Attached files
| file | filename |
|---|---|
| EX-99.1 - EXHIBIT 99.1 - Sunoco LP | sun-03312018xexx991.htm |
| EX-32.2 - EXHIBIT 32.2 - Sunoco LP | sun-03312018xexx322.htm |
| EX-32.1 - EXHIBIT 32.1 - Sunoco LP | sun-03312018xexx321.htm |
| EX-31.2 - EXHIBIT 31.2 - Sunoco LP | sun-03312018xexx312.htm |
| EX-31.1 - EXHIBIT 31.1 - Sunoco LP | sun-03312018xexx311.htm |
| EX-12.1 - EXHIBIT 12.1 - Sunoco LP | sun-03312018xexx121.htm |
| EX-8.1 - EXHIBIT 8.1 - Sunoco LP | sun-03312018xexx81.htm |
| EX-3.3 - EXHIBIT 3.3 - Sunoco LP | sun-03312018xexx33.htm |
| EX-3.2 - EXHIBIT 3.2 - Sunoco LP | sun-03312018xexx32.htm |
| EX-3.1 - EXHIBIT 3.1 - Sunoco LP | sun-03312018xexx31.htm |
| 10-Q - 10-Q - Sunoco LP | sun-03312018x10q.htm |
Exhibit 99.2
MATERIAL TAX CONSIDERATIONS
The tax consequences to you of an investment in our common units will depend in part on your own tax circumstances. This section should be read in conjunction with the risk factors included under the caption “Tax Risks to Common Unitholders” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K and those that may be included in any applicable prospectus supplement. This section summarizes the material U.S. federal income tax consequences that may be relevant to prospective unitholders who are individual citizens or residents of the United States and, unless otherwise noted in the following discussion, is the opinion of Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP (“Hunton Andrews Kurth”), our tax counsel, insofar as it relates to legal conclusions with respect to matters of U.S. federal income tax law. This section is based upon current provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”), existing and proposed Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Treasury Regulations”) and current administrative rulings and court decisions, all of which are subject to change. Changes in these authorities may cause the U.S. federal income tax consequences to a prospective unitholder to vary substantially from the consequences described below. Unless the context otherwise requires, references in this section to “us” or “we” are references to Sunoco LP and our operating subsidiaries.
The following discussion does not address all U.S. federal income tax matters that affect us or our unitholders and does not describe the application of the alternative minimum tax that may be applicable to certain unitholders. To the extent that this section relates to taxation by a state, local or other jurisdiction within the U.S., such discussion is intended to provide only general information. Moreover, the discussion focuses on unitholders who are individual citizens or residents of the U.S. and has only limited application to corporations, estates, trusts, nonresident aliens or other unitholders subject to specialized tax treatment, such as tax-exempt institutions, foreign persons, individual retirement accounts (IRAs), real estate investment trusts (REITs), employee benefit plans or mutual funds. Accordingly, we encourage each prospective unitholder to consult the unitholder’s own tax advisor in analyzing the U.S. federal, state, local and non-U.S. tax consequences particular to that unitholder of the ownership or disposition of the common units and potential changes in applicable tax laws.
We are relying on the opinions and advice of Hunton Andrews Kurth with respect to the matters described herein. An opinion of counsel represents only that counsel’s best legal judgment and does not bind the IRS or the courts. Accordingly, the opinions and statements made in this discussion may not be sustained by a court if contested by the IRS. Any contest of this sort with the IRS may materially and adversely impact the market for the common units and the prices at which the common units trade. In addition, our costs of any contest with the IRS will be borne indirectly by our unitholders because the costs will reduce our cash available for distribution. Furthermore, the tax consequences of an investment in us may be significantly modified by future legislative or administrative changes or court decisions, which may be retroactively applied.
Hunton Andrews Kurth has not rendered an opinion on the state, local or foreign tax consequences of an investment in us, and, for the reasons described below, has not rendered an opinion with respect to the following U.S. federal income tax issues: (i) the treatment of a unitholder whose common units are the subject of a securities loan (e.g., a loan to a short seller to cover a short sale of common units) (please read “-Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership-Treatment of Short Sales”); (ii) whether our monthly convention for allocating taxable income and losses is permitted by existing Treasury Regulations (please read “-Disposition of Common Units-Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees”); and (iii) whether our method for taking into account Section 743 adjustments is sustainable in certain cases (please read “-Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership-Section 754 Election” and “-Uniformity of Common Units”).
Partnership Status
Based on the opinion of Hunton Andrews Kurth, we expect to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes and, therefore, subject to the discussion below under “-Administrative Matters-Information Returns and Audit Procedures” and with the exception of PropCo and companies owned directly or indirectly by PropCo, we generally are not liable for entity-level U.S. federal income taxes. Instead, as described below, each unitholder is required to take into account that unitholder’s share of our items of income, gain, loss and deduction in computing the unitholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability even if we make no cash distributions to the unitholder. Distributions we make to a unitholder are generally not taxable to the unitholder unless the amount of cash distributed exceeds the unitholder’s adjusted tax basis in his common units.
Section 7704 of the Internal Revenue Code generally provides that a publicly traded partnership will be taxed as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. However, if 90% or more of a partnership’s gross income for every taxable year it is publicly-traded consists of “qualifying income,” the partnership may continue to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes (the “Qualifying Income Exception”). Qualifying income includes income and gains derived from the transportation, storage, processing and marketing
of crude oil, natural gas and products thereof. Other types of qualifying income include interest (other than from a financial business), dividends, gains from the sale of real property and gains from the sale or other disposition of capital assets held for the production of income that otherwise constitutes qualifying income. We estimate that less than [5]% of our current gross income is not qualifying income; however, this estimate could change from time to time.
No ruling has been or will be sought from the IRS with respect to our classification as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes or as to the classification of our operating subsidiaries. Instead, we will rely on the opinion of Hunton Andrews Kurth that, based upon the Internal Revenue Code, the Treasury Regulations, published revenue rulings and court decisions and the representations described below, we will be treated as a partnership and each of our operating subsidiaries, with the exception of PropCo and any companies owned directly or indirectly by PropCo, will be treated as a partnership or disregarded as an entity separate from us for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In rendering its opinion, Hunton Andrews Kurth has relied on factual representations made by us and our general partner, including, without limitation:
• | With the exception of PropCo and any companies owned directly or indirectly by PropCo, neither we nor our operating subsidiaries have elected or will elect to be treated as a corporation; and |
• | For each taxable year, more than 90% of our gross income has been and will be income that Hunton Andrews Kurth has opined or will opine is “qualifying income” within the meaning of Section 7704(d) of the Internal Revenue Code. |
We believe that these representations have been true in the past and expect that these representations will continue to be true in the future.
If we fail to meet the Qualifying Income Exception, other than a failure that is determined by the IRS to be inadvertent and that is cured within a reasonable time after discovery (in which case the IRS may also require us to make adjustments with respect to our unitholders or pay other amounts), we will be treated as transferring all of our assets, subject to all of our liabilities, to a newly formed corporation, on the first day of the year in which we fail to meet the Qualifying Income Exception, in return for stock in that corporation, and then as distributing that stock to our unitholders in liquidation of their interests in us. This deemed contribution and liquidation should not result in the recognition of taxable income by our unitholders or us so long as at that time, the aggregate amount of our liabilities do not exceed the adjusted tax basis of our assets. Thereafter, we would be treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
The present U.S. federal income tax treatment of publicly traded partnerships, including us, or an investment in our common units may be modified by administrative, legislative or judicial interpretation at any time. For example, from time to time members of Congress have proposed and considered substantive changes to the existing U.S. federal income tax laws that would affect certain publicly traded partnerships, including the elimination of partnership tax treatment for publicly traded partnerships. Further, Treasury regulations under Section 7704 of the Code that apply to taxable years beginning on or after January 19, 2017, interpret the scope of the qualifying income requirements for publicly traded partnerships by providing industry specific guidance. We believe the income we treat as qualifying satisfies the requirements under these regulations.
It is possible that a change in law could affect us and may be applied retroactively. Any such changes could negatively impact the value of an investment in our common units. If for any reason we are taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes in any taxable year, our items of income, gain, loss and deduction would be taken into account by us in determining the amount of our liability for U.S. federal income tax, rather than being passed through to our unitholders.
Our taxation as a corporation would result in a material reduction in a unitholder’s cash flow and after-tax return and thus would likely result in a substantial reduction of the value of the common units. Any distribution made to a unitholder at a time when we are treated as a corporation would be treated as taxable dividend income, to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits, or, in the absence of earnings and profits, a nontaxable return of capital, to the extent of the unitholder’s tax basis in the partner’s common units, or taxable capital gain, after the unitholder’s tax basis in the partner’s common units is reduced to zero.
The remainder of this discussion is based on Hunton Andrews Kurth’s opinion that Sunoco LP will be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership
Tax Treatment of Income Earned Through Certain Subsidiaries
Hunton Andrews Kurth is unable to opine as to the qualifying nature of the income generated by certain portions of our operations. As a result, we currently conduct a portion of our business related to these operations in a separate subsidiary PropCo, and its subsidiaries including Aloha and Susser. Each of PropCo, Aloha and Susser is classified, or has elected to be treated, as an association taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. These subsidiaries file a consolidated federal corporate income tax return and are subject to corporate-level federal income tax on their taxable income at the corporate tax rate, which is currently a maximum of 21%.
These subsidiaries will also likely pay state income tax at varying rates on their taxable income. Any such entity level taxes will reduce the cash available for distribution to our unitholders. An individual unitholder’s share of interest and dividend income from PropCo and its subsidiaries will constitute portfolio income that cannot be offset by the unitholder’s share of our other losses or deductions. Interest income from PropCo will be taxed to unitholders at rates applicable to ordinary income. Distributions from PropCo will generally be taxed to unitholders as qualified dividend income to the extent of current and accumulated earnings and profits of PropCo.
Limited Partner Status
Unitholders who are admitted as limited partners of Sunoco LP will be treated as partners of Sunoco LP for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Also, unitholders whose common units are held in street name or by a nominee and who have the right to direct the nominee in the exercise of all substantive rights attendant to the ownership of their common units will be treated as partners of Sunoco LP for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
A beneficial owner of common units whose units have been transferred to a short seller to complete a short sale would appear to lose the unitholder’s status as a partner with respect to those units for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Please read “-Treatment of Short Sales.”
Items of our income, gain, loss or deduction would not appear to be reportable by a unitholder who is not a partner for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and any cash distributions received by a unitholder who is not a partner for U.S. federal income tax purposes would therefore appear to be fully taxable as ordinary income. These holders are urged to consult their own tax advisors with respect to their tax consequences of holding common units in Sunoco LP for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The references to “unitholders” in the discussion that follows are to persons who are treated as partners in Sunoco LP for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Flow-Through of Taxable Income
Subject to the discussion below under “-Entity-Level Collections of Unitholder Taxes” and “-Administrative Matters-Information Returns and Audit Procedures”, and aside from any taxes paid by PropCo, our subsidiary treated as parent of the federal consolidated group of corporations, including Aloha and Susser, we do not pay any U.S. federal income tax. Instead, each unitholder will be required to report on the unitholder’s income tax return the unitholder’s share of our income, gains, losses and deductions without regard to whether we make cash distributions to the unitholder. Consequently, we may allocate income to a unitholder even if that unitholder has not received a cash distribution. Each unitholder will be required to include in income the unitholder’s allocable share of our income, gains, losses and deductions for our taxable year or years ending with or within the unitholder’s taxable year. Our taxable year ends on December 31.
Treatment of Distributions
Distributions made by us to a unitholder generally will not be taxable to the unitholder for U.S. federal income tax purposes, except to the extent the amount of any such cash distribution exceeds the unitholder’s tax basis in the unitholder’s common units immediately before the distribution, in which case the unitholder generally will recognize gain taxable in the manner described below under “-Disposition of Common Units.”
Any reduction in a unitholder’s share of our “nonrecourse liabilities” for which no partner bears the economic risk of loss, will be treated as a distribution by us of cash to that unitholder. To the extent our distributions cause a unitholder’s “at risk” amount to be less than zero at the end of any taxable year, he must recapture any losses deducted in previous years. Please read “-Limitations on Deductibility of Losses.”
A decrease in a unitholder’s percentage interest in us because of our issuance of additional common units will decrease the unitholder’s share of our nonrecourse liabilities, and thus will result in a corresponding deemed distribution of cash. This deemed distribution may constitute a non-pro rata distribution. A non-pro rata distribution of money or property, including a deemed distribution as a result of the reallocation of our nonrecourse liabilities described above, may result in ordinary income to a unitholder, regardless of the unitholder’s tax basis in the unitholder’s common units, if the distribution reduces the unitholder’s share of our “unrealized receivables,” including depreciation recapture, and/or substantially appreciated “inventory items,” both as defined in Section 751 of the Internal Revenue Code, and collectively, “Section 751 Assets.” To the extent of such reduction, the unitholder would be deemed to receive its proportionate share of the Section 751 Assets and then deemed to exchange those assets with us in return for a portion of the non-pro rata distribution. This deemed exchange will generally result in the unitholder’s realization of ordinary income in an amount equal to the excess of the non-pro rata portion of that distribution over the unitholder’s tax basis (generally zero) in the Section 751 Assets deemed relinquished in the exchange.
Basis of Common Units
A unitholder’s tax basis in its common units will initially be the amount paid for those common units increased by the unitholder’s initial allocable share of our liabilities. That basis generally will be (i) increased by the unitholder’s share of our income and by any increases in the unitholder’s share of our liabilities, and (ii) decreased, but not below zero, by the amount of all distributions to the unitholder, by the unitholder’s share of our losses, by any decreases in the unitholder’s share of our liabilities and by the amount of any excess business interest allocated to the unitholder. The IRS has ruled that a partner who acquires interests in a partnership in separate transactions must combine those interests and maintain a single adjusted tax basis for all of those interests.
Limitations on Deductibility of Losses
The deduction by a unitholder of that unitholder’s share of our losses will be limited to the tax basis the unitholder has in the unitholder’s common units and, in the case of an individual, estate, trust or certain types of closely-held corporations, to the amount for which the unitholder is considered to be “at risk” with respect to our activities, if that amount is less than the unitholder’s tax basis. A unitholder subject to these limitations must recapture losses deducted in previous years to the extent that distributions cause the unitholder’s at risk amount to be less than zero at the end of any taxable year. Losses disallowed to a unitholder or recaptured as a result of these limitations will carry forward and will be allowable as a deduction in a later year to the extent that the unitholder’s tax basis or at risk amount, whichever is the limiting factor, is subsequently increased, provided such losses are otherwise allowable. Upon the taxable disposition of a unit, any gain recognized by a unitholder can be offset by losses that were previously suspended by the at risk limitation but may not be offset by losses suspended by the basis limitation. Any loss previously suspended by the at risk limitation in excess of that gain would no longer be utilizable.
In general, a unitholder will be at risk to the extent of the tax basis of the unitholder’s common units, excluding any portion of that basis attributable to the unitholder’s share of our nonrecourse liabilities, reduced by (i) any portion of that basis representing amounts otherwise protected against loss because of a guarantee, stop-loss agreement or other similar arrangement and (ii) any amount of money he borrows to acquire or hold the unitholder’s common units, if the lender of those borrowed funds owns an interest in us, is related to another unitholder or can look only to the common units for repayment. A unitholder’s at risk amount will increase or decrease as the tax basis of the unitholder’s units increases or decreases, other than tax basis increases or decreases attributable to increases or decreases in the unitholder’s share of our nonrecourse liabilities.
In addition to the basis and at risk limitations on the deductibility of losses, the passive loss limitations generally provide that individuals, estates, trusts and some closely-held corporations and personal service corporations are permitted to deduct losses from passive activities, which are generally trade or business activities in which the taxpayer does not materially participate, only to the extent of the taxpayer’s income from those passive activities. The passive loss limitations are applied separately with respect to each publicly traded partnership. Consequently, any passive losses we generate will only be available to offset our passive income generated in the future and will not be available to offset income from other passive activities or investments, including our investments or a unitholder’s investments in other publicly traded partnerships, or a unitholder’s salary or active business income. Passive losses that are not deductible because they exceed a unitholder’s share of income we generate may be deducted in full when the unitholder disposes of the unitholder’s entire investment in us in a fully taxable transaction with an unrelated party. The passive loss limitations are applied after other applicable limitations on deductions, including the at risk rules and the basis limitation.
A unitholder’s share of our net income may be offset by any of our suspended passive losses, but it may not be offset by any other current or carryover losses from other passive activities, including those attributable to other publicly traded partnerships.
For taxpayers other than corporations in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, and before January 1, 2026, an “excess business loss” limitation further limits the deductibility of losses by such taxpayers. An excess business loss is the excess (if any) of a taxpayer’s aggregate deductions for the taxable year that are attributable to the trades or businesses of such taxpayer (determined without regard to the excess business loss limitation) over the aggregate gross income or gain of such taxpayer for the taxable year that is attributable to such trades or businesses plus a threshold amount. The threshold amount is equal to $250,000 or $500,000 for taxpayers filing a joint return. Disallowed excess business losses are treated as a net operating loss carryover to the following tax year. Any losses we generate that are allocated to a unitholder and not otherwise limited by the basis, at risk, or passive loss limitations will be included in the determination of such unitholder’s aggregate trade or business deductions. Consequently, any losses we generate that are not otherwise limited will only be available to offset a unitholder’s other trade or business income plus an amount of non-trade or business income equal to the applicable threshold amount. Thus, except to the extent of the threshold amount, our losses that are not otherwise limited may not offset a unitholder’s non-trade or business income (such as salaries, fees, interest, dividends and capital gains). This excess business loss limitation will be applied after the passive activity loss limitation.
Limitations on Interest Deductions
In general, we are entitled to a deduction for interest paid or accrued on indebtedness properly allocable to our trade or business during
our taxable year. However, our deduction for this “business interest” is limited to the sum of our business interest income and 30% of our “adjusted taxable income.” For the purposes of this limitation, our adjusted taxable income is computed without regard to any business interest or business interest income, and in the case of taxable years beginning before January 1, 2022, any deduction allowable for depreciation, amortization, or depletion. This limitation is first applied at the partnership level and any deduction for business interest is taken into account in determining our non-separately stated taxable income or loss. Then, in applying this business interest limitation at the partner level, the adjusted taxable income of each of our unitholders is determined without regard to such unitholder’s distributive share of any of our items of income, gain, deduction, or loss and is increased by such unitholder’s distributive share of our excess taxable income, which is generally equal to the excess of 30% of our adjusted taxable income over the amount of our deduction for business interest for a taxable year.
To the extent our deduction for business interest is not limited, we will allocate the full amount of our deduction for business interest among our unitholders in accordance with their percentage interests in us. To the extent our deduction for business interest is limited, the amount of any disallowed deduction for business interest will also be allocated to each unitholder in accordance with their percentage interest in us, but such amount of “excess business interest” will not be currently deductible. Subject to certain limitations and adjustments to a unitholder’s basis in its units, this excess business interest may be carried forward and deducted by a unitholder in a future taxable year.
The deductibility of a non-corporate taxpayer’s “investment interest expense” is generally limited to the amount of that taxpayer’s “net investment income.” Investment interest expense includes:
• | interest on indebtedness properly allocable to property held for investment; |
• | our interest expense attributed to portfolio income; and |
• | the portion of interest expense incurred to purchase or carry an interest in a passive activity to the extent attributable to portfolio income. |
The computation of a unitholder’s investment interest expense will take into account interest on any margin account borrowing or other loan incurred to purchase or carry a unit. Net investment income includes gross income from property held for investment and amounts treated as portfolio income under the passive loss rules, less deductible expenses, other than interest, directly connected with the production of investment income, but generally does not include gains attributable to the disposition of property held for investment or qualified dividend income (if applicable). A unitholder’s share of a publicly traded partnership’s portfolio income and, according to the IRS, net passive income will be treated as investment income for purposes of the investment interest expense limitation.
Entity-Level Collections of Unitholder Taxes
If we are required or elect under applicable law to pay any U.S. federal, state, local or non-U.S. income tax on behalf of any current or former unitholder, we are authorized to treat the payment as a distribution of cash to the relevant unitholder. Where the tax is payable on behalf of all unitholders or we cannot determine the specific unitholder on whose behalf the tax is payable, we are authorized to treat the payment as a distribution to all current unitholders. We are authorized to amend our partnership agreement in the manner necessary to maintain uniformity of intrinsic tax characteristics of common units and to adjust later distributions, so that after giving effect to these distributions, the priority and characterization of distributions otherwise applicable under our partnership agreement is maintained as nearly as is practicable. Payments by us as described above could give rise to an overpayment of tax on behalf of an individual unitholder in which event the unitholder would be required to file a claim in order to obtain a credit or refund.
Allocation of Income, Gain, Loss and Deduction
In general, if we have a net profit, our items of income, gain, loss and deduction will be allocated among our unitholders, other than holders of our Class C Units, in accordance with their percentage interests in us. At any time that incentive distributions are made, gross income will be allocated to the recipients to the extent of these distributions. If we have a net loss, that loss will be allocated to the unitholders, other than holders of our Class C Units, in accordance with their percentage interests in us, subject to any limitations on the allocation of net loss as provided in the applicable Treasury Regulations.
Specified items of our income, gain, loss and deduction generally will be allocated under Section 704(c) of the Code (or the principles of Section 704(c) of the Code) to account for any difference between the tax basis and fair market value of our assets at the time such assets are contributed to us and at the time of any subsequent offering of our common units (a “Book-Tax Disparity”). As a result, the U.S. federal income tax burden associated with any Book-Tax Disparity immediately prior to an offering generally will be borne by the partners holding interests in us prior to such offering. In addition, items of recapture income will be specially allocated to the extent possible to the unitholder who was allocated the deduction giving rise to the treatment of that gain as recapture income in order to minimize the recognition of ordinary income by other unitholders. Finally, although we do not expect that our operations will result in the creation of negative capital accounts, if negative capital accounts nevertheless result, items of our income and gain will be allocated in such amount
and manner as is needed to eliminate the negative balance as quickly as possible.
An allocation of items of our income, gain, loss or deduction, other than an allocation required by the Internal Revenue Code to eliminate a Book-Tax Disparity, will generally be given effect for U.S. federal income tax purposes in determining a partner’s share of an item of income, gain, loss or deduction only if the allocation has substantial economic effect. In any other case, a partner’s share of an item will be determined on the basis of the unitholder’s interest in us, which will be determined by taking into account all the facts and circumstances including (i) the partner’s relative contributions to us, (ii) the interests of all the partners in profits and losses, (iii) the interest of all the partners in cash flow and (iv) the rights of all the partners to distributions of capital upon liquidation. Hunton Andrews Kurth is of the opinion that, with the exception of the issues described in “-Section 754 Election” and “-Disposition of Common Units-Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees,” allocations under our partnership agreement will be given effect for U.S. federal income tax purposes in determining a partner’s share of an item of income, gain, loss or deduction.
Treatment of Short Sales
A unitholder whose common units are the subject of a securities loan (for example, a loan to a “short seller” to cover a short sale of common units) may be treated having disposed of those units. If so, such unitholder would no longer be treated for tax purposes as a partner with respect to those common units during the period of the loan and may recognize gain or loss from the disposition. As a result, during this period:
• | any of our income, gain, loss or deduction with respect to those common units would not be reportable by the unitholder; |
• | any cash distributions received by the unitholder as to those common units would be fully taxable; and |
• | all of these distributions may be subject to tax as ordinary income. |
Hunton Andrews Kurth has not rendered an opinion regarding the tax treatment of a unitholder whose common units are loaned to a short seller to cover a short sale of common units; therefore, unitholders desiring to assure their status as partners and avoid the risk of gain recognition from a loan to a short seller are urged to consult a tax advisor to discuss whether it is advisable to modify any applicable brokerage account agreements to prohibit their brokers from borrowing and loaning their common units. The IRS has previously announced that it is studying issues relating to the tax treatment of short sales of partnership interests. Please also read “-Disposition of Common Units-Recognition of Gain or Loss.”
Tax Rates
Under current law, the highest marginal U.S. federal income tax rates for individuals applicable to ordinary income and long-term capital gains (generally, gains from the sale or exchange of certain investment assets held for more than one year) are 37% and 20%, respectively. These rates are subject to change by new legislation at any time.
For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017 and ending on or before December 31, 2025, an individual unitholder is entitled to a deduction equal to 20% of the unitholder’s allocable share of our “qualified business income.” For purposes of this deduction, our “qualified business income” is equal to the sum of:
• | the net amount of our U.S. items of income, gain, deduction, and loss to the extent such items are included or allowed in the determination of taxable income for the year, excluding, however, certain specified types of passive investment income (such as capital gains and dividends, which are taxed at a rate of 20%) and certain payments made to the unitholder for services rendered to us; and |
• | any gain recognized upon a disposition of our units to the extent such gain is attributable to Section 751 Assets, such as depreciation recapture and our “inventory items,” and is thus treated as ordinary income under Section 751 of the Internal Revenue Code. |
In addition, a 3.8% net investment income tax, or NIIT, applies to certain net investment income earned by individuals, estates and trusts. For these purposes, net investment income generally includes a unitholder’s allocable share of our income and gain realized by a unitholder from a sale of common units. In the case of an individual, the tax will be imposed on the lesser of (i) the unitholder’s net investment income or (ii) the amount by which the unitholder’s modified adjusted gross income exceeds specified threshold levels depending on a unitholder’s U.S. federal income tax filing status. In the case of an estate or trust, the tax will be imposed on the lesser of (i) undistributed net investment income, or (ii) the excess adjusted gross income over the dollar amount at which the highest income tax bracket applicable to an estate or trust begins. Prospective unitholders are urged to consult with their tax advisors as to the impact of the NIIT on an investment in our common units.
Section 754 Election
We have made the election permitted by Section 754 of the Internal Revenue Code. That election is irrevocable without the consent of the IRS. The election will generally permit us to adjust a common unit purchaser’s tax basis in our assets (“inside basis”) under Section
743(b) of the Internal Revenue Code to reflect the unitholder’s purchase price. The Section 743(b) adjustment separately applies to any transferee of a unitholder who purchases outstanding common units from the unitholder based upon the values and tax bases of our assets at the time of the transfer to the transferee. The Section 743(b) adjustment does not apply to a person who purchases common units directly from us, and belongs only to the purchaser and not to other unitholders. For purposes of this discussion, a unitholder’s basis in our assets will be considered to have two components: (i) the unitholder’s share of our tax basis in our assets (“common basis”) and (ii) the unitholder’s Section 743(b) adjustment to that basis.
Under our partnership agreement, we are authorized to take a position to preserve the uniformity of units even if that position is not consistent with applicable Treasury Regulations. A literal application of Treasury Regulations governing a Section 743(b) adjustment attributable to properties depreciable under Section 167 of the Internal Revenue Code may give rise to differences in the taxation of unitholders purchasing units from us and unitholders purchasing from other unitholders. If we have any such properties, we intend to adopt methods employed by other publicly traded partnerships to preserve the uniformity of units, even if inconsistent with existing Treasury Regulations, and Hunton Andrews Kurth has not opined on the validity of this approach. Please read “-Uniformity of Common Units.”
The IRS may challenge the positions we adopt with respect to depreciating or amortizing the Section 743(b) adjustment we take to preserve the uniformity of units due to lack of controlling authority. Because a unitholder’s adjusted tax basis in its units is reduced by its share of our items of deduction or loss, any position we take that understates deductions will overstate a unitholder’s basis in its units and may cause the unitholder to understate gain or overstate loss on any sale of such units. Please read “-Disposition of Common Units-Recognition of Gain or Loss.” If a challenge to such treatment were sustained, the gain from the sale of units may be increased without the benefit of additional deductions.
The calculations involved in the Section 754 election are complex and will be made on the basis of assumptions as to the value of our assets and other matters. For example, the allocation of the Section 743(b) adjustment among our assets must be made in accordance with the Internal Revenue Code. The IRS could seek to reallocate some or all of any Section 743(b) adjustment we allocated to our tangible assets to goodwill instead. Goodwill, an intangible asset, is generally nonamortizable or amortizable over a longer period of time or under a less accelerated method than our tangible assets. We cannot assure you that the determinations we make will not be successfully challenged by the IRS and that the deductions resulting from them will not be reduced or disallowed altogether. Should the IRS require a different basis adjustment to be made, and should, in our opinion, the expense of compliance exceed the benefit of the election, we may seek permission from the IRS to revoke our Section 754 election. If permission is granted, a subsequent purchaser of units may be allocated more income than he would have been allocated had the election not been revoked.
Tax Treatment of Operations
Accounting Method and Taxable Year
We use the year ending December 31 as our taxable year and the accrual method of accounting for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Each unitholder will be required to include in income the unitholder’s share of our income, gain, loss and deduction for our taxable year or years ending within or with the unitholder’s taxable year. In addition, a unitholder who has a taxable year ending on a date other than December 31 and who disposes of all of the unitholder’s common units following the close of our taxable year but before the close of the unitholder’s taxable year must include the unitholder’s share of our income, gain, loss and deduction in income for the unitholder’s taxable year, with the result that he will be required to include in income for the unitholder’s taxable year the unitholder’s share of more than one year of our income, gain, loss and deduction. Please read “-Disposition of Common Units-Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees.”
Tax Basis, Depreciation and Amortization
The tax basis of each of our assets is used for purposes of computing depreciation and cost recovery deductions and, ultimately, gain or loss on the disposition of these assets. The U.S. federal income tax burden associated with the difference between the fair market value of our assets and their tax basis immediately prior to the time we issue common units in an offering will be borne by our partners holding interests in us prior to such offering. Please read “-Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership-Allocation of Income, Gain, Loss and Deduction.”
To the extent allowable, we may elect to use the depreciation and cost recovery methods, including bonus depreciation to the extent applicable, that will result in the largest deductions being taken in the early years after assets subject to these allowances are placed in service. Property we subsequently acquire or construct may be depreciated using accelerated methods permitted by the Internal Revenue Code.
If we dispose of depreciable property by sale, foreclosure or otherwise, all or a portion of any gain, determined by reference to the amount
of depreciation previously deducted and the nature of the property, may be subject to the recapture rules and taxed as ordinary income rather than capital gain. Similarly, a unitholder who has taken cost recovery or depreciation deductions with respect to property we own will likely be required to recapture some or all of those deductions as ordinary income upon a sale of the unitholder’s interest in us. Please read “-Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership-Allocation of Income, Gain, Loss and Deduction” and “-Disposition of Common Units-Recognition of Gain or Loss.”
The costs we incur in offering and selling our common units (called “syndication expenses”) must be capitalized and cannot be deducted currently, ratably or upon our termination. While there are uncertainties regarding the classification of costs as organization expenses, which may be amortized by us, and as syndication expenses, which may not be amortized by us, the underwriting discount we incur will be treated as syndication expenses.
Valuation and Tax Basis of Our Properties
The U.S. federal income tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of common units will depend in part on our estimates of the relative fair market values, and the tax bases, of our assets. Although we may from time to time consult with professional appraisers regarding valuation matters, we will make many of the relative fair market value estimates ourselves. These estimates and determinations of tax basis are subject to challenge and will not be binding on the IRS or the courts. If the estimates of fair market value or basis are later found to be incorrect, the character and amount of items of income, gain, loss or deduction previously reported by unitholders could change, and unitholders could be required to adjust their tax liability for prior years and incur interest and penalties with respect to those adjustments.
Disposition of Common Units
Recognition of Gain or Loss
A unitholder will be required to recognize gain or loss on a sale of common units equal to the difference between the unitholder’s amount realized and the unitholder’s tax basis for the common units sold. A unitholder’s amount realized will equal the sum of the cash or the fair market value of other property the unitholder receives plus the unitholder’s share of our liabilities attributable to the common units sold. Because the amount realized includes a unitholder’s share of our liabilities, the gain recognized on the sale of common units could result in a tax liability in excess of any cash received from the sale.
Prior distributions from us that in the aggregate were in excess of the cumulative net taxable income for a common unit and, therefore, decreased a unitholder’s tax basis in that common unit will, in effect, become taxable income if the common unit is sold at a price greater than the unitholder’s tax basis in that common unit, even if the price received is less than the unitholder’s original cost.
Except as noted below, gain or loss recognized by a unitholder, other than a “dealer” in units, on the sale or exchange of a common unit will generally be taxable as capital gain or loss. Capital gain recognized by an individual on the sale of units held for more than one year will generally be taxed at the U.S. federal income tax rate applicable to long-term capital gains. However, a portion of this gain or loss, which will likely be substantial, will be separately computed and taxed as ordinary income or loss under Section 751 of the Internal Revenue Code to the extent attributable to assets giving rise to depreciation recapture or other “unrealized receivables” or “inventory items” that we own. The term “unrealized receivables” includes potential recapture items, including depreciation recapture. Ordinary income attributable to unrealized receivables, inventory items and depreciation recapture may exceed net taxable gain realized on the sale of a common unit and may be recognized even if there is a net taxable loss realized on the sale of a unit. Thus, a unitholder may recognize both ordinary income and a capital loss upon a sale of units. Capital losses may offset capital gains and no more than $3,000 of ordinary income each year, in the case of individuals, and may only be used to offset capital gains in the case of corporations. Both ordinary income and capital gain recognized by a unitholder on the sale or exchange of a common unit may be subject to the NIIT in certain circumstances. Please read “-Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership -Tax Rates.”
The IRS has ruled that a partner who acquires interests in a partnership in separate transactions must combine those interests and maintain a single adjusted tax basis for all those interests. Upon a sale or other disposition of less than all of those interests, a portion of that tax basis must be allocated to the interests sold using an “equitable apportionment” method, which generally means that the tax basis allocated to the interest sold equals an amount that bears the same relation to the partner’s tax basis in the unitholder’s entire interest in the partnership as the value of the interest sold bears to the value of the partner’s entire interest in the partnership. Treasury Regulations under Section 1223 of the Internal Revenue Code allow a selling unitholder who can identify common units transferred with an ascertainable holding period to elect to use the actual holding period of the common units transferred. Thus, according to the ruling discussed above, a common unitholder will be unable to select high or low basis common units to sell as would be the case with corporate stock, but, according to the Treasury Regulations, may designate specific common units sold for purposes of determining the holding period of common units transferred. A unitholder electing to use the actual holding period of common units transferred must consistently use that identification
method for all subsequent sales or exchanges of common units. A unitholder considering the purchase of additional common units or a sale of common units purchased in separate transactions is urged to consult the unitholder’s tax advisor as to the possible consequences of this ruling and application of the Treasury Regulations.
Specific provisions of the Internal Revenue Code affect the taxation of some financial products and securities, including partnership interests, by treating a taxpayer as having sold an “appreciated” partnership interest, one in which gain would be recognized if it were sold, assigned or terminated at its fair market value, if the taxpayer or related persons enter(s) into:
• | a short sale; |
• | an offsetting notional principal contract; or |
• | a futures or forward contract; |
in each case, with respect to the partnership interest or substantially identical property.
Moreover, if a taxpayer has previously entered into a short sale, an offsetting notional principal contract or a futures or forward contract with respect to the partnership interest, the taxpayer will be treated as having sold that position if the taxpayer or a related person then acquires the partnership interest or substantially identical property. The Secretary of the Treasury is also authorized to issue regulations that treat a taxpayer that enters into transactions or positions that have substantially the same effect as the preceding transactions as having constructively sold the financial position.
Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees
In general, our taxable income or loss will be determined annually, will be prorated on a monthly basis and will be subsequently apportioned among the unitholders in proportion to the number of common units owned by each of them as of the opening of the applicable exchange on the first business day of the month, which we refer to in this discussion as the “Allocation Date.” However, gain or loss realized on a sale or other disposition of our assets other than in the ordinary course of business will be allocated among the unitholders on the Allocation Date in the month in which that gain or loss is recognized. As a result, a unitholder transferring common units may be allocated income, gain, loss and deduction realized after the date of transfer.
Although simplifying conventions are contemplated by the Internal Revenue Code and most publicly traded partnerships use similar simplifying conventions, existing Treasury Regulations do not specifically authorize all aspects of the proration method we have adopted. Accordingly, Hunton Andrews Kurth is unable to opine on the validity of this method of allocating income and deductions between transferee and transferor unitholders. If the IRS determines that this method is not allowed under the Treasury Regulations our taxable income or losses could be reallocated among our unitholders. We are authorized to revise our method of allocation between transferee and transferor unitholders, as well as among unitholders whose interests vary during a taxable year, to conform to a method permitted under the Treasury Regulations.
A unitholder who owns common units at any time during a quarter and who disposes of them prior to the record date set for a cash distribution for that quarter will be allocated items of our income, gain, loss and deduction attributable to the month of disposition but will not be entitled to receive that cash distribution.
Notification Requirements
A unitholder who sells any of the unitholder’s common units is generally required to notify us in writing of that sale within 30 days after the sale (or, if earlier, January 15 of the year following the sale). A purchaser of common units who purchases common units from another unitholder is also generally required to notify us in writing of that purchase within 30 days after the purchase. Upon receiving such notifications, we are required to notify the IRS of that transaction and to furnish specified information to the transferor and transferee. Failure to notify us of a transfer of common units may, in some cases, lead to the imposition of penalties. However, these reporting requirements do not apply to a sale by an individual who is a citizen of the U.S. and who effects the sale or exchange through a broker who will satisfy such requirements.
Uniformity of Common Units
Because we cannot match transferors and transferees of common units and for other reasons, we must maintain uniformity of the economic and tax characteristics of the common units to a purchaser of these units. As a result of the need to preserve uniformity, we may be unable to completely comply with a number of U.S. federal income tax requirements. Any non-uniformity could have a negative impact on the value of our units. Please read “-Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership-Section 754 Election.”
Our partnership agreement permits our general partner to take positions in filing our tax returns that preserve the uniformity of our units.
These positions may include reducing the depreciation, amortization or loss deductions to which a unitholder would otherwise be entitled or reporting a slower amortization of Section 743(b) adjustments for some unitholders than that to which they would otherwise be entitled. Hunton Andrews Kurth is unable to opine as to the validity of such filing positions. A unitholder’s adjusted tax basis in units is reduced by its share of our deductions (whether or not such deductions were claimed on an individual income tax return) so that any position that we take that understates deductions will overstate the unitholder’s basis in its units, and may cause the unitholder to understate gain or overstate loss on any sale of such units. Please read “-Disposition of Common Units-Recognition of Gain or Loss” and “-Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership-Section 754 Election” above. The IRS may challenge one or more of any positions we take to preserve the uniformity of our units. If such a challenge were sustained, the uniformity of units might be affected, and, under some circumstances, the gain from any sale of our units might be increased without the benefit of additional deductions.
Tax-Exempt Organizations and Other Investors
Ownership of common units by employee benefit plans and other tax-exempt organizations, as well as by non-resident aliens, non-U.S. corporations and other non-U.S. persons (collectively “non-U.S. unitholders”) raises issues unique to those investors and, as described below to a limited extent, may have substantially adverse tax consequences to them. Tax-exempt entities and non-U.S unitholders are encouraged to consult their tax advisors before investing in our common units.
Employee benefit plans and most other organizations exempt from U.S. federal income tax, including individual retirement accounts and other retirement plans, are subject to U.S. federal income tax on unrelated business taxable income. Virtually all of our income allocated to a unitholder that is a tax-exempt organization will be unrelated business taxable income and will be taxable to it.
Non-U.S. unitholders are generally taxed by the United States on income effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business (“effectively connected income”) and on certain types of U.S.-source non-effectively connected income (such as dividends), unless exempted or further limited by an income tax treaty. Each non-U.S. unitholder will be considered to be engaged in business in the United States because of its ownership of our units. Furthermore, it is probable that non-U.S. unitholders will be deemed to conduct such activities through a permanent establishment in the United States within the meaning of an applicable tax treaty. Consequently, each non-U.S. unitholder will be required to file U.S. federal tax returns to report its share of our income, gain, loss or deduction and pay U.S. federal income tax on its share of our net income or gain. Moreover, under rules applicable to publicly-traded partnerships, distributions to non-U.S. unitholders are subject to withholding at the highest applicable effective tax rate. Each non-U.S. unitholder must obtain a taxpayer identification number from the IRS and submit that number to our transfer agent on a Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E (or other applicable or successor form) in order to obtain credit for these withholding taxes. A change in applicable law may require us to change these procedures.
In addition, because a non-U.S. corporation that owns common units will be treated as engaged in a U.S. trade or business, that corporation may be subject to the U.S. branch profits tax at a rate of 30%, in addition to regular U.S. federal income tax, on its share of our income and gain, as adjusted for changes in the non-U.S. corporation’s “U.S. net equity,” which is effectively connected with the conduct of a U.S. trade or business. That tax may be reduced or eliminated by an income tax treaty between the U.S. and the country in which the non-U.S. corporate unitholder is a “qualified resident.” In addition, this type of unitholder is subject to special information reporting requirements under Section 6038C of the Internal Revenue Code.
A non-U.S. unitholder who sells or otherwise disposes of a common unit will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on gain realized from the sale or disposition of that unit to the extent the gain is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business of the non-U.S. unitholder. Gain realized by a non-U.S. unitholder from the sale of its interest in a partnership that is engaged in a trade or business in the United States will be considered to be “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business to the extent that gain that would be recognized upon a sale by the partnership of all of its assets would be “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business. Thus, all of a non-U.S. unitholder’s gain from the sale or other disposition of our common units would be treated as effectively connected with a unitholder’s indirect U.S. trade or business constituted by its investment in us and would be subject to U.S. federal income tax. As a result of the effectively connected income rules described above, the exclusion from U.S. taxation under the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act for gain from the sale of partnership units regularly traded on an established securities market will not prevent a non-U.S. unitholder from being subject to U.S. federal income tax on gain from the sale or disposition of its units.
Recently enacted legislation generally requires the transferee of an interest in a partnership that is engaged in a U.S. trade or business to withhold 10% of the amount realized by the transferor unless the transferor certifies that it is not a foreign person, and we are required to deduct and withhold from the transferee amounts that should have been withheld by the transferees but were not withheld. Because the “amount realized” includes a unitholder’s share of our liabilities, 10% of the amount realized could exceed the total cash purchase price for the common units. For this and other reasons, the IRS has temporarily suspended the application of this withholding rule to open market transfers of interests in publicly traded partnerships pending the issuance of regulations or other guidance.
Administrative Matters
Information Returns and Audit Procedures
We intend to furnish to each unitholder, within 90 days after the close of each taxable year, specific tax information, including a Schedule K-1, which describes the unitholder’s share of our income, gain, loss and deduction for our preceding taxable year. In preparing this information, which will not be reviewed by counsel, we will take various accounting and reporting positions, some of which have been mentioned earlier, to determine each unitholder’s share of income, gain, loss and deduction. We cannot assure you that those positions will yield a result that conforms to the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code, Treasury Regulations or administrative interpretations of the IRS.
The IRS may audit our U.S. federal income tax information returns. Neither we nor Hunton Andrews Kurth can assure prospective unitholders that the IRS will not successfully challenge the positions we adopt, and such a challenge could adversely affect the value of our units. Adjustments resulting from an IRS audit may require each unitholder to adjust a prior year’s tax liability, and may result in an audit of the unitholder’s own return. Any audit of a unitholder’’ return could result in adjustments unrelated to our returns.
Partnerships are generally treated as entities separate from their owners for purposes of U.S. federal income tax audits, judicial review of administrative adjustments by the IRS and tax settlement proceedings. The tax treatment of partnership items of income, gain, loss and deduction are determined in a partnership proceeding rather than in separate proceedings for each of the partners. For taxable years beginning prior to January 1, 2018, the Internal Revenue Code requires that one partner be designated as the “Tax Matters Partner” for these purposes, and our partnership agreement designates our general partner as our Tax Matters Partner.
The Tax Matters Partner can extend the statute of limitations for assessment of tax deficiencies against unitholders for items in our tax returns. The Tax Matters Partner may bind a unitholder with less than a 1% profits interest in us to a settlement with the IRS unless that unitholder elects, by filing a statement with the IRS, not to give that authority to the Tax Matters Partner. The Tax Matters Partner may seek judicial review, by which all the unitholders are bound, of a final partnership administrative adjustment and, if the Tax Matters Partner fails to seek judicial review, judicial review may be sought by any unitholder having at least a 1% interest in profits or by any group of unitholders having in the aggregate at least a 5% interest in profits. However, only one action for judicial review may go forward, and each unitholder with an interest in the outcome may participate in that action.
A unitholder must file a statement with the IRS identifying the treatment of any item on its U.S. federal income tax return that is not consistent with the treatment of the item on our return. Intentional or negligent disregard of this consistency requirement may subject a unitholder to substantial penalties.
Legislation applicable to partnership tax years beginning after December 31, 2017, alters the procedures for auditing large partnerships and for assessing and collecting taxes due (including any applicable penalties and interest) as a result of a partnership-level U.S. federal income tax audit. Under these rules, if the IRS makes audit adjustments to our partnership tax returns, it may assess and collect any taxes (including any applicable penalties and interest) resulting from such audit adjustment directly from us, unless we elect to have our unitholders and former unitholders take any audit adjustment into account in accordance with their interests in us during the taxable year under audit. Similarly, for such taxable years, if the IRS makes audit adjustments to income tax returns filed by an entity in which we are a member or partner, it may assess and collect any taxes (including penalties and interest) resulting from such audit adjustment directly from such entity.
Although our general partner may elect to have our unitholders and former unitholders take any audit adjustment into account in accordance with their interests in us during the taxable year under audit , there can be no assurance that such election will be practical, permissible or effective in all circumstances. If we are unable to have our unitholders and former unitholders take such audit adjustment into account in accordance with their interests in us during the taxable year under audit, our then current unitholders may bear some or all of the tax liability resulting from such audit adjustment, even if such unitholders did not own our units during the taxable year under audit. If, as a result of any such audit adjustment, we are required to make payments of taxes, penalties or interest, our cash available for distribution to our unitholders might be substantially reduced. These rules are not applicable for taxable years beginning on or prior to December 31, 2017. Accordingly, the manner in which these rules may apply to us in the future is uncertain.
Additionally, the Internal Revenue Code will no longer require that we designate a Tax Matters Partner. Instead, for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, we will be required to designate a partner, or other person, with a substantial presence in the United States as the partnership representative (“Partnership Representative”). The Partnership Representative will have the sole authority to act on our behalf for purposes of, among other things, U.S. federal income tax audits and judicial review of administrative adjustments by the IRS. If we do not make such a designation, the IRS can select any person as the Partnership Representative. We currently anticipate that we will designate our general partner as the Partnership Representative. Further, any actions taken by us or by the Partnership Representative on our behalf with respect to, among other things, U.S. federal income tax audits and judicial review of administrative adjustments by the IRS, will be binding on us and all of our unitholders.
Nominee Reporting
Persons who hold an interest in us as a nominee for another person are required to furnish to us:
(a) the name, address and taxpayer identification number of the beneficial owner and the nominee,
(b) a statement regarding whether the beneficial owner is:
(1) a person that is not a U.S. person;
(2) a non-U.S. government, an international organization or any wholly owned agency or instrumentality of either of the foregoing; or
(3) a tax-exempt entity;
(c) the amount and description of common units held, acquired or transferred for the beneficial owner; and
(d) specific information including the dates of acquisitions and transfers, means of acquisitions and transfers, and acquisition cost for purchases, as well as the amount of net proceeds from sales.
Brokers and financial institutions are required to furnish additional information, including whether they are U.S. persons and specific information on common units they acquire, hold or transfer for their own account. A penalty of $270 per failure, up to a maximum of $3,282,500 per calendar year, is imposed by the Internal Revenue Code for failure to report that information to us. The nominee is required to supply the beneficial owner of the common units with the information furnished to us.
Accuracy-Related Penalties
Certain penalties may be imposed under the Internal Revenue Code as a result of an underpayment of tax that is attributable to one or more specified causes, including negligence or disregard of rules or regulations, substantial understatements of income tax and substantial valuation misstatements. No penalty will be imposed, however, for any portion of an underpayment if it is shown that there was a reasonable cause for the underpayment of that portion and that the taxpayer acted in good faith regarding the underpayment of that portion. We do not anticipate that any accuracy-related penalties will be assessed against us.
State, Local and Other Tax Considerations
In addition to U.S. federal income taxes, unitholders may be subject to other taxes, such as state and local income taxes, unincorporated business taxes, and estate, inheritance or intangible taxes that may be imposed by the various jurisdictions in which we do business or own property or in which you are a resident. We currently own property or conduct business in various states, most of which impose personal income taxes on individuals. Most of these states also impose an income tax on corporations and other entities. Moreover, we may also own property or do business in other jurisdictions in the future that impose income or similar taxes on nonresident individuals. Although an analysis of those various taxes is not presented here, each prospective unitholder should consider their potential impact on the unitholder’s investment in us.
A unitholder may be required to file state income tax returns and to pay state income taxes in many of these states in which we do business or own property and may be subject to penalties for failure to comply with those requirements. In some states, tax losses may not produce a tax benefit in the year incurred and may not be available to offset income in subsequent taxable years. We determine our depreciation and cost recovery allowances using U.S. federal income tax methods and may use methods that result in the largest deductions being taken in the early years after assets are placed in service. Some of the jurisdictions in which we do business or own property may not conform to these federal depreciation methods. A successful challenge to these methods could adversely affect the amount of taxable income or loss being allocated to our unitholders for state tax purposes. It also could affect the amount of gain from a unitholder’s sale of common units and could have a negative impact on the value of the common units or result in audit adjustments to the unitholder’s state tax returns.
Some of the states may require us, or we may elect, to withhold a percentage of income from amounts to be distributed to a unitholder who is not a resident of the state. Withholding, the amount of which may be greater or less than a particular unitholder’s income tax liability to the state, generally does not relieve a nonresident unitholder from the obligation to file an income tax return. Amounts withheld will be treated as if distributed to unitholders for purposes of determining the amounts distributed by us. Please read “-Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership-Entity-Level Collections.” Based on current law and our estimate of our future operations, our general partner
anticipates that any amounts required to be withheld will not be material.
It is the responsibility of each unitholder to investigate the legal and tax consequences, under the laws of pertinent jurisdictions, of the unitholder’s investment in us. Accordingly, each prospective unitholder is urged to consult, and depend on, the unitholder’s own tax counsel or other advisor with regard to those matters. Further, it is the responsibility of each unitholder to file all state, local and non-U.S., as well as U.S. federal tax returns, that may be required of it. Hunton Andrews Kurth has not rendered an opinion on the state, local, alternative minimum tax or non-U.S. tax consequences of an investment in us.