” are defined as those who attend a shareholders’ meeting and vote against a resolution which results in the withdrawal right, or, if absent at such a meeting, those who state in writing to the company their opposition to such resolution within the following 30 days. Dissenting shareholders must perfect their withdrawal rights by tendering their stock to the company within 30 days after adoption of the resolution.
The price paid to a dissenting shareholder of a publicly held corporation is the weighted average of the sales prices for the shares as reported on the Chilean stock exchanges on which the shares are quoted for the two-month period preceding the event giving rise to the withdrawal right. If, because of the volume, frequency, number and diversity of the buyers and sellers, the SVS determines that the shares are not shares actively traded on a stock exchange (acciones de transacción bursátil), the price paid to the dissenting shareholder is the book value. Book value for this purpose equals paid capital plus reserves and profits, less losses, divided by the total number of subscribed shares (whether entirely or partially paid). For the purpose of making this calculation, the last annual balance sheet is used and adjusted to reflect inflation up to the date of the shareholders’ meeting that gave rise to the withdrawal right.
The resolutions that result in a shareholder’s right to withdraw are the following:
• | the transformation of the company into an entity that is not a publicly held corporation governed by the Chilean Corporation Law; |
• | the merger of the company with or into another company; |
• | the conveyance of 50% or more of the assets of the company, whether or not such sale includes the company’s liabilities; | |
• | the creation of preferential rights for a class of shares or an amendment to those already existing, in which case the right to withdraw only accrues to the dissenting shareholders of the class or classes of shares adversely affected ; |
• | the correction of any formal defect in the incorporation of the company or any amendment to the company’s by-laws that grants the right to withdraw; |
• | the granting of security interests or personal guarantees to secure or guarantee third parties' obligations exceeding 50% of the company's assets, except with regard to subsidiaries; |
• | resolutions of the shareholders' meeting approving the deregistration of the company from the Securities Registry of the SVS; and |
• | such other causes as may be established by the company’s by-laws (no such additional resolutions currently are specified in our by-laws). |
In addition, shareholders of publicly held corporations have the right to withdraw if a person acquires two-thirds or more of the outstanding shares of such corporation and does not make a tender offer for the remaining shares within 30 days after acquisition.
Under Article 69(bis) of the Chilean Corporation Law, the right to withdraw also is granted to shareholders (other than pension funds that administer private pension plans under the national pension law), under certain terms and conditions, if a company were to become controlled by the Chilean government, directly or through any of its agencies, and if two independent rating agencies downgrade the rating of its stock from first class because of certain actions specified in Article 69(bis) undertaken by the company or the Chilean government that affect negatively and substantially the earnings of the company. Shareholders must perfect their withdrawal rights by tendering their shares to the company within 30 days of the date of the publication of the new rating by two independent rating agencies. If the withdrawal right is exercised by a shareholder invoking Article 69(bis), the price paid to the dissenting shareholder shall be the weighted average of the sales price for the shares as reported on the stock exchanges on which the company’s shares are quoted for the six-month period preceding the publication of the new rating by two independent rating agencies. If, as previously described, the SVS determines that the shares are not actively traded on a stock exchange, the price shall be the book value calculated as described above.
There is no legal precedent as to whether a shareholder that has voted both for and against a proposal (such as the depositary) may exercise withdrawal rights with respect to the shares voted against the proposal. As such, there is doubt as to whether holders of ADRs who have not surrendered their ADRs and withdrawn common shares on or before the fifth business day prior to the shareholder meeting will be able to exercise withdrawal rights either directly or through the depositary with respect to the shares represented by ADRs. Under the provisions of the deposit agreement the depositary will not exercise these withdrawal rights.
Registration and Transfers
TheDepósito Central de Valores, or the DCV, acts as LanChile’s registration agent. In the case of jointly owned common shares, an attorney-in-fact must be appointed to represent the joint owners in dealings with us.
Material Contracts
In 1998, we entered into a purchase agreement with Airbus Industrie for acquisition of 20 Airbus A320 aircraft, followed by an additional contract for seven Airbus A340s that we entered into in 1999. Both contracts provide us with the option of purchasing additional aircraft in the future. As of December 31, 2003, we have taken delivery of 14 Airbus A320s, and four Airbus A340s and two Airbus A319s. Given the flexibility incorporated into these contracts, we have extended the delivery dates for some of the remaining aircraft until 2008. Additionally, we have changed our remaining short-haul aircraft order from the Airbus A320 model to the Airbus A319 model. The remaining estimated value of the Airbus aircraft for which we have firm commitments to take delivery under the contract is approximately US$592 million.
In 2004, we entered into an amendment to our master purchase agreement with The Boeing Company to acquire two Boeing 767-316F freighters for a total combined gross purchase price of approximately US$278 million. The gross purchase price for each aircraft will be increased for certain equipment we will purchase and Boeing will install on each of the aircraft. The gross price is also subject to increase by an “Escalation Factor” to reflect increases in the U.S. employment cost and producer prices indices between the time the gross price was set and the period six months prior to the delivery of such aircraft. Under the terms of the purchase agreement, we are currently scheduled to take delivery of the first of the two aircraft in July 2005 and the second in October 2005.
Boeing has also granted us certain price concessions with regard to the 767-316Fs and will issue credit memoranda to us in the amount of such concessions, which we may apply toward the purchase of goods and services from Boeing or toward certain payments in respect of the purchase of the aircraft. Boeing has also agreed to provide us with certain allowances for promotional and other activities, as well as providing certain other goods and services to us on concessionary terms.
We plan to finance the purchase of the two Boeing 767-316Fs through a credit facility provided by international financial institutions supported by partial guarantees issued by the Export-Import Bank of the United States. We expect the terms and documentation of the financing to be substantially similar to the other Ex-Im guaranteed facilities that we have entered into with respect to the financing of other Boeing aircraft we have incorporated into our fleet. As a result of the acquisition of the two new Boeing 767-316F freighters, our capital expenditures for 2005 will increase by approximately US$170 million, to a total of US$477 million.
For more information, see “Information on the Company—Fleet—General” under Item 4 and “Operating and Financial Review and Prospects—Liquidity and Capital Resources” under Item 5.
Foreign Investment and Exchange Controls in Chile
The Central Bank of Chile is responsible, among other things, for monetary policies and exchange controls in Chile. Equity investments, including investments in shares of stock by persons who are non-Chilean residents, are generally subject to various exchange control regulations restricting the repatriation of their investments and the earnings thereon.
On April 16, 2001, the Central Bank of Chile agreed that, effective April 19, 2001:
• | prior foreign exchange restrictions would be eliminated: and |
• | a new Compendium of Foreign Exchange Regulations (Compendio de Normas de Cambios Internacionales) would be applied. |
The main objective of these amendments, as declared by the Central Bank of Chile, is to facilitate movement of capital in and out of Chile and to encourage foreign investment.
In connection with the change in policy, the Central Bank of Chile eliminated the following restrictions:
• | a reserve requirement with the Central Bank of Chile for a period of one year (this mandatory reserve was imposed on foreign loans and funds brought into Chile to purchase shares other than those acquired in the establishment of a new company or in the capital increase of the issuing company; the reserve requirement was gradually decreased from 30% of the proposed investment to 0%); |
• | the requirement of prior approval by the Central Bank of Chile for certain operations; |
• | mandatory return of foreign currencies to Chile; and |
• | mandatory conversion of foreign currencies into Chilean pesos. |
Under the new regulations, only the following limitations apply to these operations:
• | the Central Bank of Chile must be provided with information related to certain operations; and |
• | certain operations must be conducted with the Formal Exchange Market. |
The Central Bank of Chile also eliminated Chapter XXVI of the Compendium of Foreign Exchange Regulations, which regulated the establishment of an ADR facility by a Chilean company. Pursuant to the new rules, it is no longer necessary to seek the Central Bank of Chile’s prior approval in order to establish an ADR facility nor to enter into a foreign investment contract with the Central Bank of Chile. The establishment of an ADR facility is now regarded as an ordinary foreign investment, and simply requires that the Central Bank of Chile be informed of the transaction pursuant to Chapter XIV of the Compendium of Foreign Exchange Regulations and that the transaction be conducted exclusively through the Formal Exchange Market.
According to Chapter XIV of the Compendium of Foreign Exchange Regulations, if the funds to purchase the common shares underlying the ADSs are brought into Chile, the depositary, on behalf of foreign investors, must deliver to the entity of the Formal Exchange Market participating in the transaction an annex providing information about the transaction, together with a letter instructing such participant to deliver the foreign currency or the peso equivalent thereof, on or before the date on which the foreign currency is brought into Chile. If foreign investors do not bring the funds to purchase the common shares underlying the ADSs into Chile, the depositary, on behalf of the foreign investors, must provide the same information to the Central Bank of Chile directly or through an entity of the Formal Exchange Market within 10 days following the date on which the payment was made. Repatriation of amounts received with respect to deposited common shares or common shares withdrawn from deposit on surrender of ADRs (including amounts received as cash dividends and proceeds from the sale in Chile of the underlying common shares and any rights arising from them) must be made through the Formal Exchange Market. The entity of the Formal Exchange Market participating in the repatriation must provide certain information to the Central Bank of Chile on the next banking business day. In the event the payments are made outside of Chile, foreign investors must provide the relevant information to the Central Bank of Chile directly through an entity of the Formal Exchange Market within ten days following the date on which the payment was made.
Under Chapter XIV of the Compendium of the Foreign Exchange Regulations of the Central Bank of Chile, payments and remittances of funds from Chile are governed by the rules in effect at the time payment or remittance is made. Therefore, any change made to Chilean laws and regulations after the date hereof may affect foreign investors who have acquired ADSs. We cannot assure you that new regulations of the Central Bank of Chile or legislative changes to the current foreign exchange control regime in Chile will not affect our ability to remit foreign currency to make the relevant payments. For example, until June 26, 1998, the Compendium of Foreign Exchange Regulations required foreign investors acquiring shares or securities in Chile to maintain a mandatory reserve for one year in the form of anencaje, a non-interest bearing U.S. deposit with the Central Bank of Chile in an amount equal to 30% of the proposed investment. Alternatively, foreign investors could satisfy the reserve requirement by paying the Central Bank of Chile a non-refundable amount determined based on the amount that such investors would have had to deposit. On June 26, 1998, the mandatory reserve was reduced to 10%, and on September 17, 1998, it was reduced to 0%. Despite this reduction in theencaje, the Central Bank of Chile may reinstate the reserve at any time in an amount up to 40% of the proposed investment, and we cannot guarantee that the Central Bank of Chile will not do so. However, under current Chilean law, any reinstatement would apply only to those investments for which proceeds have been made available to foreign investors subsequent to the time of such reinstatement.
The ADSs representing common shares of LanChile offered under our November 6, 1997 initial public offering are subject to our Foreign Investment Contract, which guarantees ADS investors under our initial public offering access to the Formal Exchange Market to convert amounts from Chilean pesos into U.S. dollars and repatriate amounts received with respect to deposited common shares or common shares withdrawn from deposit or surrender of ADRs (including amounts received as cash dividends and proceeds from the sale in Chile of the underlying common shares and any rights arising from them). The guarantee of access to the Formal Exchange Market under the Foreign Investment Contract will be extended to the participants in the ADS offering if the following requirements are met:
• | the funds to purchase the common shares underlying the ADSs are brought into Chile and converted into Chilean pesos through the Formal Exchange Market; |
• | the purchase of the underlying common shares is made on a Chilean stock exchange; and |
• | within five business days from conversion of the funds into Chilean pesos, the Central Bank of Chile is informed that the conversion funds were used to purchase the underlying common shares. |
The following is a summary of material provisions of the Foreign Investment Contract, a form of which was filed as an exhibit to the registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-7750) that we filed on October 10, 1997 in connection with our November 6, 1997 offering. This summary is not complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to Chapter XXVI and the Foreign Investment Contract.
Under Chapter XXVI and the Foreign Investment Contract, the Central Bank of Chile agreed to grant to the depositary, on behalf of ADR holders, and to any investor not residing or domiciled in Chile who withdraws common shares upon surrender of ADRs, access to the Formal Exchange Market to convert Chilean pesos into U.S. dollars (and to remit those dollars outside Chile) in respect of common shares represented by ADSs or withdrawn shares, including amounts received as:
• | cash dividends; | |
• | proceeds from the sale in Chile of withdrawn shares or from shares distributed as a result of a liquidation, merger or consolidation of LanChile (subject to receipt by the Central Bank of Chile of a certificate from the holder of the withdrawn shares or the distributed shares (or from an institution authorized by the Central Bank of Chile) that the holder’s residence and domicile are outside of Chile, and a certificate from a Chilean stock exchange (or from a brokerage or securities firm established in Chile) that the withdrawn shares or the distributed shares were sold on a Chilean stock exchange); | |
• | proceeds from the sale in Chile of preemptive rights to subscribe for additional common shares; | |
• | proceeds from the liquidation, merger or consolidation of LanChile; | |
• | proceeds from the sale in Chile of common shares received as a dividend; and | |
• | other distributions, including those in respect of any recapitalization resulting from holding common shares represented by ADSs or withdrawn shares. |
Chapter XXVI provides that access to the Formal Exchange Market in connection with dividend payments is conditioned on our certifying to the Central Bank of Chile that a dividend payment has been made and that any applicable tax has been withheld. We agreed to provide this certification. Chapter XXVI also provides that access to the Formal Exchange Market in connection with the sale of withdrawn shares, or distribution on them, is conditioned upon receipt by the Central Bank of Chile of a certification by the depositary or custodian, as the case may be, that the common shares have been withdrawn in exchange for delivery of the appropriate ADRs and receipt of a waiver of the benefit of the Foreign Investment Contract with respect to them (except in connection with the proposed sale of the common shares) until the withdrawn shares are redeposited.
Chapter XXVI and the Foreign Investment Contract provide that a person who brings foreign currency into Chile to purchase common shares pursuant to the Foreign Investment Contract must convert that foreign currency into Chilean pesos on the date of entry into Chile, and must invest in common shares within five banking business days in order to receive the benefits of the Foreign Investment Contract. If a person does not invest in common shares within that period, that person can access the Formal Exchange Market to reacquire foreign currency, provided that the request is presented to the Central Bank of Chile within seven banking business days of the initial conversion into pesos. Common shares acquired as described above may be deposited in exchange for ADRs and will receive the benefits of the Foreign Investment Contract, subject to:
• | receipt by the Central Bank of Chile of a certificate from the depositary that the common shares have been deposited and that the related ADRs have been issued; and |
• | receipt by the custodian of a declaration from the person making the deposit waiving the benefits of the Foreign Investment Contract with respect to the deposited common shares. |
Access to the Formal Exchange Market under any of the circumstances described above is not automatic. Pursuant to Chapter XXVI, such access required approval of the Central Bank of Chile based on a request presented through a banking institution established in Chile. The Foreign Investment Contract provides that if the Central Bank of Chile has not acted on the request within seven banking days, the request is deemed approved.
Under current Chilean law, the Foreign Investment Contract cannot be changed unilaterally by the Central Bank of Chile. No assurance can be given, however, that additional Chilean restrictions applicable to the holders of ADRs, the disposition of underlying common shares or the repatriation of proceeds from their disposition will not be imposed in the future, nor can there be any assessment of the duration of impact of any restrictions that might be imposed.
Voting Rights
Holders of our common shares may instruct the depositary to vote the shares underlying theirs ADRs. If we ask holders for instructions, the depositary will notify such holders of the upcoming vote and arrange to deliver our voting materials to such holders. The materials will describe the matters to be voted on and explain how holders may instruct the depositary to vote the shares or other deposited securities underlying their ADSs as they direct by a specified date. For instructions to be valid, the depositary must receive them on or before the date specified. The depositary will try, as far as practical, subject to Chilean law and the provisions of our by-laws, to vote or to have its agents vote the shares or other deposited securities as holders instruct. Otherwise, holders will not be able to exercise their right to vote unless they withdraw the shares. However, holders may not know about the meeting far enough in advance to withdraw the shares. We will use our best efforts to request that the depositary notify holders of upcoming votes and ask for their instructions.
If the depositary does not receive voting instructions from a holder by the specified date, it will consider such holder to have authorized and directed it to give a discretionary proxy to a person designated by our board of directors to vote the number of deposited securities represented by such holder’s ADSs. The depositary will give a discretionary proxy in those circumstances to vote on all questions to be voted upon unless we notify the depositary that:
• | we do not wish to receive a discretionary proxy; |
• | we think there is substantial shareholder opposition to the particular question; or | |
• | we think the particular question would have an adverse impact on our shareholders. |
The depositary will only vote or attempt to vote as such holder instructs or as described above.
We cannot assure holders that you they receive the voting materials in time to ensure that they can instruct the depositary to vote their shares. This means that holders may not be able to exercise their right to vote and there may be nothing they can do if their shares are not voted as they requested.
Exchange Rates
Prior to 1989, Chilean law permitted the purchase and sale of foreign exchange only in those cases explicitly authorized by the Central Bank of Chile. The Central Bank Act liberalized the rules that govern the ability to buy and sell foreign currency. The Central Bank Act empowers the Central Bank of Chile to determine that certain purchases and sales of foreign currency specified by law must be carried out exclusively in the Formal Exchange Market, which is made up of the banks and other entities authorized by the Central Bank of Chile. All payments and distributions with respect to the ADSs must be conducted exclusively in the Formal Exchange Market.
For purposes of the operation of the Formal Exchange Market, the Central Bank of Chile sets a reference exchange rate (dólar acuerdo). The Central Bank of Chile resets the reference exchange rate monthly, taking internal and external inflation into account, and adjusts the reference exchange rate daily to reflect variations in parities between the Chilean peso, the U.S. dollar, the Japanese yen and the European euro.
The observed exchange rate is the average exchange rate at which transactions were actually carried out in the Formal Exchange Market on a particular day, as certified by the Central Bank of Chile on the next banking day.
Prior to September 3, 1999, the Central Bank of Chile was authorized to buy or sell dollars in the Formal Exchange Market to maintain the observed exchange rate within a specified range above or below the reference exchange rate. On September 3, 1999, the Central Bank of Chile eliminated the exchange band. As a result, the Central Bank of Chile may buy and sell foreign exchange in the Formal Exchange Market in order to maintain the observed exchange rate at a level the Central Bank of Chile determines.
Purchases and sales of foreign exchange may be effected outside the Formal Exchange Market through the Informal Exchange Market, (Mercado Cambiario Informal) established by the Central Bank in 1990. There are no limits on the extent to which the rate of exchange in the Informal Exchange Market can fluctuate above or below the observed exchange rate.
Although our results of operations have not been significantly affected by fluctuations in the exchange rates between the peso and the U.S. dollar because our functional currency is the U.S. dollar, we are exposed to foreign exchange losses and gains due to exchange rate fluctuations. Even though the majority of our revenues are denominated in or pegged to the U.S. dollar, the Chilean government’s economic policies affecting foreign exchange and future fluctuations in the value of the peso against the U.S. dollar could adversely affect our results of operations and an investor’s return on an investment in ADSs.
Chilean Taxation
The following discussion relates to Chilean income tax laws presently in force, including Ruling No. 324 of January 29, 1990 of the Chilean Internal Revenue Service and other applicable regulations and rulings in effect on the date of this prospectus, all of which are subject to change. The discussion summarizes the principal Chilean income tax consequences of an investment in the ADSs or common shares by a person who is neither domiciled in, nor a resident of, Chile or by a legal entity that is not organized under the laws of Chile and does not have a permanent establishment located in Chile (such an individual or entity is referred to herein as a Foreign Holder). For purposes of Chilean tax law, an individual holder is a resident of Chile if such person has resided in Chile for more than six consecutive months in one calendar year or for a total of six months, whether consecutive or not, in two consecutive tax years. The discussion is not intended as tax advice to any particular investor, which can be rendered only in light of that investor’s particular tax situation. PROSPECTIVE PURCHASERS SHOULD CONSULT THEIR TAX ADVISERS ABOUT THE CHILEAN TAX CONSEQUENCES TO THEM OF THE PURCHASE, OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF ADSs OR SHARES.
Under Chilean law, provisions contained in statutes such as tax rates applicable to foreign investors, the computation of taxable income for Chilean purposes and the manner in which Chilean taxes are imposed and collected may only be amended by another statute. In addition, the Chilean tax authorities enact rulings and regulations of either general or specific application and interpret the provisions of Chilean tax law. Chilean tax may not be assessed retroactively against taxpayers who act in good faith relying on such rulings, regulations and interpretations, but Chilean tax authorities may change these rulings, regulations and interpretations prospectively. There is no income tax treaty in force between Chile and the United States.
Cash Dividends and Other Distributions.
Cash dividends we pay with respect to the ADSs or common shares held by a Foreign Holder will be subject to a 35% Chilean withholding tax, which we withhold and pay over to the Chilean tax authorities and which we refer to as the Withholding Tax. A credit against the Withholding Tax is available based on the level of corporate income tax we actually pay on the income to be distributed (referred to herein as the First Category Tax); however, this credit does not reduce the Withholding Tax on a one-for-one basis because it also increases the base on which the Withholding Tax is imposed. If we register net income but taxable losses, no credit against the Withholding Tax will be available. In addition, if we distribute less than all of our distributable income, the credit for First Category Tax we pay is proportionately reduced. Presently, the First Category Tax rate is 17%. In general, the example below illustrates the effective Chilean Withholding Tax burden on a cash dividend received by a Foreign Holder, assuming a Withholding Tax rate of 35%, an effective First Category Tax rate of 17% the actual payment of such First Category Tax at that 17% rate and a distribution of 30% of the consolidated net income of the Company after payment of the First Category Tax:
The Company's taxable income | 100.00 | |
First Category Tax (17% of Ch$100) | (17) | |
Net distributable income | 83.00 | |
Dividend distributed (30% of net distributable income) | 24.9 | |
Withholding Tax (35% of the sum of Ch$24.9 dividend plus Ch$5.1 First Category Tax paid) | (10.5) | |
Credit for 30% of First Category Tax | 5.1 | |
Net tax withheld | (5.4) | |
Net dividend received | 19.5 | |
Effective dividend withholding rate | 21.69% |
In general, the effective dividend Withholding Tax rate, after giving effect to the credit for the First Category Tax, can be calculated using the following formula:
(Withholding Tax rate) — (First Category Tax effective rate)
1 — (First Category Tax effective rate)
Under Chilean income tax law, dividends generally are assumed to have been paid out of our oldest retained profits for purposes of determining the level of First Category Tax that we paid. The effective rate of Withholding Tax to be imposed on dividends we pay will vary depending upon the amount of First Category Tax we paid on the earnings to which the dividends are attributed. The effective withholding tax rate for dividends attributed to earnings from 1991 until 2001, for which the First Category Tax rate was 15%, will be 23.5%. For 2002, the First Category Tax rate was 16.0%, which results in an effective rate of 22.62%. In 2003, the First Category Tax rate was 16.5%, which results in an effective rate of 22.16%, and from 2004 onwards, the First Category Tax rate is 17%, which results in an effective rate of Withholding Tax of 21.69%.
For dividends attributable to our profits during years when the First Category Tax was 10% (before 1991), the effective rate will be 27.8%. However, whether the First Category Tax is 10%, 15%, 16%, 16.5% or 17%, the effective overall combined tax rate imposed on our distributed profits will be 35%. In the event that profits from previous years are not sufficient to cover a particular dividend, and the dividend is attributable to the current year, we will generally withhold tax from the dividend at the full 35% rate. If the withholding is determined to be excessive taking into account First Category Tax, holders may file for a refund.
Dividend distributions made in property would be subject to the same Chilean tax rules as cash dividends based on the fair market value of such property. Stock dividends and the distribution of preemptive rights are not subject to Chilean taxation.
Capital Gains
Gain from the sale or other disposition by a Foreign Holder of ADRs evidencing ADSs outside Chile will not be subject to Chilean taxation. The deposit and withdrawal of common shares in exchange for ADRs will not be subject to any Chilean taxes.
Gain recognized on a sale or exchange of common shares (as distinguished from sales or exchanges of ADRs evidencing ADSs representing such common shares) may be subject to both the First Category Tax and the Withholding Tax (the former being creditable against the latter) if:
• | the Foreign Holder has held the common shares for less than one year since exchanging ADSs for the Shares; | |
• | the Foreign Holder acquired and disposed of the common shares in the ordinary course of its business or as a habitual trader of shares; or |
• | the Foreign Holder and the purchaser of the common shares are “related parties” within the meaning of Article 17, Number 8, of the Chilean Income Tax Law. |
In all other cases, gain on the disposition of common shares will be subject only to a capital gains tax which is assessed at the same rate as the First Category Tax (currently imposed at a rate of 17%). Gain recognized in the transfer of common shares that have a high presence in the stock exchange, however, is not subject to capital gains tax in Chile, provided that the common shares are transferred in a local stock exchange, in other authorized stock exchanges or within the process of a public tender of common shares governed by the Securities Market Law. The common shares must also have been acquired either in a stock exchange, within the process of a public tender of common shares governed by the Securities Market Law, in an initial public offer of common shares resulting from the formation of a corporation or a capital increase of the same, or in an exchange of convertible bonds. Shares are considered to have a high presence in the stock exchange when they:
• | are registered in the Securities Registry; | |
• | are registered in a Chilean Stock exchange; and | |
• | have an adjusted presence equal to or above 25%. |
To calculate the adjusted presence of a particular share, the aforementioned regulation first requires a determination of the number of days in which the operations regarding the stock exceeded, in Chilean pesos, the equivalent of 200 Unidades de Fomento (approximately US$5,400 as of March 31, 2004) within the previous 180 business days of the stock market. That number must then be divided by 180, multiplied by 100, and expressed in a percentage value. This tax regime does not apply if the transaction involves an amount of shares that would allow the acquirer to take control of the publicly traded corporation, in which case the ordinary tax regime referred to in the previous paragraph will apply, unless the transfer is part of a tender offer governed by the Securities Market Law or the transfer is done on a Chilean stock exchange, without substantially exceeding the market price.
Capital gains obtained in the sale of shares that are publicly traded and have a high presence in a stock exchange are also exempt from capital gains tax in Chile when the sale is made by “foreign institutional investors” such as mutual funds and pension funds, provided that the sale is made in a stock exchange or in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Market Law, or in any other form authorized by the SVS. To qualify as a foreign institutional investor, an entity must be formed outside of Chile, not have a domicile in Chile, and must be at least one of the following:
• | an investment fund that offers its common shares or quotas publicly in a country with investment grade public debt, according to a classification performed by an international risk classification entity registered with the SVS; |
• | an investment fund registered with a regulatory agency or authority from a country with investment grade public debt, according to a classification performed by an international risk classification entity registered with the SVS, provided that its investments in Chile constitute less than 30% of the share value of the fund, including deeds issued abroad representing Chilean securities, such as ADRs of Chilean companies; |
• | an investment fund whose investments in Chile represent less than 30% of the share value of the fund, including deeds issued abroad representing Chilean securities, such as ADRs of Chilean companies, provided that not more than 10% of the share value of the fund is directly or indirectly owned by Chilean residents; | |
• | a pension fund that is formed exclusively by natural persons that receive pensions out of an accumulated capital in the fund; | |
• | a Foreign Capital Investment Fund, as defined in Law No. 18,657; or | |
• | any other foreign institutional investor that complies with the requirements set forth in general regulations for each category of investor or prior information from the SVS and the Chilean tax authority, theServicio de Impuestos Internos, or the SII. |
The foreign institutional investor must not directly or indirectly participate in the control of the corporations issuing the shares it invests in, nor possess or participate in 10% or more of the capital or the profits of such corporations.
Another requirement for the exemption is that the foreign institutional investor must execute a written contract with a bank or a stock broker incorporated in Chile. In this contract, the bank or stock broker must undertake to execute purchase and sale orders, verify the applicability of the tax exemption and inform the SII of the investors it works with and the transactions it performs. Finally, the foreign institutional investor must register with the SII by means of a sworn statement issued by such bank or stock broker.
The tax basis of common shares received in exchange for ADRs will be the acquisition value of the common shares on the date of exchange. The valuation procedure set forth in the deposit agreement, which values common shares which are being exchanged at the highest price at which they trade on the Santiago Stock Exchange on the date of the exchange, will determine the acquisition value for this purpose. Consequently, the surrender of ADRs for common shares and the immediate sale of the common shares for the value established under the Deposit Agreement will not generate a capital gain subject to taxation in Chile.
The exercise of preemptive rights relating to the common shares will not be subject to Chilean taxation. Any gain on the sale of preemptive rights relating to the common shares will be subject to both the First Category Tax and the Withholding Tax (the former being creditable against the latter).
Other Chilean Taxes
There are no Chilean inheritance, gift or succession taxes applicable to the ownership, transfer or disposition of ADSs by a Foreign Holder, but such taxes generally will apply to the transfer at death or by gift of the common shares by a Foreign Holder. There are no Chilean stamp, issue, registration or similar taxes or duties payable by Foreign Holders of ADSs or common shares.
Withholding Tax Certificates
Upon request, we will provide to Foreign Holders appropriate documentation evidencing the payment of the Chilean Withholding Tax (net of the applicable First Category Tax).
United States Federal Income Tax Considerations
The following is a summary of the material U.S. federal income tax considerations that are likely to be relevant to the purchase, ownership and disposition of our common shares and ADSs by a beneficial owner that is a citizen or resident of the United States or a U.S. domestic corporation or that otherwise will be subject to U.S. federal income taxation on a net income basis in respect of such common shares or ADSs. In this prospectus, we refer to these owners of common shares and ADSs as U.S. Holders. This summary is not a comprehensive discussion of all of the tax considerations that may be relevant to your decision to purchase ADSs or common shares. In particular, this discussion is directed only to U.S. Holders that will hold ADSs or common shares as capital assets and it does not address any special United States tax consequences that may be applicable to U.S. Holders that are subject to special treatment under the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, commonly referred to as the Code, such as dealers in securities or currencies, traders in securities electing to mark to market, financial institutions, life insurance companies, tax exempt entities, holders of 10 percent or more of our voting common shares, persons holding common shares or ADSs as part of a hedging or conversion transaction or a straddle or persons whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar. Prospective purchasers are advised to satisfy themselves as to the overall U.S. federal, state and local tax consequences of their ownership of ADRs and the underlying common shares by consulting their own tax advisors.
The statements of United States tax laws set out below are based on the laws in force as of the date this prospectus was filed and may be subject to changes in United States law occurring after that date, including changes that may have retroactive effect.
ADRs
In general, if you are a U.S. Holder of ADRs evidencing our ADSs, you will be treated, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as the beneficial owner of the underlying common shares that are represented by those ADSs and evidenced by those ADRs.
Taxation of Dividends
If you are a U.S. Holder, distributions of cash or property (other than common stock, if any, distributed pro rata to all of our shareholders, including holders of ADSs) paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and our profits (as determined for United States federal income tax purposes) with respect to common shares or ADSs, including the net amount of the Chilean Withholding Tax withheld on the distribution (after taking into account the credit for the First Category Tax), will be includible in your gross income as ordinary income on the day on which you receive the dividends, in the case of common shares, or the date the depositary receives the dividends, in the case of common shares represented by ADSs, and will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction allowed to corporations under the Code. If you are a U.S. Holder, dividends paid in pesos generally will be includible in your income in a U.S. dollar amount calculated by reference to the exchange rate in effect on the day you receive the dividends, in the case of common shares, or the date the depositary receives the dividends, in the case of common shares represented by ADSs. U.S. Holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the treatment of foreign currency gain or loss, if any, on any pesos received which are converted into U.S. dollars after they are received. To the extent that the amount of any distribution exceeds our current and accumulated earnings and profits as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes, a U.S. Holder’s pro rata share of such excess amounts will be treated first as a nontaxable return of capital to the extent of such U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the common shares or ADSs and, thereafter, as capital gain.
Subject to certain exceptions for short-term (60 days or less) and hedged positions, the U.S. dollar amount of dividends received by an individual prior to January 1, 2009 with respect to the ADSs will be subject to taxation at a maximum rate of 15% if the dividends are “qualified dividends”. Dividends paid on the ADSs will be treated as qualified dividends if:
• | the ADSs are readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States; and | |
• | we were not, in the year prior to the year in which the dividend was paid, and are not, in the year in which the dividend is paid, a passive foreign investment company (or PFIC), foreign personal holding company (or FPHC), or foreign investment company (or FIC). |
In addition, the Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, is expected to issue certification procedures in 2004 whereby a non-U.S. corporation will have to certify as to the eligibility of its dividends for the reduced U.S. federal income tax rate. The ADSs are listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and will qualify as readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States so long as they are so listed. Moreover, based on our audited financial statements and relevant market and shareholder data, we believe that we were not treated as a PFIC, FPHC or FIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes with respect to our 2003 taxable year. In addition, based on our audited financial statements and our current expectations regarding the value and nature of our assets, the sources and nature of our income, and relevant market and shareholder data, we do not anticipate becoming a PFIC, FPHC or FIC for our 2004 taxable year. Therefore, this disclosure assumes that we are not a PFIC, FPHC or FIC. Based on existing guidance, it is not clear whether dividends received with respect to the common shares will be treated as qualified dividends, because the common shares are not themselves listed on a U.S. exchange. Holders should consult their own tax advisers regarding the availability of the reduced dividend tax rate in the light of their own particular circumstances.
Subject to generally applicable limitations and conditions under the Code, Chilean Withholding Tax withheld from dividends (after taking into account the credit for the First Category Tax, when it is available) will be treated as a foreign income tax eligible for credit against a U.S. Holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability. If the amount of Chilean Withholding Tax initially withheld from a dividend is determined to be excessive, however (as described above under “Taxation—Chilean Taxation—Dividends and Other Distributions), the excess tax will not be creditable. For purposes of calculating the foreign tax credit, dividends paid on the common shares will generally constitute foreign source “passive income” or, in the case of certain U.S. Holders, “financial services income”. U.S. Holders are not allowed foreign tax credits for withholding taxes imposed in respect of certain short-term or hedged positions in securities or in respect of arrangements in which their expected economic profit is insubstantial. U.S. Holders should consult their own advisors concerning the implications of these rules in light of their particular circumstances.
U.S. Holders that receive distributions of additional common shares or rights to subscribe for common shares as part of a pro rata distribution to all our shareholders generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax in respect of the distributions.
A holder of ADSs or common shares that is a foreign corporation or a non-resident alien individual generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax on dividends received on ADSs or common shares, unless that income is effectively connected with the conduct by the Non-U.S. Holder of a trade or business in the United States.
Taxation of Capital Gains or Losses
If you realize gain or loss on the sale, exchange or other disposition of ADSs or common shares, that gain or loss will be capital gain or loss and generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if the ADS or common shares have been held for more than one year. Long-term capital gain realized by a U.S. Holder that is an individual generally is subject to a reduced tax rate. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to significant limitations.
Any gain or loss a U.S. Holder realizes on such a sale, exchange, or other disposition will generally be treated as U.S. source income or loss for U.S. foreign tax credit purposes. Consequently, in the case of a disposition of common shares (which, unlike a disposition of ADSs, would be taxable in Chile), a U.S. Holder generally would not be able to utilize foreign tax credits in respect of any Chilean tax imposed on the disposition (see “Taxation — Chilean Taxation — Capital Gains) unless the U.S. Holder has other income from foreign sources, in the appropriate category, for purposes of the foreign tax credit limitation rules. U.S. Holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the application of the foreign tax credit limitation rules to their investment in, and disposition of, the ADSs and common shares.
Deposits and withdrawals of common shares by U.S. Holders in exchange for ADSs will not result in the realization of gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
A holder of ADSs or common shares that is a foreign corporation or a non-resident alien individual generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a gain from the sale or other disposition of ADSs or common shares unless:
• | the gain is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business within the United States, or | |
• | in the case of a gain realized by a holder that is an individual, the holder is present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of the disposition, and certain other conditions are satisfied. |
Backup Withholding and Information Reporting
Dividends paid on, and proceeds from the sale or other disposition of, the ADSs or common shares to a U.S. Holder generally may be subject to the information reporting requirements of the Code and may be subject to backup withholding unless the U.S. Holder provides an accurate taxpayer identification number and makes any other required certification or otherwise establishes an exemption. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. The amount of any backup withholding from a payment to a U.S. Holder will be allowed as a credit against the U.S. Holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability and may entitle the U.S. Holder to a refund, provided that certain required information is furnished to the IRS.
A holder that is a foreign corporation or a non-resident alien individual may be required to comply with certification and identification procedures in order to establish its exemption from information reporting and backup withholding.
HOLDERS OF ADSs OR COMMON SHARES SHOULD CONSULT THEIR OWN TAX ADVISORS AS TO THE CHILEAN, U.S. OR OTHER TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE PURCHASE, OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF ADSs OR COMMON SHARES, INCLUDING, IN PARTICULAR, THE EFFECT OF ANY FOREIGN, STATE OR LOCAL TAX LAWS.
Documents on Display
We are subject to the information requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. In accordance with these requirements, we file reports, including annual reports on Form 20-F and other information with the SEC. These materials, including this annual report and the exhibits hereto, may be inspected and copied at the SEC’s public reference rooms in Washington, D.C., New York, New York and Chicago, Illinois. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the public reference rooms. In addition, some of our SEC filings, including those filed on and after November 4, 2002, are also available to the public through the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
PART III
ITEM 19. | EXHIBITS |
Documents filed as exhibits to this amended annual report: |
1.1 | By-laws of Lan Chile (together with an English translation) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 1.1 to our annual report on Form 20-F, File No. 001-14728, for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2001). |
2.1 | Amended and Restated Deposit Agreement, dated as of March 25, 2003, among LanChile, The Bank of New York, as depositary, and Owners and Beneficial Owners of American Depositary Receipts. |
2.2 | Foreign Investment Contract, dated November 1, 1997, among the Central Bank of Chile, LanChile and Citibank, N.A., as depositary, relating to the foreign exchange treatment of holders of ADSs. |
2.3 | Foreign Investment Contract Assignment Agreement, dated as of April 17, 2003, among the Central Bank of Chile, LanChile, Citibank N.A., as assignor, and The Bank of New York, as assignee, relating to the foreign exchange treatment of holders of ADSs. |
2.4 | Right of First Refusal Agreement, dated as of December 14, 2000, among Inversiones Santa Cecilia S.A., Bancard S.A., Inversiones Costa Verde, S.A., Inmobiliaria e Inversiones Asturias S.A., Inversiones Aéreas CGP DOS S.A. |
4.1 | Purchase Agreements between Lan Chile S.A. and Airbus Industrie, dated March 1998 and August 1999, relating to Airbus A320-family aircraft and Airbus A340 series aircraft.+ * |
4.2 | Purchase Agreement No. 2126 between Lan Chile S.A. and The Boeing Company, dated as of January 30, 1998, as amended and supplemented, relating to Model 767-316ER, Model 767-38EF, and Model 767-316F Aircraft.* |
8.1 | List of Significant Subsidiaries. |
12.1 | Officer Certifications pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
12.2 | Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
12.3 | Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
+ Incorporated by reference to our annual report on Form 20-F, File No. 000-14728, for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2000 and our annual report on Form 20-F, File No. 000-14728, for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2000.
* Portions of this exhibit have been omitted pursuant to a request for confidential treatment. Such omitted portions have been filed separately with the SEC.
SIGNATURES
The registrant hereby certifies that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form 20-F and that it has duly caused and authorized the undersigned to sign this amended annual report on its behalf.
Lan Airlines S.A. | ||
/s/ ALEJANDRO DE LA FUENTE GOIC | ||
Name: Alejandro de la Fuente Goic Title: Chief Financial Officer | ||
Date: December 21, 2004 |