Tax Treatment
There is uncertainty regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in the notes due to the lack of governing
authority. You should review carefully the section entitled “United States Federal Taxation,” and in particular the subsection thereof
entitled “— Tax Consequences to U.S. Holders — Program Securities Treated as Debt Instruments — Program Securities Treated as
Contingent Payment Debt Instruments” in the accompanying prospectus supplement. Based on current market conditions, we intend to
treat the notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes as “contingent payment debt instruments.” Assuming this treatment is respected,
as discussed in that subsection, unlike a traditional debt instrument that provides for periodic payments of interest at a single fixed rate,
with respect to which a cash-method investor generally recognizes income only upon receipt of stated interest, you generally will be
required to accrue original issue discount (“OID”) on your notes in each taxable year at the “comparable yield,” as determined by us,
although we will not make any payment with respect to the notes until maturity. Upon sale or exchange (including at maturity), you will
recognize taxable income or loss equal to the difference between the amount received from the sale or exchange and your adjusted
basis in the note, which generally will equal the cost thereof, increased by the amount of OID you have accrued in respect of the note.
You generally must treat any income as interest income and any loss as ordinary loss to the extent of previous interest inclusions, and
the balance as capital loss. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations. Special rules may apply if the amount payable at
maturity is treated as becoming fixed prior to maturity. You should consult your tax adviser concerning the application of these rules.
The discussions herein and in the accompanying prospectus supplement do not address the consequences to taxpayers subject to
special tax accounting rules under Section 451(b) of the Code. Purchasers who are not initial purchasers of notes at their issue price
should consult their tax advisers with respect to the tax consequences of an investment in notes, including the treatment of the
difference, if any, between the basis in their notes and the notes’ adjusted issue price.
Because our intended treatment of the notes as CPDIs is based on current market conditions, we may determine an alternative
treatment is more appropriate based on circumstances at the time of pricing. Our ultimate determination will be binding on you, unless
you properly disclose to the IRS an alternative treatment. Also, the IRS may challenge the treatment of the notes as CPDIs. If we
determine not to treat the notes as CPDIs, or if the IRS successfully challenges the treatment of the notes as CPDIs, then the notes will
be treated as debt instruments that are not CPDIs and, unless treated as issued with less than a specified de minimis amount of original
issue discount, could (depending on the facts at the time of pricing) require the accrual of original issue discount as ordinary interest
income based on a yield to maturity different from (and possibly higher than) the comparable yield. Accordingly, under this treatment,
your annual taxable income from (and adjusted tax basis in) the notes could be higher or lower than if the notes were treated as CPDIs,
and any loss recognized upon a disposition of the notes (including upon maturity) would be capital loss, the deductibility of which is
subject to limitations. Accordingly, this alternative treatment could result in adverse tax consequences to you.
Section 871(m) of the Code and Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder (“Section 871(m)”) generally impose a 30% withholding
tax (unless an income tax treaty applies) on dividend equivalents paid or deemed paid to Non-U.S. Holders with respect to certain
financial instruments linked to U.S. equities or indices that include U.S. equities. Section 871(m) provides certain exceptions to this
withholding regime, including for instruments linked to certain broad-based indices that meet requirements set forth in the applicable
Treasury regulations. Additionally, a recent IRS notice excludes from the scope of Section 871(m) instruments issued prior to January
1, 2027 that do not have a delta of one with respect to underlying securities that could pay U.S.-source dividends for U.S. federal
income tax purposes (each an “Underlying Security”). Based on certain determinations made by us, we expect that Section 871(m) will
not apply to the notes with regard to Non-U.S. Holders. Our determination is not binding on the IRS, and the IRS may disagree with
this determination. Section 871(m) is complex and its application may depend on your particular circumstances, including whether you
enter into other transactions with respect to an Underlying Security. If necessary, further information regarding the potential application
of Section 871(m) will be provided in the pricing supplement for the notes. You should consult your tax adviser regarding the potential
application of Section 871(m) to the notes.
The discussions in the preceding paragraphs, when read in combination with the section entitled “United States Federal Taxation” (and
in particular the subsection thereof entitled “— Tax Consequences to U.S. Holders — Program Securities Treated as Debt Instruments
— Program Securities Treated as Contingent Payment Debt Instruments”) in the accompanying prospectus supplement, to the extent
they reflect statements of law, constitute the full opinion of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP regarding the material U.S. federal income tax
consequences of owning and disposing of the notes.
Comparable Yield and Projected Payment Schedule
We will determine the comparable yield for the notes and will provide that comparable yield and the related projected payment schedule
(or information about how to obtain them) in the pricing supplement for the notes, which we will file with the SEC. The comparable yield
for the notes will be determined based upon a variety of factors, including actual market conditions and our borrowing costs for debt
instruments of comparable maturities at the time of issuance. The comparable yield and projected payment schedule are
determined solely to calculate the amount on which you will be taxed with respect to the notes in each year and are neither a
prediction nor a guarantee of what the actual yield will be.