MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL
INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES TO NON-U.S. HOLDERS
The following summary describes the material U.S. federal income
tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of
our common stock acquired in this offering by Non-U.S. Holders (as defined below).
This discussion does not address all aspects of U.S. federal income
taxes and does not deal with foreign, state and local consequences
that may be relevant to Non-U.S. Holders in light of their
particular circumstances, nor does it address U.S. federal tax
consequences other than income taxes (not addressed, for instance,
are gift and estate taxes). Special rules different from those
described below may apply to certain Non-U.S. Holders that are subject to
special treatment under the Code, such as financial institutions,
insurance companies, tax-exempt organizations, tax-qualified retirement plans,
broker-dealers and traders in securities, commodities or
currencies, U.S. expatriates and certain former citizens and other
long-term residents of the United States, “controlled foreign
corporations,” “passive foreign investment companies,” corporations
that accumulate earnings to avoid U.S. federal income tax, persons
that hold our common stock as part of a “straddle,” “hedge,”
“conversion transaction,” “synthetic security” or integrated
investment or other risk reduction strategy, persons that are
deemed to sell our common stock under the constructive sale
provisions of the Code, persons who hold or receive our common
stock pursuant to the exercise of options or otherwise as
compensation, persons that own or are deemed to own more than 5% of
our common stock (except as specifically set forth below), persons
subject to the alternative minimum tax or federal Medicare
contribution tax on net investment income, persons who are subject
to Section 451(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended, or the Code, partnerships and other pass-through entities,
and investors in such pass-through entities. Such Non-U.S. Holders are urged to consult
their own tax advisors to determine the U.S. federal, state, local
and other tax consequences that may be relevant to them.
Furthermore, the discussion below is based upon the provisions of
the Code, and Treasury regulations, rulings and judicial decisions
thereunder as of the date hereof, and such authorities may be
repealed, revoked or modified, perhaps retroactively, so as to
result in U.S. federal income tax consequences different from those
discussed below. We have not requested a ruling from the U.S.
Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, with respect to the statements
made and the conclusions reached in the following summary, and
there can be no assurance that the IRS will agree with such
statements and conclusions. This discussion assumes that the
Non-U.S. Holder holds our
common stock as a “capital asset” within the meaning of
Section 1221 of the Code (generally, property held for
investment).
In addition, this discussion does not address the tax treatment of
partnerships (or entities or arrangements that are treated as
partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes) or persons that
hold their common stock through such partnerships or such entities
or arrangements. If a partnership, including any entity or
arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax
purposes, holds shares of our common stock, the U.S, federal income
tax treatment of a partner in such partnership will generally
depend upon the status of the partner, the activities of the
partnership and certain determinations made at the partner level.
Such partners and partnerships should consult their own tax
advisors regarding the tax consequences of the purchase, ownership
and disposition of our common stock.
Persons considering the purchase of our common stock pursuant to
this offering should consult their own tax advisors concerning the
U.S. federal income, estate, and other tax consequences of
acquiring, owning and disposing of our common stock in light of
their particular situations as well as any consequences arising
under the laws of any other taxing jurisdiction, including any
state, local or foreign tax consequences.
For the purposes of this discussion, a “Non-U.S. Holder” is, for U.S. federal
income tax purposes, a beneficial owner of common stock that is
neither a U.S. Holder nor a partnership (or other entity treated as
a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes regardless of
its place of organization or formation). A “U.S. Holder” means a
beneficial owner of our common stock that is for U.S. federal
income tax purposes (1) an individual who is a citizen or
resident of the U.S., (2) a corporation or other entity treated as
a corporation created or organized in or under the laws of the
U.S., any state thereof or the District of Columbia, (3) an
estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income
taxation regardless of its source or (4) a trust if it
(a) is subject to the primary supervision of a court within
the U.S. and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to
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