of the lien on that property without the payment of the associated debt and/or a substantial prepayment penalty, which could restrict our ability to dispose of the property, even though the sale might otherwise be desirable. Risks Relating to Income Taxes and REIT Rules Simon and certain subsidiaries of the Operating Partnership have elected to be taxed as REITs in the United States. The failure to maintain Simon’s or the Subsidiary REITs’ qualifications as REITs or changes in applicable tax laws or regulations could result in adverse tax consequences. In the United States, Simon and certain subsidiaries of the Operating Partnership have elected to be taxed as REITs under Sections 856 through 860 of the Internal Revenue Code. We believe that Simon and these subsidiaries, or the Subsidiary REITs, have been organized and have operated in a manner which allows them to qualify for taxation as REITs under the Internal Revenue Code. We intend to continue to operate in this manner. However, qualification and taxation as REITs depend upon the ability of Simon and the Subsidiary REITs to satisfy several requirements (some of which are outside our control), including tests related to our annual operating results, asset diversification, distribution levels and stock ownership. The various REIT qualification tests required by the Internal Revenue Code are highly technical and complex. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that Simon or any of the Subsidiary REITs has operated in accordance with these requirements or will continue to operate in a manner so as to qualify or remain qualified as a REIT. If Simon or any of the Subsidiary REITs fail to comply with those provisions, Simon or any such Subsidiary REIT may be subject to monetary penalties or ultimately to possible disqualification as REITs. If such events occur, and if available relief provisions do not apply: • Simon or any such subsidiary will not be allowed a deduction for distributions to stockholders in computing taxable income; • Simon or any such subsidiary will be subject to corporate-level income tax on taxable income at the corporate rate; • Simon may be subject to the one-percent excise tax on stock repurchases imposed by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act; • Simon or any such subsidiary could be subject to a federal alternative minimum tax for taxable years prior to 2018 or for taxable years commencing after December 31, 2022; and • unless entitled to relief under relevant statutory provisions, Simon or any such subsidiary will also be disqualified from treatment as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year during which qualification was lost. Any such corporate tax liability could be substantial and would reduce the amount of cash available for, among other things, our operations and distributions to stockholders. In addition, if Simon fails to qualify as a REIT, it will not be required to make distributions to its stockholders. Moreover, a failure by any Subsidiary REIT could also cause Simon to fail to qualify as a REIT, and the same adverse consequences would apply to such Subsidiary REIT and its stockholders. Failure by Simon or any of the Subsidiary REITs to qualify as a REIT also could impair our ability to expand our business and raise capital, which could materially and adversely affect us. Additionally, we are subject to certain income-based taxes, both domestically and internationally, and other taxes, including state and local taxes, franchise taxes, and withholding taxes on dividends from certain of our international investments. We currently follow local tax laws and regulations in various domestic and international jurisdictions. Should these laws or regulations change, the amount of taxes we pay may increase accordingly. If the Operating Partnership fails to qualify as a partnership for federal income tax purposes, Simon will cease to qualify as a REIT and suffer other adverse consequences. We believe that the Operating Partnership is treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes. As a partnership, the Operating Partnership is not subject to federal income tax on its income. Instead, each of its partners, including Simon, is allocated, and may be required to pay tax with respect to, such partner’s share of its income. We cannot assure you that the Internal Revenue Service, or the IRS, will not challenge the status of the Operating Partnership, or any other subsidiary partnership or limited liability company in which we own an interest, as a disregarded entity or partnership for federal income tax purposes, or that a court would not sustain such a challenge. If the IRS were successful in treating the Operating Partnership or any such other subsidiary as an entity taxable as a corporation for federal income tax purposes, we would fail to meet the gross income tests and certain of the asset tests applicable to REITs and, accordingly, Simon would likely cease to qualify as a REIT. Also, the failure of the Operating Partnership or any subsidiary partnership or limited liability company to qualify as a disregarded entity or partnership for applicable income tax purposes could cause
19
Powered by FlippingBook