Annex A
Tax Treatment
You should review carefully the section entitled “United States Federal Taxation” in the accompanying prospectus supplement. Based
on the advice of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, our special tax counsel, and on current market conditions, in determining our reporting
responsibilities we intend to treat the notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes as units each consisting of: (x) a cash-settled Put
Option written by you that, in circumstances where the payment due at maturity is less than $1,000 (excluding accrued but unpaid
interest), requires you to pay us an amount equal to that difference and (y) a Deposit of $1,000 per $1,000 principal amount note to
secure your potential obligation under the Put Option, as more fully described in “United States Federal Taxation — Tax Consequences
to U.S. Holders — Program Securities Treated as Units Each Comprising a Put Option and a Deposit” and “United States Federal
Taxation — Tax Consequences to U.S. Holders — Program Securities Treated as Debt Instruments — Program Securities Treated as
Short-Term Notes” in the accompanying prospectus supplement. By purchasing the notes, you agree (in the absence of an
administrative determination or judicial ruling to the contrary) to follow this treatment and the allocation described in the following
paragraph. However, there are other reasonable treatments that the IRS or a court may adopt, in which case the timing and character
of any income or loss on the notes could be materially and adversely affected. In addition, in 2007 Treasury and the IRS released a
notice requesting comments on the U.S. federal income tax treatment of “prepaid forward contracts” and similar instruments. The
notice focuses on a number of issues, the most relevant of which for investors in the notes are the character of income or loss
(including whether the Put Premium might be currently included as ordinary income); the degree, if any, to which income realized by
non-U.S. investors should be subject to withholding tax; and whether investors in short-term instruments should be required to accrue
income. While it is not clear whether the notes would be viewed as similar to the typical prepaid forward contract described in the
notice, it is possible that any Treasury regulations or other guidance promulgated after consideration of these issues could materially
and adversely affect the tax consequences of an investment in the notes, possibly with retroactive effect.
In determining our reporting responsibilities, we intend to treat approximately 47.66% of each Interest Payment as interest on the
Deposit and the remainder as Put Premium. Assuming that the treatment of the notes as units each comprising a Put Option and a
Deposit is respected, amounts treated as interest on the Deposit will be taxed as ordinary income, while the Put Premium will not be
taken into account prior to sale or settlement.
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, our special tax counsel is of the
opinion that Section 871(m) should 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. You should consult your tax
adviser regarding the potential application of Section 871(m) to the notes.
The discussions above 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. You should consult your tax adviser regarding all aspects of the U.S.
federal income tax consequences of an investment in the notes, including possible alternative treatments and the issues presented by
the 2007 notice. Purchasers who are not initial purchasers of notes at the issue price should also consult their tax advisers with respect
to the tax consequences of an investment in the notes, including possible alternative treatments, as well as the allocation of the
purchase price of the notes between the Deposit and the Put Option.
