PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
The Board has delegated to the Adviser authority to vote all proxies relating to the Fund’s portfolio securities pursuant to the Statement of Policies and Procedures for Proxy Voting summarized in Appendix A to this prospectus. Information on how the Fund voted proxies (if any) relating to portfolio securities during the most recent
12-month
period ended June 30 will be available without charge by calling (800)
227-4618,
or on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. This reference to the website does not incorporate the contents of the website into this prospectus.
The Fund’s Board has adopted a code of ethics pursuant to Rule
17j-1
under 1940 Act. The Board has approved the respective Codes of Business Conduct and Ethics adopted by the Adviser and the Distributor
The codes of ethics establish policies and procedures for personal investing by employees and restrict certain transactions. Employees subject to the codes of ethics may invest in securities for their personal investment accounts, including securities that may be purchased or held, directly or indirectly, by the Fund.
The codes of ethics are available on the Edgar Database on the SEC’s website,
http://www.sec.gov
, or may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request to publicinfo@sec.gov.
Subject to policies established by the Board, the Adviser is primarily responsible for the execution of the Fund’s portfolio transactions and the allocation of any brokerage.
Portfolio transactions for the Fund will be allocated to brokers and dealers on the basis of numerous factors and not necessarily lowest pricing. Brokers and dealers may provide other services that are beneficial to the Adviser and/or certain Accounts, but not beneficial to all Accounts. Subject to best execution, in selecting brokers and dealers (including prime brokers) to execute transactions, provide financing and securities on loan, hold cash and short balances and provide other services, the Adviser may consider, among other factors that are deemed appropriate to consider under the circumstances, the following: price; likelihood of execution; likelihood of execution within a desired timeframe; market conditions; ability of a counterparty to execute in desired volume; ability of a counterparty to act on a confidential basis; ability of a counterparty to act with minimum market effect; creditworthiness of a counterparty in relation to risk created by the transaction; willingness and ability of a counterparty to make a market in particular securities; operational coordination by a counterparty with the asset management firm and custodians of the firm’s clients, including ability to communicate to settle trades reliably and to quickly and effectively resolve differences; counterparty’s reputation for ethical and trustworthy behavior; willingness of a counterparty to commit capital to a particular transaction; the market knowledge of a counterparty and as applicable the value of research provided; ability of a counterparty to source and/or execute difficult transaction in unique and/or complex securities; and identifying the key components of favorable and efficient executions.
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Many of the investments that the Adviser manages involve specialized services or unique sourcing considerations, resulting in higher commissions or their equivalents than would be the case with transactions requiring more routine services. Accordingly, the commission rates (or dealer markups and markdowns arising in connection with riskless principal transactions) charged to the Fund by brokers or dealers in the foregoing circumstances may be higher than those charged by other brokers or dealers that may not offer such services. A significant portion of the trading done for the Fund is done on a net basis, so in many circumstances it may not be possible to determine the amount of commission being paid to a broker or dealer. The Adviser need not solicit competitive bids and does not have an obligation to seek the lowest available commission cost or spread.
From time to time, the Fund may pay a broker-dealer commissions for effecting Fund transactions in excess of that which another broker-dealer might have charged for effecting the transaction in recognition of the value of the brokerage and research services provided by the broker-dealer. The Adviser may cause the Fund to effect such transactions, and receive such brokerage and research services, only to the extent that they fall within the safe harbor provided by Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and subject to prevailing guidance provided by the SEC regarding Section 28(e). The investment information provided to the Adviser is designed to augment the Adviser’s own internal research and investment strategy capabilities. Research services furnished by brokers through which the Fund effects securities transactions are used by the Adviser in carrying out its investment responsibilities with respect to all its client accounts.
If the Adviser decides, based on the factors set forth above, to execute
transactions on an agency basis through Electronic Communications Networks (“ECNs”), it will also consider the following factors when choosing to use one ECN over another: the ease of use; the flexibility of the ECN compared to other ECNs; and the level of care and attention that will be given to smaller orders.
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, the Fund paid $0 in brokerage commissions.
The Fund’s portfolio turnover rate is calculated by dividing the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities for the particular fiscal year by the monthly average of the value of the portfolio securities owned by the Fund during the particular fiscal year. For purposes of determining this rate, all securities whose maturities at the time of acquisition are one year or less are excluded. A high portfolio turnover rate may result in greater transaction costs, which are borne directly by the Fund. In addition, high portfolio turnover may result in the realization of net short-term capital gains by the Fund which, when distributed to the Fund’s shareholders, will be taxable as ordinary income.
NAV per Share will be determined daily on each day the NYSE is open for trading or at such other times as the Board may determine. NAV per Share is determined, on a class specific basis, by dividing the total value of the Fund’s net assets attributable to the applicable class by the total number of Fund Shares of such class outstanding. The Fund’s net assets are determined by subtracting any liabilities (including borrowings for investment purposes) from the total value of its portfolio investments and other assets. Each Class A Share and Class C Share will be offered at NAV plus any applicable sales load, while each Advisor Share and Class U Share will be offered at NAV. The Fund’s net assets are available to holders of preferred shares (if any) and Shares. If any preferred shares are outstanding, net assets available for the shareholders is determined by deducting from net assets the liquidation preference and any accrued dividends on the preferred shares.
The Fund values its investments at market value determined on the basis of market quotations or, if market quotations are not readily available or are unreliable, at “fair value” as determined in accordance with procedures approved by the Fund’s Board. Pursuant to these procedures, the Adviser, as the Fund’s “valuation
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designee” pursuant to Rule
2a-5
under the 1940 Act, is responsible for making all fair value determinations relating to the Fund’s portfolio investments, subject to oversight of the Fund’s Board.
The Adviser conducts the valuation of the Fund’s investments, upon which the Fund’s NAV is based, at all times consistent with GAAP and the 1940 Act. Investments for which market quotations are readily available are valued using market quotations, which are generally obtained from independent pricing services, broker-dealers or market makers. With respect to portfolio investments for which market quotations are not readily available, the Adviser is responsible for determining in good faith the fair value in accordance with the valuation policy approved by the Board. The Adviser values the Fund’s investments in accordance with FASB Accounting Standards Codification Topic 820, Fair Value Measurement (“ASC 820”), which defines fair value as the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the applicable measurement date. ASC 820 prioritizes the use of observable market prices or values derived from such prices over entity-specific inputs. Due to the inherent uncertainties of valuation, certain estimated fair values may differ significantly from the values that would have been realized had a ready market for these investments existed, and these differences could be material.
Consistent with ASC 820, each investment will be categorized into a valuation level based upon the method and corresponding inputs used to derive fair value. The valuation process prioritizes the use of market observable inputs over unobservable/internal inputs, where relevant. The hierarchy of valuation levels is defined below.
| i. | Level 1: Fair value is determined by quoted prices in active markets for identical investments. Examples of this include exchange-traded investments. |
| ii. | Level 2: Fair value is determined by other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar investments, interest rates, prepayment speeds, default rates, credit risk, etc.). Examples of this include traded positions with a higher liquidity profile, positions where multiple broker prices can be observed and certain derivative instruments (including foreign currency contracts). |
| iii. | Level 3: Fair value is determined by significant unobservable inputs. The assets within this level are typically valued using a discounted cash-flow analysis, broker quotes not qualifying as Level 2, or through other comparable internal analysis that requires management’s involvement to arrive at fair value. |
The Fund’s investments will generally be valued at their current market values as determined in the following manner:
| 1. | Loan portfolio investments will generally be valued utilizing the methodologies included in Level 3. |
The fair value of loan portfolio investments, which are not quoted securities, whether performing or
non-performing,
will generally be based on a risk-adjusted discounted cash flow analysis. The projected cash flows may include contractual payments of interest and principal, proceeds from a sale of collateral on or after foreclosure, proceeds from a negotiated discounted
pay-off,
operating cash flows, and associated costs including servicing, legal and other fees. A risk-adjusted discount rate is then applied to these cash flow projections to determine current valuation.
| 2. | Corporate securities investments may fall into any of the valuation levels. |
Corporate securities that fall into Level 1 will be valued at the market settlement price, which generally represents last executed market price. If a
bid-ask
spread is quoted in absence of a discrete settlement price active positions will be valued at the bid (long) or ask (short).
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Corporate securities that fall into Level 2 are generally those positions for which quotes are available from more than one source. These positions will generally be valued at the bid (if held long), the ask (if held short) or as otherwise supplied by pricing vendors, with certain permitted exceptions.
Corporate securities that fall into Level 3 will be valued using external or internal models, including models developed by third-party pricing services and models developed by the Adviser that incorporate risk adjusted cash flow projections and risk-adjusted discount rates.
| 3. | Structured credit investments will generally be valued using quotes, through independent pricing services, or through an internal discounted cash flow model that considers the performance of the underlying collateral, benchmark rates, current spreads, and other market information. If the quotes or model are based upon significantly observable inputs they will be included in Level 2, otherwise they will be included in Level 3. |
| 4. | Hard assets such as aircraft, vessels and equipment will typically be Level 3 and valued using a discounted cash-flow analysis. The analysis will consider factors such as streams of rental income on current and future leases, costs relating to refurbishments, spares, broker fees, maintenance reserves, disposition strategy (sale or part-out) and exit timing. |
Inputs to valuations are monitored on an ongoing basis to ensure they remain reasonable and consistent with market. This monitoring includes, but is not limited to, cash flow projections, the risk premium component of the discount rate, solicited quotes, and reference market data. Valuation methodologies utilized for new investment strategies or asset classes are also fully assessed.
Prices provided by a pricing service are not, and broker-dealer quotes may not be, actual bids or offers for the relevant securities.
If market values for any of these investments are not readily available or are unreliable, they will be valued at fair value under the Fund’s procedures as discussed above.
The Fund is subject to a number of actual and potential conflicts of interest involving the Adviser and its affiliates (collectively, the “AB CarVal Group”), and the AB CarVal Group is subject to a range of conflicts of interest in its management of the Fund and Other Accounts. While the potential for conflicts of interest is inherent to the relationships among the AB CarVal Group and the entities (including the Fund) that it manages, merely because an actual or potential conflict of interest exists does not mean that it will be acted upon to the detriment of the Fund.
In addition to the conflicts of interest that may arise from the trading activities of the Portfolio Managers and other Adviser personnel servicing the Fund (as described under “Investment Advisory and Management Arrangements — The Portfolio Managers — Conflicts of Interest”), the Adviser and its affiliates included in the AB CarVal Group may be subject to additional conflicts of interest in their management of the Fund and Other Accounts. A summary of certain of these conflicts is provided below.
Conflicts of Interest Involving the AB CarVal Group
AB CarVal Group Advisory Accounts.
The AB CarVal Group manages a number of different accounts, including other investment funds, with investment objectives and strategies similar to those of the Fund.
Transactions in securities by multiple accounts may have the effect of diluting or otherwise negatively affecting the values, prices, liquidity or investment strategies associated with investments held by the Fund,
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particularly, but not limited to, in small capitalization, emerging market or less liquid strategies. When members of the AB CarVal Group implement a portfolio investment decision or strategy on behalf of another account ahead of, or contemporaneously with, similar decisions or strategies for the Fund, market impact, liquidity constraints, or other factors could result in the Fund receiving less favorable trading results and the costs of implementing such decisions or strategies could be increased or the Fund could otherwise be disadvantaged.
The Adviser may determine that the Fund should invest on a
basis with one or more other accounts managed by the Adviser or other member(s) of the AB CarVal Group. In certain circumstances,
co-investments
may be made only in accordance with the terms of the Exemptive Order subject to certain conditions that limit or restrict the Fund’s ability to participate in such investments. In such cases, the Fund may participate in an investment to a lesser extent or, under certain circumstances, may not participate in the investment.
In the event investment opportunities are allocated among the Fund and Other Accounts, the Fund may not be able to structure its investment portfolio in the manner desired. Although the Adviser endeavors to allocate investment opportunities in a fair and equitable manner over time, the Fund is not generally permitted to
co-invest
in any portfolio company in which a fund managed by the Adviser or any of its downstream affiliates (other than the Fund and its downstream affiliates) currently has an investment. However, the Fund may
co-invest
with funds managed by the Adviser or any of its downstream affiliates, subject to compliance with existing regulatory guidance, applicable regulations and its allocation procedures. Additionally, the Fund and Other Accounts may invest in different levels of an issuer’s capital structure. Consequently, the Adviser may determine that the sale of such investments may not be appropriate for a number of reasons, including if such sale could be detrimental to Other Accounts. The Adviser will not be required to act only in the best interests of the Fund, except to the extent required under Section 36 of the 1940 Act, and such determinations by the Adviser could reduce the liquidity of the Fund and could potentially affect the Fund’s ability to fund its quarterly repurchase offers.
The Adviser and other members of the AB CarVal Group may, in certain cases, elect to implement internal policies and procedures designed to limit such consequences, which may cause the Fund to be unable to engage in certain activities, including purchasing or disposing of securities, when it might otherwise be desirable for it to do so. The Adviser and other members of the AB CarVal Group have proprietary interests in accounts or funds that have investment objectives similar to those of the Fund and/or that engage in transactions in the same types of securities, currencies and instruments as the Fund. One or more members of the AB CarVal Group may also be participants in the global currency, equities, swap and fixed-income markets, in each case both on a proprietary basis and for the accounts of customers. As such, one or more members of the AB CarVal Group are or may be actively engaged in transactions in the same securities, currencies, and instruments in which the Fund invests. Such activities could affect the prices and availability of the securities, currencies, and instruments in which the Fund invests, which could have an adverse impact on the Fund’s performance. These transactions, particularly in respect of most proprietary accounts or customer accounts, may be executed independently of the Fund’s transactions and thus at prices or rates that may be more or less favorable than those obtained by the Fund.
The Fund will enter into certain transactions with the Adviser and/or AB Affiliates, including, but not limited to, transactions for the provision of services to the Fund by such parties, subject to the limitations on affiliated transactions under the 1940 Act. To the extent the Fund is permitted to engage in such transactions, it is expected that a number of such transactions may give rise to potential conflicts of interest. Although no exact statement of the full range of such transactions can be made, it is expected that any such transaction will be entered into by the relevant parties on an
arm’s-length
basis. The Fund may be prohibited under the 1940 Act from knowingly participating in certain transactions with its affiliates without the prior approval of the SEC.
The Adviser will devote to the Fund as much time as is necessary or appropriate, in its judgment, to manage the Fund’s investment activities. The Adviser and its affiliates, including members of the AB CarVal
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Group, are not restricted from forming investment funds (including investment funds that follow similar investment programs), from entering into other investment advisory or subadvisory relationships, or from engaging in other business activities. As noted above, the Adviser currently manages accounts other than the Fund that consist of a substantial amount of assets. These activities could be viewed as creating a conflict of interest in that the time and effort of the Adviser will not be devoted exclusively to the business of the Fund, but will be allocated between the business of the Fund and its other business activities.
Conflicts may also arise because portfolio decisions regarding the Fund may benefit other accounts managed by the Adviser and the AB CarVal Group. For example, the sale of a long position or establishment of a short position by the Fund may impair the price of the same security sold short by (and therefore benefit) one or more affiliates or their Other Accounts, and the purchase of a security or covering of a short position in a security by the Fund may increase the price of the same security held by (and therefore benefit) one or more affiliates or their Other Accounts.
The Adviser and the AB CarVal Group and their clients may pursue or enforce rights with respect to an issuer in which the Fund has invested, and those activities may have an adverse effect on the Fund. As a result, prices, availability, liquidity and terms of the Fund’s investments may be negatively impacted by the activities of the Adviser and the AB CarVal Group or their clients, and transactions for the Fund may be impaired or effected at prices or terms that may be less favorable than would otherwise have been the case.
The Adviser will have access to information that shareholders do not have and will be entitled to receive information regarding the Fund and its activities. Under certain circumstances, however, allowing AB CarVal Group personnel to act upon such information might conflict with the AB CarVal Group’s duties to investors in the Fund or otherwise conflict with legal or regulatory obligations applicable to the AB CarVal Group’s business. In such event, the Adviser might not be permitted to utilize such information in connection with its management of the Fund or might be restricted from taking actions on behalf of the Fund with respect to its investments.
In connection with its management of the Fund, the Adviser may have access to certain fundamental analysis and proprietary technical models developed by itself or one or more members of the AB CarVal Group. The Adviser will not be under any obligation, however, to effect transactions on behalf of the Fund in accordance with these analyses and models. In addition, neither the Adviser nor members of the AB CarVal Group will have any obligation to make available any information regarding their proprietary activities or strategies, or the activities or strategies used for Other Accounts managed by them, for the benefit of the management of the Fund. The proprietary activities or portfolio strategies of members of the AB CarVal Group or the activities or strategies used for accounts managed by them or other customer accounts could conflict with the transactions and strategies employed by the Adviser in managing the Fund.
The Adviser has adopted compliance policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure that all of the activities of the Fund are in compliance with applicable law and regulations. Such policies and procedures seek to ensure that neither the Adviser nor its employees and affiliates will use information regarding investment transactions of the Fund for any personal or other advantage to the detriment of the Fund.
Other AB CarVal Group Relationships and Activities.
The Adviser may enter into transactions and invest in securities, instruments and currencies on behalf of the Fund with respect to which customers of members of the AB Carval Group, to the extent permitted by applicable law, serve as the counterparty, principal or issuer. In these cases, the party’s interests in the transaction will be adverse to the interests of the Fund, and due to the customer relationship, the Adviser may have no incentive to assure that the Fund obtains the best possible prices or terms in connection with the transactions. In addition, the purchase, holding and sale of investments by the Fund may enhance the profitability of members of the AB CarVal Group.
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The Fund will be required to establish business relationships with its counterparties based on the Fund’s own credit standing. Neither the Adviser nor the members of the AB CarVal Group will have any obligation to allow their credit to be used in connection with the Fund’s establishment of its business relationships, nor is it expected that the Fund’s counterparties will rely on the credit of the Adviser or members of the AB CarVal Group in evaluating the Fund’s creditworthiness.
The Adviser, AB CarVal Group, AB Affiliates, their personnel and other financial service providers have interests in promoting sales of the Fund. The remuneration and profitability relating to services to and sales of the Fund or other products may be greater than remuneration and profitability relating to services to and sales of certain funds or other products that might be provided or offered. Members of the AB CarVal Group and AB Affiliates and their sales personnel may directly or indirectly receive a portion of the fees charged to the Fund or its shareholders.
Members of the AB CarVal Group, AB Affiliates and their advisory or other personnel may also benefit from increased amounts of assets under management. Fees and commissions may also be higher than for other products or services, and the remuneration and profitability to members of the AB CarVal Group or AB Affiliates resulting from transactions on behalf of or management of the Fund may be greater than the remuneration and profitability resulting from other services or products. The Fund is expected to be sold to, among others, investment advisory clients of the Adviser and/or its affiliates. Because the Adviser receives fees based on the amount of assets invested in the Fund, the Adviser has an interest in having its clients invest, and stay invested, in the Fund. Additionally, Fund Shares are not redeemable by investors but will be subject to quarterly repurchases by the Fund. The size of any such repurchases will be determined by the Board, in part, on the recommendation of the Adviser. The Adviser has a conflict of interest with respect to its recommendation on the size of any such repurchases.
The Fund engages the Distributor to solicit investments in the Fund. As of the date of this prospectus, the Distributor serves in that capacity on a best efforts basis, subject to various conditions. The Distributor may engage one or more financial intermediaries. Under the terms of the distribution services agreement by and between the Fund and the Distributor, the Distributor has been engaged to distribute shares of the Fund. The Distributor also is authorized to retain and compensate financial intermediaries to provide ongoing distribution and sales support services as well as investor and shareholder services. In addition, to the extent permitted by applicable law, the Adviser, the AB CarVal Group and the AB Affiliates may make payments to authorized dealers and other financial intermediaries periodically to promote the Fund and/or other products. Such payments would be made out of the Adviser’s, an AB CarVal Group member’s or an AB Affiliate’s assets, or amounts payable to the Adviser, rather than as a separately identified charge to the Fund (such as a distribution and shareholder servicing fee). These payments may compensate intermediaries for, among other things: marketing the Fund and other products; access to the intermediaries’ registered representatives or salespersons, including at conferences and other meetings; assistance in training and education of personnel; marketing support; and/or other specified services intended to assist in the distribution and marketing of the Fund and other products. The payments may also, to the extent permitted by applicable regulations, contribute to various
non-cash
and cash incentive arrangements to promote certain products, as well as sponsor various educational programs, sales contests and/or promotions. The additional payments by the Adviser, the AB CarVal Group or the AB Affiliates may also compensate intermediaries for
sub-accounting,
administrative and/or shareholder processing services that are in addition to the fees paid for these services by such products.
The payments made by the Adviser, the AB Affiliates, or the AB CarVal Group may be different for different intermediaries. The presence of these payments and the basis on which an intermediary compensates its registered representatives or salespersons may create an incentive for a particular intermediary, registered representative or salesperson to highlight, feature or recommend certain products based, at least in part, on the level of compensation paid.
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To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Fund may invest all or some of its short-term cash investments in any money market fund advised or managed by the Adviser or affiliate of the Adviser. In connection with any such investments, the Fund would pay its share of expenses of a money market fund in which it invests, which may result in the Fund bearing some additional expenses.
Present and future activities of the AB Affiliates and members of the AB CarVal Group, including the Adviser, may give rise to other conflicts of interest, in addition to those described in this section.
While the Adviser will attempt to identify and address conflicts of interest in its investment assessments, there can be no assurance that all such conflicts will be identified or addressed or that such conflicts will not negatively impact the Fund.
The Adviser and AllianceBernstein
. As the businesses of the Adviser and its parent company, AllianceBernstein, L.P. (“AB”), operate independently, investors should not, when making an investment decision, rely on the availability of the AB infrastructure, resources or expertise, although the Fund may benefit directly or indirectly from services offered by affiliates of AB that are not part of the AB CarVal Group. Also, AB may want to limit its potential liabilities to third parties and to ensure that the Adviser’s operations are not damaging to the AB organization as a whole.
AB and its clients may make investments that are beyond the scope of the Fund’s investment mandate, but they also may make investments that would be within the scope of the investment mandate of the Fund. AB and its affiliates are not obligated to share any investment opportunity, idea or strategy with the Fund or the Adviser.
AB and its affiliates will periodically come into possession of confidential or material,
non-public
information. Disclosure of such information within AB is limited to members of working groups with a need for such information. Therefore, the Fund will not have access to material,
non-public
information in the possession of AB or its affiliates that might be relevant to an investment decision to be made by the Fund, and the Fund may initiate a transaction or sell an investment which, if such information had been known to it, may not have been undertaken. In the event any material,
non-public
information is disclosed to any of the Adviser’s officers or employees (including in their capacity as a member of a company’s board of directors), any member of the Adviser’s portfolio investment committee or any other person responsible for the affairs of the Fund, the Fund may be prohibited by applicable securities laws and the Adviser’s internal policies from acting upon any such information. Due to these restrictions, the Fund may not be able to make an investment that it otherwise might have made or sell an investment that it otherwise might have sold.
The following is a
non-exclusive
list of certain transactions or types of transactions in which such conflicts may exist:
Provision of Services
. The Adviser and/or the AB CarVal Group may enter into certain other advisory relationships with or otherwise receive services from AB which may provide brokerage services, research products, and other products and services to the Fund or an entity in which the Fund invests. For instance, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co LLC (a registered broker affiliated with AB) may provide research, brokerage or other services to the Adviser and/or individuals associated with the Adviser may be private clients of Bernstein Global Wealth Management. The Adviser could potentially be incentivized to engage its affiliates to provide such services in order to benefit its affiliates, AB, and the fees and other expenses incurred by the Adviser in connection with any such relationships or services (e.g., brokerage fees) may ultimately be borne by the Fund.
Employee Compensation
. Certain employees from the Adviser’s legal, compliance and other departments will provide legal and related support or corporate secretarial services to the Adviser in connection with the operational and investment activities of the Fund. The salaries, fees and other expenses paid by the Adviser with respect to such services will be reimbursed by the Fund subject to the limits described herein.
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Additionally, separate divisions within the AB group may refer certain business and investment opportunities to each other, or otherwise enter into arrangements with each other that could result in fee sharing or other forms of compensation.
Facilitation of Expenses.
The Adviser may advance funds for or otherwise facilitate the payment of the Fund’s expenses for the benefit of the Fund, including, but not limited to, operating and other Fund-related expenses. The Adviser will be entitled to seek and receive reimbursement for any such paid amounts.
The relationships among the Fund, the Other Accounts, the Adviser, the AB CarVal Group and AB are complex and dynamic and as the Adviser’s and the Fund’s businesses change over time, the Adviser and its affiliates may be subject, and the Fund may be exposed, to new or additional conflicts of interest. There can be no assurance that this discussion addresses or anticipates every possible current or future conflict of interest that may arise or that is or may be detrimental to the Fund or the Shareholders. You should consult with your own advisers regarding the possible implications on your investment in the Fund of the conflicts of interest described herein.
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U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS
The following is a general summary of certain material U.S. federal income tax considerations regarding the Fund and the purchase, ownership and disposition of Shares. This summary does not address all of the potential U.S. federal income tax consequences that may be applicable to the Fund or to all categories of investors, some of which may be subject to special tax rules, and does not address any state, local,
non-U.S.
or other tax consequences. Unless otherwise noted, the following discussion applies only to a shareholder that holds Shares as a capital asset and is a U.S. Shareholder. A “U.S. Shareholder” generally is a beneficial owner of Shares who is for U.S. federal income tax purposes:
| • | | an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States; |
| • | | a corporation, or other entity taxable as a corporation, created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia; |
| • | | an estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source; or |
| • | | a trust if it (a) is subject to the primary supervision of a court within the United States and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (b) has a valid election in effect under applicable U.S. Treasury regulations to be treated as a U.S. person. |
If a partnership (including an entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holds Shares, the tax treatment of a partner in the partnership will generally depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. A prospective shareholder that is a partner in a partnership holding Shares should consult the shareholder’s personal advisors with respect to the purchase, ownership and disposition of Shares.
The discussion set forth herein does not constitute tax advice. Current and prospective shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisor with respect to the specific federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences of investing in the Fund. The summary is based on the laws in effect on the date of this prospectus and existing judicial and administrative interpretations thereof, all of which are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect.
The Fund intends to qualify to be treated as a RIC under the Code each taxable year. To so qualify, the Fund must, among other things: (a) derive at least 90% of its gross income in each taxable year from dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities or foreign currencies, other income (including, but not limited to, gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies and net income derived from interests in “qualified publicly traded partnerships”; and (b) meet the Code’s asset diversification test, which requires that, at the end of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year, (i) at least 50% of the market value of the Fund’s assets is represented by cash, securities of other RICs, U.S. government securities and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the Fund’s assets and not greater than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of its assets is invested in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs) of any one issuer, any two or more issuers of which 20% or more of the voting stock is held by the Fund and that are determined to be engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses or related trades or businesses or in the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships. A “qualified publicly traded partnership” is a partnership (i) whose interests are traded on an established securities market or readily tradable on a secondary market (or the substantial equivalent thereof); (ii) that derives less than 90% of its annual income from dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including but not limited to gains
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from options, futures and forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or foreign currencies; and (iii) that has met the gross income requirements under Code Section 7704(c)(2) such that it will be treated for tax purposes as a partnership.
For purposes of the 90% gross income test, income that the Fund earns from equity interests in certain entities that are not treated as corporations or as qualified publicly traded partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes (
, partnerships or trusts) will generally have the same character for the Fund as in the hands of such an entity; consequently, the Fund may be required to limit its equity investments in any such entities that earn fee income, rental income, or other nonqualifying income. In addition, future Treasury regulations could provide that qualifying income under the 90% gross income test will not include gains from foreign currency transactions that are not directly related to the Fund’s principal business of investing in stock or securities or options and futures with respect to stock or securities.
Fund investments in partnerships, including in qualified publicly traded partnerships, may result in the Fund’s being subject to state, local or foreign income, franchise or withholding tax liabilities.
As a RIC, the Fund will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the portion of its taxable investment income and capital gains that it distributes to its shareholders, provided that it satisfies a minimum distribution requirement. To satisfy the minimum distribution requirement, the Fund must distribute to its shareholders at least the sum of (i) 90% of its “investment company taxable income” (
, income other than its net realized long-term capital gain over its net realized short-term capital loss), plus or minus certain adjustments, and (ii) 90% of its net
tax-exempt
income for the taxable year. The Fund will be subject to income tax at regular corporate rates on any taxable income or gains that it does not distribute to its shareholders.
The Code imposes a 4% nondeductible excise tax on the Fund to the extent it does not distribute by the end of any calendar year at least the sum of (i) 98% of its ordinary income for that year and (ii) 98.2% of its capital gain net income (both long-term and short-term) for the
one-year
period ending, as a general rule, on October 31 of that year. For this purpose, however, any ordinary income or capital gain net income retained by the Fund that is subject to corporate income tax will be considered to have been distributed by
year-end.
In addition, the minimum amounts that must be distributed in any year to avoid the excise tax will be increased or decreased to reflect any underdistribution or overdistribution, as the case may be, from previous years.
The Fund may be able to cure a failure to derive 90% of its income from the sources specified above or a failure to diversify its holdings in the manner described above by paying a tax, by disposing of certain assets, or by doing both of these things. If, in any taxable year, the Fund fails one of these tests and does not timely cure the failure or otherwise fails to qualify as a RIC under the Code or fails to meet the distribution requirement, it will be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation and distributions to its shareholders will not be deductible by the Fund in computing its taxable income. In addition, in the event of a failure to qualify, the Fund’s distributions, to the extent derived from the Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits, including any distributions of net long-term capital gains, will be taxable to shareholders as dividend income. However, such dividends generally would be eligible (i) to be treated as qualified dividend income in the case of shareholders taxed as individuals and (ii) for the dividends received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders, in each case, subject to certain holing period and other requirements. Distributions in excess of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits will, as to each shareholder, be treated as a
tax-free
return of capital to the extent of a shareholder’s basis in his Shares, and as a capital gain thereafter (if the shareholder holds his Shares as capital assets). A return of capital reduces the basis in the Shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition of the Shares. Moreover, if the Fund fails to qualify as a RIC in any year, it must pay out its earnings and profits accumulated in that year in order to qualify again as a RIC. If the Fund fails to qualify as a RIC for a period greater than two taxable years, the Fund may be required to recognize any net
built-in
gains with respect to certain of its assets (
, the excess of the aggregate gains, including items of income, over aggregate losses that would have been realized with respect to such assets if the Fund had been liquidated) if it qualifies as a RIC in a subsequent year.
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The Fund’s transactions in zero coupon securities, foreign currencies, forward contracts, options and futures contracts (including options and futures contracts on foreign currencies), to the extent permitted, will be subject to special provisions of the Code (including provisions relating to “hedging transactions” and “straddles”) that, among other things, may affect the character of gains and losses realized by the Fund (
, may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate recognition of income to the Fund and defer Fund losses. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also (a) will require the Fund to
certain types of the positions in its portfolio (
, treat them as if they were closed out at the end of each year) and (b) may cause the Fund to recognize income without receiving cash with which to pay dividends or make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the distribution requirements for avoiding income and excise taxes. The Fund will monitor its transactions, will make the appropriate tax elections and will make the appropriate entries in its books and records when it acquires any foreign currency, forward contract, futures contract or hedged investment in order to mitigate the effect of these rules.
The Fund’s investments in
so-called
“section 1256 contracts,” such as regulated futures contracts, most foreign currency forward contracts traded in the interbank market and options on most stock indices, are subject to special tax rules. All section 1256 contracts held by the Fund at the end of its taxable year are required to be marked to their market value, and any unrealized gain or loss on those positions will be included in the Fund’s income as if each position had been sold for its fair market value at the end of the taxable year. The resulting gain or loss will be combined with any gain or loss realized by the Fund from positions in section 1256 contracts closed during the taxable year. Provided such positions were held as capital assets and were not part of a “hedging transaction” or part of a “straddle,” 60% of the resulting net gain or loss will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss, and 40% of such net gain or loss will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss, regardless of the period of time the positions were actually held by the Fund.
As a result of entering into swap contracts, the Fund may make or receive periodic net payments. The Fund may also make or receive a payment when a swap is terminated prior to maturity through an assignment of the swap or other closing transaction. Swap payments will generally constitute ordinary income or deductions, while termination of a swap will generally result in capital gain or loss (which will be a long-term capital gain or loss if the Fund has been a party to the swap for more than one year). With respect to certain types of swaps, the Fund may be required to currently recognize income or loss with respect to future payments on such swaps or may elect under certain circumstances to mark such swaps to market annually for tax purposes as ordinary income or loss.
In general, gain or loss on a short sale is recognized when the Fund closes the sale by delivering the borrowed property to the lender, not when the borrowed property is sold. Gain or loss from a short sale is generally considered as capital gain or loss to the extent that the property used to close the short sale constitutes a capital asset in the Fund’s hands. Except with respect to certain situations where the property used by the Fund to close a short sale has a long-term holding period on the date of the short sale, special rules would generally treat the gains on short sales as short-term capital gains. These rules may also terminate the running of the holding period of “substantially identical property” held by the Fund. Moreover, a loss on a short sale will be treated as a long-term capital loss if, on the date of the short sale, “substantially identical property” has been held by the Fund for more than one year. In general, the Fund will not be permitted to deduct payments made to reimburse the lender of securities for dividends paid on borrowed stock if the short sale is closed on or before the 45th day after the short sale is entered into.
Dividends or other income (including, in some cases, capital gains) received by the Fund from investments in foreign securities may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by foreign countries. Tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes in some cases. The Fund does not expect to be eligible to elect to treat any foreign taxes it pays as paid by its shareholders, who therefore will not be entitled to credits or deductions for such taxes on their own tax returns. Foreign taxes paid by the Fund will reduce the return from the Fund’s investments.
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The Fund may invest in shares of foreign companies that are classified under the Code as passive foreign investment companies (“PFICs”). In general, a foreign company is considered a PFIC if at least 50% of its assets constitute investment-type assets or 75% or more of its gross income is investment-type income. In general, under the PFIC rules, an “excess distribution” received with respect to PFIC shares is treated as having been realized ratably over the period during which the Fund held the PFIC shares. The Fund generally will be subject to tax on the portion, if any, of the excess distribution that is allocated to the Fund’s holding period in prior tax years (and an interest factor will be added to the tax, as if the tax had actually been payable in such prior tax years) even though the Fund distributes the corresponding income to shareholders. Excess distributions include any gain from the sale of PFIC shares as well as certain distributions from a PFIC. All excess distributions are taxable as ordinary income.
The Fund may be eligible to elect alternative tax treatment with respect to PFIC shares. Under one such election (
, a “QEF” election), the Fund generally would be required to include in its gross income its share of the earnings of a PFIC on a current basis, regardless of whether any distributions are received from the PFIC. If this election is made, the special rules, discussed above, relating to the taxation of excess distributions, would not apply. Alternatively, the Fund may be able to elect to mark its PFIC shares to market, resulting in any unrealized gains at the Fund’s tax year end being treated as though they were recognized and reported as ordinary income. Any
losses and any loss from an actual disposition of the PFIC shares would be deductible as ordinary losses to the extent of any net
gains included in income in prior tax years with respect to shares in the same PFIC.
Because the application of the PFIC rules may affect, among other things, the character of gains, the amount of gain or loss and the timing of the recognition of income, gain or loss with respect to PFIC shares, as well as subject the Fund itself to tax on certain income from PFIC shares, the amount that must be distributed to the Fund’s shareholders, and which will be recognized by the shareholders as ordinary income or long-term capital gain, may be increased or decreased substantially as compared to a fund that did not invest in PFIC shares. Note that distributions from a PFIC are not eligible for the reduced rate of tax on distributions of qualified dividend income as discussed below.
Some of the CLOs in which the Fund may invest may be PFICs, which are generally subject to the tax consequences described above. Investment in certain equity interests of CLOs that are subject to treatment as PFICs for U.S. federal income tax purposes may cause the Fund to recognize income in a tax year in excess of the Fund’s distributions from such CLOs, PFICs and the Fund’s proceeds from sales or other dispositions of equity interests in other CLOs and other PFICs during that tax year. As a result, the Fund generally would be required to distribute such income to satisfy the 90% gross income test described above.
If the Fund holds more than 10% of the interests treated as equity for U.S. federal income tax purposes in a foreign corporation that is treated as a controlled foreign corporation (“CFC”), including equity tranche investments and certain debt tranche investments in a CLO treated as a CFC, the Fund may be treated as receiving a deemed distribution (taxable as ordinary income) each tax year from such foreign corporation of an amount equal to the Fund’s pro rata share of the foreign corporation’s earnings for such tax year (including both ordinary earnings and capital gains), whether or not the corporation makes an actual distribution to the Fund during such tax year. This deemed distribution is required to be included in the income of certain U.S. shareholders of a CFC, such as the Fund, regardless of whether a U.S. shareholder has made a QEF election with respect to such CFC. The Fund is generally required to distribute such income in order to satisfy the 90% gross income test described above, even to the extent the Fund’s income from a CFC exceeds the distributions from the CFC and the Fund’s proceeds from the sales or other dispositions of CFC stock during that tax year. In general, a foreign corporation will be treated as a CFC for U.S. federal income tax purposes if more than 50% of the shares of the foreign corporation, measured by reference to combined voting power or value, is owned (directly, indirectly or by attribution) by U.S. shareholders. A “U.S. Shareholder,” for this purpose, is any U.S. person that possesses (actually or constructively) 10% or more of the combined voting power or value of all classes of shares of a corporation.
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Under Section 988 of the Code, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the time the Fund accrues income or receivables or expenses or other liabilities denominated in a foreign currency and the time the Fund actually collects such income or pays such liabilities are generally treated as ordinary income or ordinary loss. In general, gains (and losses) realized on debt instruments will be treated as Section 988 gain (or loss) to the extent attributable to changes in exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and the currencies in which the instruments are denominated. Similarly, gains or losses on foreign currency, foreign currency forward contracts, certain foreign currency options or futures contracts and the disposition of debt securities denominated in foreign currency, to the extent attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the acquisition and disposition dates, are also treated as ordinary income or loss unless the Fund were to elect otherwise.
Certain of the Fund’s investments may be subject to special U.S. federal income tax provisions that, among other things, (1) disallow, suspend or otherwise limit the allowance of certain losses or deductions, (2) convert lower-taxed long-term capital gains into higher-taxed short-term capital gains or ordinary income, (3) convert an ordinary loss or a deduction into a capital loss, the deductibility of which is more limited, (4) adversely affect when a purchase or sale of shares or securities is deemed to occur, (5) adversely alter the intended characterization of certain complex financial transactions, (6) cause the Fund to recognize income or gain without a corresponding receipt of cash, (7) treat dividends that would otherwise constitute qualified dividend income as
non-qualified
dividend income, (8) treat dividends that would otherwise be eligible for the corporate dividends received deduction as ineligible for such treatment and (9) produce income that will not constitute Qualifying RIC Income. The application of these rules could cause the Fund to be subject to U.S. federal income tax or the 4% excise tax and, under certain circumstances, could affect the Fund’s status as a RIC. The Fund monitors its investments and may make certain tax elections to mitigate the effect of these provisions.
The Fund may be required to treat amounts as taxable income or gain, subject to the distribution requirements referred to above, even though no corresponding amounts of cash are received concurrently, as a result of
constructive sale or rules applicable to PFICs or partnerships or trusts in which the Fund invests or to certain options, futures or forward contracts, or “appreciated financial positions” or (2) the inability to obtain cash distributions or other amounts due to currency controls or restrictions on repatriation imposed by a foreign country with respect to the Fund’s investments (including through depositary receipts) in issuers in such country or (3) tax rules applicable to debt obligations acquired with “original issue discount,” including
zero-coupon
or deferred payment bonds and
debt obligations, or to market discount if the Fund elects or is required to accrue such market discount. The Fund may therefore be required to obtain cash to be used to satisfy these distribution requirements by selling securities at times that it might not otherwise be desirable to do so or that may make the Fund subject to otherwise avoidable redemption fees or by borrowing the necessary cash, thereby incurring interest expenses.
If the Fund utilizes leverage through the issuance of Preferred Shares (defined below) or borrowings, it will be prohibited from declaring a distribution or dividend if it would fail the applicable asset coverage test(s) under the 1940 Act after the payment of such distribution or dividend. In addition, certain covenants in credit facilities or indentures may impose greater restrictions on the Fund’s ability to declare and pay dividends on Shares. Limits on the Fund’s ability to pay dividends on Shares may prevent the Fund from meeting the minimum distribution requirement described above and, as a result, may affect the Fund’s ability to be subject to tax as a RIC or subject the Fund to the excise tax described above. The Fund endeavors to avoid restrictions on its ability to make distribution payments. If the Fund is precluded from making distributions on Shares because of any applicable asset coverage requirements, the terms of Preferred Shares (if any) may provide that any amounts so precluded from being distributed, but required to be distributed by the Fund to enable the Fund to satisfy the minimum distribution requirement described above that would enable the Fund to be subject to tax as a RIC, will be paid to the holders of Preferred Shares as a special distribution. This distribution can be expected to decrease the amount that holders of Preferred Shares would be entitled to receive upon redemption or liquidation of such Preferred Shares.
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For federal income tax purposes, the Fund is generally permitted to carry forward a net capital loss in any taxable year to offset its own capital gains, if any. Any such carryforward losses will retain their character as short-term or long-term. These amounts are available to be carried forward to offset future capital gains to the extent permitted by the Code and applicable tax regulations. In the event that the Fund were to experience an ownership change as defined under the Code, the capital loss carryforwards and other favorable tax attributes of the Fund, if any, may be subject to limitation.
In certain situations, the Fund may, for a taxable year, defer all or a portion of its net capital loss (or if there is no net capital loss, then any net long-term or short-term capital loss) realized after October and its late-year ordinary loss (defined as (i) the sum of the Fund’s excess of post-October foreign currency and PFIC losses over post-October foreign currency and PFIC gains and (ii) the excess of post-December ordinary losses over post-December ordinary income) until the next taxable year in computing its investment company taxable income and net capital gain, which will defer the recognition of such realized losses. Such deferrals and other rules regarding gains and losses realized after October (or December) may affect the tax character of shareholder distributions.
A RIC is limited in its ability to deduct expenses in excess of its investment company taxable income. If the Fund’s deductible expenses in a given taxable year exceed the Fund’s investment company taxable income, the Fund may incur a net operating loss for that taxable year. However, a RIC is not permitted to carry forward net operating losses to subsequent taxable years and such net operating losses do not pass through to its shareholders. In addition, deductible expenses can be used only to offset investment company taxable income, not net capital gain. A RIC may not use any net capital losses (that is, the excess of realized capital losses over realized capital gains) to offset its investment company taxable income, but may carry forward such net capital losses, and use them to offset future capital gains, indefinitely. Due to these limits on deductibility of expenses and net capital losses, the Fund may for tax purposes have aggregate taxable income for several taxable years that the Fund is required to distribute and that is taxable to shareholders even if such taxable income is greater than the net income the Fund actually earns during those taxable years. Any underwriting fees paid by the Fund are not deductible.
The remainder of this discussion assumes that the Fund has qualified for and maintained its treatment as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes and has satisfied the minimum distribution requirement described above.
Taxation of U.S. Shareholders
Dividends and Distributions
. Dividends and other distributions by the Fund are generally treated under the Code as received by the shareholders at the time the dividend or distribution is made. However, any dividend or distribution declared by the Fund in October, November or December of any calendar year and payable to shareholders of record on a specified date in such a month shall be deemed to have been received by each shareholder on December 31 of such calendar year and to have been paid by the Fund not later than such December 31, provided such dividend is actually paid by the Fund during January of the following calendar year.
The Fund intends to distribute annually to its shareholders substantially all of its investment company taxable income, and any net realized long-term capital gains in excess of net realized short-term capital losses. Distributions from capital gains generally are made after applying any available capital loss carryforwards. However, if the Fund retains any net capital gains for investment, it will be subject to a corporate tax (currently at a flat rate of 21%) on the amount retained. In that event, the Fund will designate such retained amounts as undistributed capital gains in a notice to its shareholders who (a) will be required to include in income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gains, their proportionate shares of the undistributed amount, (b) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the tax paid by the Fund on the undistributed amount against their U.S. federal income tax liabilities, if any, and to claim refunds to the extent their credits exceed their
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liabilities, if any, and (c) will be entitled to increase their tax basis, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, in their Shares by an amount equal to the excess of the amount in clause (a) over the amount in clause (b). Organizations or persons not subject to U.S. federal income tax on such capital gains will be entitled to a refund of their pro rata share of such taxes paid by the Fund upon filing appropriate returns or claims for refund with the IRS.
Distributions of net realized long-term capital gains, if any, that the Fund reports as capital gains dividends are taxable as long-term capital gains, whether paid in cash or in Shares and regardless of how long a shareholder has held Shares. All other dividends of the Fund (including dividends from short-term capital gains) from its current and accumulated earnings and profits (“regular dividends”) are generally subject to tax as ordinary income. It is expected that a substantial portion of the Fund’s income will consist of ordinary income. For example, interest and OID derived by the Fund would be characterized as ordinary income for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In addition, gain derived by the Fund from the disposition of debt instruments with “market discount” (generally, securities with a fixed maturity date of more than one year from the date of issuance acquired by the Fund at a price below the lesser of their stated redemption price at maturity or accreted value, in the case of securities with OID) will be characterized as ordinary income for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent of the market discount that has accrued, as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes, at the time of such disposition, unless the Fund makes an election to accrue market discount on a current basis. Distributions made by the Fund to a corporate shareholder will qualify for the dividends-received deduction only to the extent that the distributions consist of qualifying dividends received by the Fund. In addition, any portion of the Fund’s dividends otherwise qualifying for the dividends-received deduction will be disallowed or reduced if the corporate shareholder fails to satisfy certain requirements, including a holding period requirement, with respect to its Shares. Distributions of “qualified dividend income” to a
non-corporate
shareholders will be treated as “qualified dividend income” to such shareholder and generally will be taxed at long-term capital gain rates, provided the shareholder satisfies the applicable holding period and other requirements. “Qualified dividend income” generally includes dividends from domestic corporations and dividends from foreign corporations that meet certain specified criteria. Given the Fund’s investment strategy, it is not expected that a significant portion of the distributions made by the Fund will be eligible for the dividends-received deduction or the reduced rates applicable to qualified dividend income.
Certain distributions reported by the Fund as Section 163(j) interest dividends may be treated as interest income by shareholders for purposes of the tax rules applicable to interest expense limitations under Section 163(j) of the Code. Such treatment by the shareholder is generally subject to holding period requirements and other potential limitations, although the holding period requirements are generally not applicable to dividends declared by money market funds and certain other funds that declare dividends daily and pay such dividends on a monthly or more frequent basis. The amount that the Fund is eligible to report as a Section 163(j) dividend for a tax year is generally limited to the excess of the Fund’s business interest income over the sum of the Fund’s (i) business interest expense and (ii) other deductions properly allocable to the Fund’s business interest income.
Individuals (and certain other
non-corporate
entities) are generally eligible for a 20% deduction with respect to ordinary dividends from REITs and certain taxable income from publicly traded partnerships through 2025. Treasury regulations allow the Fund to pass-through the deduction with respect to taxable ordinary dividends from REITs to shareholders. However, currently there is no mechanism to pass through the deductions with respect to income from publicly traded partnerships.
Distributions in excess of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits will, as to each shareholder, be treated as a
tax-free
return of capital to the extent of a shareholder’s basis in his Shares, and as a capital gain thereafter (if the shareholder holds his Shares of the Fund as capital assets). A return of capital reduces the basis in the Shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition of the Shares.
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Shareholders receiving dividends or distributions in the form of additional Shares will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as receiving a distribution in an amount equal to the amount of money that the shareholders receiving cash dividends or distributions will receive, and should have a cost basis in the Shares received equal to such amount.
Investors considering buying Shares just prior to a dividend or capital gain distribution should be aware that, although the price of Shares just purchased at that time may reflect the amount of the forthcoming distribution, such dividend or distribution may nevertheless be taxable to them. If the Fund is the holder of record of any stock on the record date for any dividends payable with respect to such stock, such dividends will be included in the Fund’s gross income not as of the date received but as of the later of (a) the date such stock became
ex-dividend
with respect to such dividends (
, the date on which a buyer of the stock would not be entitled to receive the declared, but unpaid, dividends) or (b) the date the Fund acquired such stock. Accordingly, in order to satisfy its income distribution requirements, the Fund may be required to pay dividends based on anticipated earnings, and shareholders may receive dividends in an earlier year than would otherwise be the case.
The IRS currently requires that a RIC that has two or more classes of stock allocate to each such class proportionate amounts of each type of its income (such as ordinary income and capital gains) based upon the percentage of total dividends paid to each class for the tax year. Accordingly, if the Fund issues Preferred Shares, the Fund intends to allocate capital gain dividends, if any, between its common Shares and Preferred Shares in proportion to the total dividends paid to each class with respect to such tax year.
The Fund expects to be treated as a “publicly offered regulated investment company” (within the meaning of Section 67 of the Code) as a result of either (i) Shares being held by at least 500 persons at all times during a taxable year, (ii) Shares being continuously offered pursuant to a public offering (within the meaning of section 4 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended or (iii) Shares being treated as regularly traded on an established securities market. However, there can be no assurance that the Fund will be treated as a publicly offered regulated investment company for all years. If the Fund is not treated as a publicly offered regulated investment company for any calendar year, for purposes of computing the taxable income of
non-corporate
shareholders, (1) the Fund’s earnings will be computed without taking into account such shareholders’ allocable shares of the management and incentive fees paid to the Adviser and certain of the Fund’s other expenses, (2) each such shareholder will be treated as having received or accrued a distribution from the Fund in the amount of such shareholder’s allocable share of these fees and expenses for such taxable year, (3) each such shareholder will be treated as having paid or incurred such shareholder’s allocable share of these fees and expenses for the calendar year and (4) each such shareholder’s allocable share of these fees and expenses will be treated as miscellaneous itemized deductions by such shareholder. For taxable years beginning before 2026, miscellaneous itemized deductions generally are not deductible by a
non-corporate
shareholder. For taxable years beginning in 2026 or later, miscellaneous itemized deductions generally are deductible by a
non-corporate
shareholder only to the extent that the aggregate of such shareholder’s miscellaneous itemized deductions exceeds 2% of such shareholder’s adjusted gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, are not deductible for purposes of the alternative minimum tax and are subject to the overall limitation on itemized deductions under Section 68 of the Code.
Sale or Exchange of Shares
. The repurchase or transfer of Shares may result in a taxable gain or loss to the tendering shareholder. Different tax consequences may apply for tendering and
non-tendering
shareholders in connection with a repurchase offer. For example, if a shareholder does not tender all of his or her Shares, such repurchase may not be treated as a sale or exchange for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and may result in deemed distributions to
non-tendering
shareholders. On the other hand, shareholders holding Shares as capital assets who tender all of their Shares (including Shares deemed owned by shareholders under constructive ownership rules) will be treated as having sold their Shares and generally will recognize capital gain or loss. The amount of the gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the amount received for the Shares and the shareholder’s adjusted tax basis in the relevant Shares. Such gain or loss generally will be a long-term capital gain or loss if the shareholder has held such Shares as capital assets for more than one year. Otherwise, the gain or loss will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss.
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Losses realized by a shareholder on the sale or exchange of Shares held as capital assets for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital losses to the extent of any distribution of long-term capital gains received (or deemed received, as discussed above) with respect to such Shares. In addition, no loss will be allowed on a sale or other disposition of Shares if the shareholder acquires (including through reinvestment of distributions or otherwise) Shares, or enters into a contract or option to acquire Shares, within 30 days before or after any disposition of such Shares at a loss. In such a case, the basis of the Shares acquired will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.
In general,
non-corporate
shareholders currently are generally subject to a maximum federal income tax rate of either 15% or 20% (depending on whether the shareholder’s income exceeds certain threshold amounts) on their net capital gain (
, the excess of realized net long-term capital gains over realized net short-term capital losses), including any long-term capital gain derived from an investment in Shares. Such rate is lower than the maximum rate on ordinary income currently payable by individuals. Corporate shareholders currently are subject to U.S. federal income tax on net capital gain at the maximum 21% rate also applied to ordinary income.
Non-corporate
shareholders with net capital losses for a tax year (
, capital losses in excess of capital gains) generally may deduct up to $3,000 of such losses against their ordinary income each tax year. Any net capital losses of a
non-corporate
shareholder in excess of $3,000 generally may be carried forward and used in subsequent tax years as provided in the Code. Corporate Shareholders generally may not deduct any net capital losses for a tax year, but may carry back such losses for three tax years or carry forward such losses for five tax years.