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Exhibit 99.1

 

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS

The following is a summary of additional material U.S. federal income tax considerations with respect to the ownership of our stock. This summary supplements and should be read together with the discussions under “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” in the prospectus dated November 22, 2017 and filed as part of our Registration Statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-221725).

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

Enactment of the TCJA

On December 22, 2017, President Trump signed into law H.R. 1, informally titled the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “TCJA”). The TCJA makes major changes to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), including several provisions of the Code that may affect the taxation of REITs and their security holders. The most significant of these provisions are described below. The individual and collective impact of these changes on REITs and their security holders is uncertain, and may not become evident for some period. Prospective investors should consult their tax advisors regarding the implications of the TCJA on their investment.

Revised Individual Tax Rates and Deductions

The TCJA creates seven income tax brackets for individuals ranging from 10% to 37% that generally apply at higher thresholds than current law. For example, the highest 37% rate applies to joint return filer incomes above $600,000, instead of the highest 39.6% rate that applies to incomes above $470,700 under pre-TCJA law. The maximum 20% rate that applies to long-term capital gains and qualified dividend income is unchanged, as is the 3.8% Medicare tax on net investment income (see “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations - Taxation of U.S. Holders” in the applicable prospectus).

The TCJA also eliminates personal exemptions, but nearly doubles the standard deduction for most individuals (for example, the standard deduction for joint return filers rises from $12,700 in 2017 to $24,000 upon the TCJA’s effectiveness). The TCJA also eliminates many itemized deductions, limits individual deductions for state and local income, property and sales taxes (other than those paid in a trade or business) to $10,000 collectively for joint return filers (with a special provision to prevent 2017 deductions for prepayment of 2018 taxes), and limits the amount of new acquisition indebtedness on principal or second residences for which mortgage interest deductions are available to $750,000. Interest deductions for new home equity debt are eliminated. Charitable deductions are generally preserved. The phaseout of itemized deductions based on income is eliminated.

The TCJA does not eliminate the individual alternative minimum tax, but it raises the exemption and exemption phaseout threshold for application of the tax.

These individual income tax changes are generally effective beginning in 2018, but without further legislation, they will sunset after 2025.

Pass-Through Business Income Tax Rate Lowered through Deduction

Under the TCJA, individuals, trusts, and estates generally may deduct 20% of “qualified business income” (generally, domestic trade or business income other than certain investment items) of a partnership, S corporation, or sole proprietorship. In addition, “qualified REIT dividends” (i.e., REIT dividends other than capital gain dividends and portions of REIT dividends designated as qualified dividend income, which in each case are already eligible for capital gain tax rates) and certain other income items are eligible for the deduction by the taxpayer. The overall deduction is limited to 20% of the sum of the taxpayer’s taxable income (less net capital gain) and certain cooperative dividends, subject to further limitations based on taxable income. In addition, for taxpayers with income above a certain threshold (e.g., $315,000 for joint return filers), the deduction for each trade or business is generally limited to no more than the greater of (i) 50% of the taxpayer’s proportionate share of total wages from a partnership, S corporation or sole proprietorship, or (ii) 25% of the taxpayer’s proportionate share of such total wages plus 2.5% of the unadjusted basis of acquired tangible depreciable property that is used to produce qualified business income and satisfies certain other requirements. The deduction for qualified REIT dividends is not subject to these wage and property basis limits. Consequently, the deduction equates to a maximum 29.6% tax rate on REIT dividends. As with the other individual income tax changes, the deduction provisions are effective beginning in 2018. Without further legislation, the deduction would sunset after 2025.

Net Operating Loss Modifications

Net operating loss (“NOL”) provisions are modified by the TCJA. The TCJA limits the NOL deduction to 80% of taxable income (before the deduction). It also generally eliminates NOL carrybacks for individuals and non-REIT corporations (NOL carrybacks did not apply to REITs under prior law), but allows indefinite NOL carryforwards. The new NOL rules apply to losses arising in taxable years beginning in 2018.

Maximum Corporate Tax Rate Lowered to 21%; Elimination of Corporate Alternative Minimum Tax

The TCJA reduces the 35% maximum corporate income tax rate to a maximum 21% corporate rate, and reduces the dividends-received deduction for certain corporate subsidiaries.  The reduction of the corporate tax rate to 21% also results in the reduction of the maximum rate of withholding with respect to our distributions to non-U.S. stockholders that are treated as attributable to gains from the sale or exchange of U.S. real property interests from 35% to 21%.  The TCJA also permanently eliminates the corporate alternative minimum tax. These provisions are effective beginning in 2018.

Limitations on Interest Deductibility; Real Property Trades or Businesses Can Elect Out Subject to Longer Asset Cost Recovery Periods

The TCJA limits a taxpayer’s net interest expense deduction to 30% of the sum of adjusted taxable income, business interest, and certain other amounts. Adjusted taxable income does not include items of income or expense not allocable to a trade or business, business interest or expense, the new deduction for qualified business income, NOLs, and for years prior to 2022, deductions for depreciation, amortization, or depletion. For partnerships, the interest deduction limit is applied at the partnership level, subject to certain adjustments to the partners for unused deduction limitations at the partnership level. The TCJA allows a real property trade or business to elect out of this interest limit so long as it uses a 40-year recovery period for nonresidential real property, a 30-year recovery period for residential rental property, and a 20-year recovery period for related improvements. For this purpose, a real property trade or business is any real property development, redevelopment, construction, reconstruction, acquisition, conversion, rental, operating, management, leasing, or brokerage trade or business.  As a mortgage REIT, we do not believe that our business constitutes a “real property trade or business” within the meaning of the TCJA.  However, as a mortgage REIT, we do not believe we will be negatively impacted by the 30% limitation on the deductibility of interest imposed by the TCJA because interest expense may be fully deducted to the extent of interest income under the TCJA.  Disallowed interest expense is carried forward indefinitely (subject to special rules for partnerships). The interest deduction limit applies beginning in 2018.

Phantom Income

Under the TCJA, we generally will be required to take certain amounts in income no later than the time such amounts are reflected on certain financial statements. The application of this rule may require the accrual of income with respect to our debt instruments or mortgage-backed securities, such as original issue discount or market discount but excluding any accrual of income with respect to our MSRs, earlier than would be the case under the general tax rules, although the precise application of this rule is unclear at this time. This rule generally will be effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017 or, for debt instruments or mortgage-backed securities issued with original issue discount, for tax years beginning after December 31, 2018. To the extent that this rule requires the accrual of income earlier than under the general tax rules, it could increase our “phantom income,” which may make it more likely that we could be required to borrow funds or take other action to satisfy the REIT distribution requirements for the taxable year in which this “phantom income” is recognized. We currently do not expect that this rule will have a material impact on the timing of accrual of our income or on the amount of our distribution requirement.

International Provisions: Modified Territorial Tax Regime

The TCJA moves the United States from a worldwide to a modified territorial tax system, with provisions included to prevent corporate base erosion. We currently do not have any foreign subsidiaries or properties, but these provisions could affect any such future subsidiaries or properties.

Other Provisions

The TCJA makes other significant changes to the Code. These changes include provisions limiting the ability to offset dividend and interest income with partnership or S corporation net active business losses. These provisions are effective beginning in 2018, but without further legislation, will sunset after 2025.

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