the absence of consent, and instead will be exchanged only within the scope of administrative assistance on the basis of the double taxation agreement between the United States and Switzerland. On September 20, 2019, the protocol of amendment to the double taxation treaty between Switzerland and the United States entered into force, allowing U.S. competent authority in accordance with the information reported in aggregated form to request all the information on U.S. accounts without a declaration of consent and on nonconsenting nonparticipating financial institutions.
Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences
This section describes the material U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. Holders of exchanging their Credit Suisse Shares for UBS Group AG Shares in the transaction. The following discussion is based upon the Code, the Treasury Regulations and judicial and administrative authorities, rulings and decisions, all as in effect as of the date of this prospectus. These authorities may change, possibly with retroactive effect, and any such change could affect the accuracy of the statements and conclusions set forth in this discussion. This discussion does not address any tax consequences arising under the unearned income Medicare contribution tax or the alternative minimum tax, nor does it address any tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, local or non-U.S. jurisdiction, or under any U.S. federal laws other than those pertaining to income tax.
The following discussion applies only to U.S. Holders who hold Credit Suisse Shares as a capital asset within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code (generally, property held for investment). Further, this discussion does not purport to consider all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that might be relevant to U.S. Holders in light of their particular circumstances and does not apply to U.S. Holders subject to special treatment under the U.S. federal income tax laws (such as, for example, dealers or brokers in securities, commodities or foreign currencies, traders in securities that elect to apply a mark-to-market method of accounting, banks and certain other financial institutions, insurance companies, mutual funds, tax-exempt organizations, holders subject to the alternative minimum tax provisions of the Code, partnerships, S corporations or other pass-through entities or investors therein, regulated investment companies, real estate investment trusts, former citizens or residents of the United States, U.S. expatriates, holders whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar, holders who hold Credit Suisse Shares as part of a hedge, straddle, constructive sale or conversion transaction or other integrated investment, retirement plans, individual retirement accounts, or other tax-deferred accounts, holders who acquired their Credit Suisse Shares pursuant to the exercise of employee stock options, through a tax qualified retirement plan or otherwise as compensation, or holders who actually or constructively own 5% or more of the Credit Suisse Shares or, following the transaction, 5% or more of the UBS Group AG Shares).
If an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes holds Credit Suisse Shares, the tax treatment of a partner in such partnership generally will depend on the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. Any entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes that holds Credit Suisse Shares, and any partners in such partnership, should consult their own tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of the transaction to their specific circumstances.
Determining the actual tax consequences of the transaction to you may be complex and will depend on your specific situation and on factors that are not within the control of UBS Group AG or Credit Suisse. You should consult your own tax advisors as to the specific tax consequences of the transaction in your particular circumstances, including the applicability and effect of any state, local, non-U.S. and other tax laws and of changes, if any, in those laws.
The U.S. federal income tax consequences of the transaction to U.S. Holders will depend in part on whether Credit Suisse or UBS Group AG is or has been classified as a passive foreign investment company for U.S. federal income tax purposes (a “PFIC”). Except as discussed below under “ — Passive Foreign Investment Company Considerations,” this discussion assumes that neither Credit Suisse nor UBS Group AG is or has been classified as a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
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