April 27, 2007
Board of Directors
Gateway Community Financial, MHC
Gateway Community Financial Corp.
Gloucester County Federal Savings Bank
381 Egg Harbor Road
Sewell, NJ 08080-9219
Dear Members:
You have requested our opinion regarding certain New Jersey tax consequences of
the proposed initial public stock offering (the "Offering") of Gateway Community
Financial Corp. (the "Company"), a federal stock holding company.
We have examined such corporate records, certificates, and other documents as we
have considered necessary or appropriate for this opinion. In such examination,
we have accepted, and have not independently verified, the authenticity of all
original documents, the accuracy of all copies, and the genuineness of all
signatures. Further, the capitalized terms which are used in this opinion and
are not expressly defined herein shall have the meaning ascribed to them in the
Plan of Stock Issuance (the "Plan") adopted on January 29, 2007, by the Company,
Gateway Community Financial, MHC (the "MHC"), and Gloucester County Federal
Savings Bank (the "Bank").
Pursuant to a Plan of Reorganization from a Federal Mutual Savings Bank to a
Federal Mutual Holding Company dated April 30, 2001, the Bank converted to the
mutual holding company form of organization in December 2001 with no stock
offering. Pursuant to the Mutual Holding Company Plan of Reorganization, the
Bank became a Federal stock savings bank, which has all of its stock owned by
the Company, a federal stock holding company, which has all of its stock owned
by the MHC, a federal mutual holding company. Pursuant to the Plan, the Company
proposes, pursuant to the laws of the United States of America and the Rules and
Regulations of the Office of Thrift Supervision ("OTS"), to conduct a stock
offering of up to but less than 50% of the aggregate of the total voting stock
of the Company.
The proposed transaction and its federal income tax consequences are described
in an opinion letter dated April 27, 2007, from Malizia Spidi & Fisch, PC (the
"Federal Opinion Letter") stating that:
1. The Company will recognize no gain or loss upon its receipt of money
in exchange for shares of Company Stock (Section 1032(a) of the Code).
Board of Directors
Gateway Community Financial, MHC
Gateway Community Financial Corp.
Gloucester County Federal Savings Bank
April 27, 2007
Page 2
2. It is more likely than not that the fair market value of the
subscription rights to purchase Company Stock is zero. Accordingly, no
gain or loss will be recognized by Eligible Account Holders,
Supplemental Eligible Account Holders, and Other Members upon the
distribution to them of the nontransferable subscription rights to
purchase shares of Company Stock. Gain realized, if any, by the
Eligible Account Holders, Supplemental Eligible Account Holders, and
Other Members on the distribution to them of nontransferable
subscription rights to purchase shares of Company Stock will be
recognized but only in an amount not in excess of the fair market
value of such subscription rights (Code Section 356(a)). Eligible
Account Holders, Supplemental Eligible Account Holders, and Other
Members will not realize any taxable income as a result of the
exercise by them of the nontransferable subscription rights (Rev. Rul.
56-572, 1956-2 C.B. 182).
The facts, assumptions, and representations and the federal tax consequences set
forth in the Federal Opinion Letter are incorporated in this opinion letter by
reference as if fully set forth herein. References and abbreviations used in the
Federal Opinion Letter are also used herein.
SUPPLEMENTAL REPRESENTATIONS
In addition to the facts, assumptions and representations set forth in the
Federal Opinion Letter, you have provided the following additional
representations concerning the Offering:
The MHC, the Company, and the Bank are subject to and have been filing
returns and paying tax under the New Jersey Corporation Business Tax
Reform Act, N.J.S. C54:10A-2, et seq. (the "CBT").
OPINION
Based solely on the facts, assumptions, and representations set forth in the
Federal Opinion Letter and the foregoing supplemental representations and
assuming the initial stock issuance occurs in accordance with the Plan, it is
our opinion that:
To the extent that consummation of the Plan will not result in the
recognition of gain or loss by the Company and will otherwise qualify
as "tax free" under the Internal Revenue Code, as more fully described
in the Federal Opinion Letter, consummation of the Plan will not result
in any additional tax liabilities under the CBT.
Except for certain state adjustments under the CBT that are not
impacted by consummation of the Plan, the CBT is imposed on a
taxpayer's net income, which is deemed to be federal taxable income
before net operating loss deduction and special deductions,
N.J.S.C54:10A-4. Accordingly, since the CBT is based on federal taxable
income, the nonrecognition events, carryovers, and tax-free exchanges
under federal
Board of Directors
Gateway Community Financial, MHC
Gateway Community Financial Corp.
Gloucester County Federal Savings Bank
April 27, 2007
Page 3
income tax law resulting from the Plan, all, as more fully described
in the Federal Opinion Letter, will be afforded the same treatment for
purposes of the CBT.
* * * * *
Since this letter is provided in advance of the closing of the transactions
contemplated by the Plan, we have assumed that such transactions will be
consummated in accordance with the Plan, as well as the information and
representations referred to herein. Any change in the Plan could cause us to
modify the opinions expressed herein.
The opinions expressed herein are based solely on current New Jersey tax law,
including applicable regulations thereunder, and current judicial and
administrative authority. Any future amendments to the tax statutes cited herein
or applicable regulations, or new judicial decisions or administrative
interpretations, many of which could be retroactive in effect, could cause us to
modify the opinions expressed herein.
We express no opinion with respect to the tax treatment of the Plan under the
Code or any other law of the State of New Jersey not specifically addressed
herein or the law of any other state or locality, or to the tax treatment of any
conditions existing at the time of, or effects resulting from, the Plan which
are not specifically covered by the items set forth in this opining letter.
This opinion is given solely for the benefit of the parties to the Plan,
Eligible Account Holders, Supplemental Eligible Account Holders, Other Members
and other investors who purchase shares pursuant to the Plan and may not be (a)
relied upon by any other party or entity or (b) referred to in any document
without our express written consent.
We hereby consent to the filing, in connection with the Plan, of this opinion
letter as an exhibit to (a) the Form MHC-2 filed by the Bank with the OTS and
(b) the Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed by the Company with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, and to the reference thereto in the
prospectus included in the registration statement on Form S-1 related to this
opinion. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the
category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended.
/s/S.R. Snodgrass, A.C.
S. R. Snodgrass, A.C. Wexford, PA 15090
April 27, 2007