above, unless an alternative election is made), regardless of whether the payment is in fact converted to U.S. dollars. This currency exchange gain or loss generally will be treated as ordinary income or loss, but will not be treated as interest income or expense, except to the extent provided in U.S. Treasury regulations or administrative pronouncements of the IRS.
Sale, Exchange, Redemption, Retirement or other Taxable Disposition of the Notes
A U.S. holder will generally recognize gain or loss on the sale, exchange, redemption, retirement, or other taxable disposition of a Note in an amount equal to the difference between the amount realized upon such disposition (except to the extent the amount realized is attributable to accrued interest not previously included in income, which will be taxable as described above under “—Interest on the Notes”) and the U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in such Note. A U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in the Note generally will be the U.S. dollar value of the euro used to purchase the Note at the spot exchange rate on the purchase date. If the Note is traded on an established securities market, as the Notes are expected to be, a cash basis U.S. holder (and if it elects, an accrual basis U.S. holder) will determine the U.S. dollar value of the euro amount paid for the Note on the settlement date of the purchase.
The amount realized on the sale, exchange, redemption, repurchase or other taxable disposition of a Note for an amount in euro will generally be the U.S. dollar value of such euro based on the spot exchange rate on the date the Note is disposed of; provided, however, that if the Note is traded on an established securities market, as the Notes are expected to be, a cash basis U.S. holder (and if it elects, an accrual basis U.S. holder) will determine the U.S. dollar value of such euro on the settlement date of the disposition. If an accrual method U.S. holder makes such election, such election must be applied consistently to all debt instruments held by the U.S. holder at the beginning of the first taxable year to which the election applies, and to any debt instruments thereafter acquired, and cannot be changed without the consent of the IRS. If a Note is not traded on an established securities market (or, if a Note is so traded, but a U.S. holder is an accrual basis U.S. holder that has not made the settlement date election), a U.S. holder will recognize currency exchange gain or loss (taxable as ordinary income or loss) to the extent that the U.S. dollar value of the euro received (based on the spot rate on the settlement date) differs from the U.S. dollar value of the amount realized.
Except as discussed below with respect to currency exchange gain or loss, any gain or loss recognized by a U.S. holder on a taxable disposition of the Note will be capital gain or loss, and will be long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. holder has held the Note for more than one year at the time of the disposition. Otherwise, such capital gain or loss will be a short-term capital gain or loss. Non-corporate U.S. holders may be eligible for reduced rates of U.S. federal income tax on long-term capital gains. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations under the Code.
Gain or loss realized upon the sale, exchange, redemption, repurchase or other taxable disposition of a Note that is attributable to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates will be ordinary income or loss. Gain or loss attributable to fluctuations in currency exchange rates generally will equal the difference between (i) the U.S. dollar value of a U.S. holder’s purchase price for the Note in euro, determined using the spot price on the date the Note is disposed of, and (ii) the U.S. dollar value of a U.S. holder’s purchase price for the Note in euro, determined using the spot price on the date the U.S. holder acquired the Note (or, in each case, determined on the settlement date if the Notes are traded on an established securities market, as the Notes are expected to be, and the U.S. holder is either a cash basis or an electing accrual basis holder). The exchange gain or loss will be recognized only to the extent of the total gain or loss realized by a U.S. holder on the sale, exchange, redemption, repurchase or other taxable disposition of the Note, and generally will be ordinary income or loss.
Exchange of Foreign Currencies
A U.S. holder’s tax basis in the euros received as interest on or on the sale, exchange, redemption, repurchase or other taxable disposition of a Note will be the U.S. dollar value of such euros at the spot rate in effect on the date of receipt of the euros. The amount of gain or loss recognized on a subsequent sale or other disposition of such euros will be equal to the difference between (i) the amount of U.S. dollars, or the fair market value in U.S. dollars of the other property received in such sale or disposition, and (ii) the U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in such euros. Any gain or loss recognized by a U.S. holder on a sale, exchange, redemption, repurchase or other taxable disposition of the euros will be ordinary income or loss.