The following section supplements the discussion of U.S. federal income taxation in the accompanying product supplement.

The following section is the opinion of Sidley Austin LLP, our counsel. In addition, it is the opinion of Sidley Austin LLP that the characterization of the securities for U.S. federal income tax purposes that will be required under the terms of the securities, as discussed below, is a reasonable interpretation of current law.

This section does not apply to you if you are a member of a class of holders subject to special rules, such as:

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a dealer in securities or currencies;

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a trader in securities that elects to use a mark-to-market method of accounting for your securities holdings;

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a bank;

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a life insurance company;

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a tax exempt organization;

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a partnership;

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a regulated investment company;

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an accrual method taxpayer subject to special tax accounting rules as a result of its use of financial statements;

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a common trust fund;

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a person that owns a security as a hedge or that is hedged against interest rate risks;

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a person that owns a security as part of a straddle or conversion transaction for tax purposes; or

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a U.S. holder (as defined below) whose functional currency for tax purposes is not the U.S. dollar.

Although this section is based on the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), its legislative history, existing and proposed regulations under the Code, published rulings and court decisions, all as currently in effect, no statutory, judicial or administrative authority directly addresses how your securities should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and as a result, the U.S. federal income tax consequences of your investment in your securities are uncertain. Moreover, these laws are subject to change, possibly on a retroactive basis.

U.S. Holders

This section applies to you only if you are a U.S. Holder that holds your securities as a capital asset for tax purposes. You are a “U.S. Holder” if you are a beneficial owner of each of your securities and you are:

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a citizen or resident of the United States;

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a domestic corporation;

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an estate whose income is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source; or

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a trust if a United States court can exercise primary supervision over the trust’s administration and one or more United States persons are authorized to control all substantial decisions of the trust.

Tax Treatment

You will be obligated pursuant to the terms of the securities — in the absence of a change in law, an administrative determination or a judicial ruling to the contrary — to characterize your securities for all tax purposes as pre-paid derivative contracts in respect of the Basket. Except as otherwise stated below, the discussion herein assumes that the securities will be so treated.

Upon the sale, exchange or maturity of your securities, you should recognize capital gain or loss equal to the difference, if any, between the amount of cash you receive at such time and your tax basis in your securities. Your tax basis in the securities will generally be equal to the amount that you paid for the securities. If you hold your securities for more than one year, the gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss. If you hold your securities for one year or less, the gain or loss generally will be short-term capital gain or loss. Short-term capital gains are generally subject to tax at the marginal tax rates applicable to ordinary income.

We will not attempt to ascertain whether the issuer of any Basket component would be treated as a “passive foreign investment company” (“PFIC”), within the meaning of Section 1297 of the Code. If the issuer of any Basket component was so treated, certain adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences could possibly apply to a U.S. Holder of the securities. You should refer to information filed with the SEC by the issuers of the Basket components and consult your tax advisor regarding the possible consequences to you, if any, if any issuer of a Basket component is or becomes a PFIC.

No statutory, judicial or administrative authority directly discusses how your securities should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a result, the U.S. federal income tax consequences of your investment in the

securities are uncertain and alternative characterizations are possible. Accordingly, we urge you to consult your tax advisor in determining the tax consequences of an investment in your securities in your particular circumstances, including the application of state, local or other tax laws and the possible effects of changes in federal or other tax laws.

Alternative Treatments

There is no judicial or administrative authority discussing how your securities should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Therefore, the IRS might assert that a treatment other than that described above is more appropriate. For example, the IRS could treat your securities as a single debt instrument subject to special rules governing contingent payment debt instruments. Under those rules, the amount of interest you are required to take into account for each accrual period would be determined by constructing a projected payment schedule for the securities and applying rules similar to those for accruing original issue discount on a hypothetical noncontingent debt instrument with that projected payment schedule. This method is applied by first determining the comparable yield – i.e., the yield at which we would issue a noncontingent fixed rate debt instrument with terms and conditions similar to your securities – and then determining a payment schedule as of the issue date that would produce the comparable yield. These rules may have the effect of requiring you to include interest in income in respect of your securities prior to your receipt of cash attributable to that income.

If the rules governing contingent payment debt instruments apply, any gain you recognize upon the sale, exchange or maturity of your securities would be treated as ordinary interest income. Any loss you recognize at that time would be treated as ordinary loss to the extent of interest you included as income in the current or previous taxable years in respect of your securities, and, thereafter, as capital loss.

If the rules governing contingent payment debt instruments apply, special rules would apply to a person who purchases securities at a price other than the adjusted issue price as determined for tax purposes.

It is possible that your securities could be treated in the manner described above, except that any gain or loss that you recognize at maturity would be treated as ordinary income or loss. You should consult your tax advisor as to the tax consequences of such characterization and any possible alternative characterizations of your securities for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

It is also possible that the IRS could seek to characterize your securities in a manner that results in tax consequences to you that are different from those described above. You should consult your tax advisor as to the tax consequences of any possible alternative characterizations of your securities for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Possible Change in Law

On December 7, 2007, the IRS released a notice stating that the IRS and the Treasury Department are actively considering issuing guidance regarding the proper U.S. federal income tax treatment of an instrument such as the securities, including whether holders should be required to accrue ordinary income on a current basis and whether gain or loss should be ordinary or capital. It is not possible to determine what guidance they will ultimately issue, if any. It is possible, however, that under such guidance, holders of the securities will ultimately be required to accrue income currently and this could be applied on a retroactive basis. The IRS and the Treasury Department are also considering other relevant issues, including whether foreign holders of such instruments should be subject to withholding tax on any deemed income accruals and whether the special “constructive ownership rules” of Section 1260 of the Code might be applied to such instruments. Except to the extent otherwise provided by law, we intend to continue treating the securities for U.S. federal income tax purposes in accordance with the treatment described above under “Tax Treatment” unless and until such time as Congress, the Treasury Department or the IRS determine that some other treatment is more appropriate.

Furthermore, in 2007, legislation was introduced in Congress that, if enacted, would have required holders that acquired instruments such as your securities after the bill was enacted to accrue interest income over the term of such instruments even though there will be no interest payments over the term of such instruments. It is not possible to predict whether a similar or identical bill will be enacted in the future, or whether any such bill would affect the tax treatment of your securities.

It is impossible to predict what any such legislation or administrative or regulatory guidance might provide, and whether the effective date of any legislation or guidance will affect securities that were issued before the date that such legislation or guidance is issued. You are urged to consult your tax advisor as to the possibility that any legislative or administrative action may adversely affect the tax treatment of your securities.

Backup Withholding and Information Reporting

You will be subject to generally applicable information reporting and backup withholding requirements as discussed in the accompanying prospectus supplement under “United States Federal Taxation — U.S. Holders — Backup Withholding and Information Reporting” with respect to payments on your securities and, notwithstanding that we do not intend to treat the securities as debt for tax purposes, we intend to backup withhold on such payments with respect to your securities unless you comply with the requirements necessary to avoid backup withholding on debt instruments (in which case you will not be subject to such backup withholding) as set

forth under “United States Federal Taxation — U.S. Holders — Backup Withholding and Information Reporting” in the accompanying prospectus. Please see the discussion under “United States Federal Taxation — U.S. Holders — Backup Withholding and Information Reporting” in the accompanying prospectus supplement for a description of the applicability of the backup withholding and information reporting rules to payments made on your securities.

Non-U.S. Holders

This section applies to you only if you are a Non-U.S. Holder. You are a “Non-U.S. Holder” if you are the beneficial owner of securities and are, for U.S. federal income tax purposes:

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a nonresident alien individual;

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a foreign corporation; or

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an estate or trust that in either case is not subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net income basis on income or gain from the securities.

The term “Non-U.S. Holder” does not include any of the following holders:

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a holder who is an individual present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of disposition and who is not otherwise a resident of the United States for U.S. federal income tax purposes;

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certain former citizens or residents of the United States; or

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a holder for whom income or gain in respect of the securities is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business in the United States.

Such holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in the securities.

We will not attempt to ascertain whether any issuer of a Basket component would be treated as a “United States real property holding corporation” (“USRPHC”), within the meaning of Section 897 of the Code. If any issuer of a Basket component was so treated, certain adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences could possibly apply to a Non-U.S. Holder of the securities. You should refer to information filed with the SEC by the issuers of the Basket components and consult your tax advisor regarding the possible consequences to you, if any, if any issuer of a Basket component is or becomes a USRPHC.

You will be subject to generally applicable information reporting and backup withholding requirements as discussed in the accompanying prospectus supplement under “United States Federal Taxation — Non-U.S. Holders — Backup Withholding and Information Reporting” with respect to payments on your securities and, notwithstanding that we do not intend to treat the securities as debt for tax purposes, we intend to backup withhold on such payments with respect to your securities unless you comply with the requirements necessary to avoid backup withholding on debt instruments (in which case you will not be subject to such backup withholding) as set forth under “United States Federal Taxation — Non-U.S. Holders — Backup Withholding and Information Reporting” in the accompanying prospectus supplement.

As discussed above, alternative characterizations of the securities for U.S. federal income tax purposes are possible. Should an alternative characterization of the securities, by reason of a change or clarification of the law, by regulation or otherwise, cause payments with respect to the securities to become subject to withholding tax, we will withhold tax at the applicable statutory rate and we will not make payments of any additional amounts. Prospective Non-U.S. Holders of the securities should consult their tax advisors in this regard.

Furthermore, on December 7, 2007, the IRS released Notice 2008-2 soliciting comments from the public on various issues, including whether instruments such as your securities should be subject to withholding. It is therefore possible that rules will be issued in the future, possibly with retroactive effect, that would cause payments on your securities to be subject to withholding, even if you comply with certification requirements as to your foreign status.

In addition, the Treasury Department has issued regulations under which amounts paid or deemed paid on certain financial instruments (“871(m) financial instruments”) that are treated as attributable to U.S.-source dividends could be treated, in whole or in part depending on the circumstances, as a “dividend equivalent” payment that is subject to tax at a rate of 30% (or a lower rate under an applicable treaty), which in the case of amounts you receive upon sale, exchange or maturity of your securities, could be collected via withholding. If these regulations were to apply to the securities, we may be required to withhold such taxes if any U.S.-source dividends are paid on the Basket Components during the term of the securities. We could also require you to make certifications (e.g., an applicable IRS Form W-8) prior to the maturity of the securities in order to avoid or minimize withholding obligations, and we could withhold accordingly (subject to your potential right to claim a refund from the IRS) if such certifications were not received or were not satisfactory. If withholding was required, we would not be required to pay any additional amounts with respect to amounts so withheld. These regulations generally will apply to 871(m) financial instruments (or a combination of financial instruments treated as having been entered into in connection with each other) issued (or significantly modified and treated as retired and reissued) on or after January 1, 2027, but will also apply to certain 871(m) financial instruments (or a combination of financial instruments treated as having been entered into in connection with each other) that have a delta (as defined in the applicable Treasury regulations) of one and are issued (or significantly modified and treated as retired and reissued) on or after January 1, 2017. In addition, these regulations will not apply to financial instruments that reference a “qualified index” (as defined in the regulations). We have determined that, as of the issue date of

your securities, your securities will not be subject to withholding under these rules. In certain limited circumstances, however, you should be aware that it is possible for Non-U.S. Holders to be liable for tax under these rules with respect to a combination of transactions treated as having been entered into in connection with each other even when no withholding is required. You should consult your tax advisor concerning these regulations, subsequent official guidance and regarding any other possible alternative characterizations of your securities for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Under current law, while the matter is not entirely clear, individual Non-U.S. Holders, and entities whose property is potentially includible in those individuals’ gross estates for U.S. federal estate tax purposes (for example, a trust funded by such an individual and with respect to which the individual has retained certain interests or powers), should note that, absent an applicable treaty benefit, a security is likely to be treated as U.S. situs property, subject to U.S. federal estate tax. These individuals and entities should consult their own tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal estate tax consequences of investing in a security.

Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act

Legislation commonly referred to as “FATCA” generally imposes a gross-basis withholding tax of 30% on payments to certain non-U.S. entities (including financial intermediaries) with respect to certain financial instruments, unless various U.S. information reporting and due diligence requirements have been satisfied. An intergovernmental agreement between the United States and the non-U.S. entity’s jurisdiction may modify or supplement these requirements. This legislation generally applies to certain financial instruments that are treated as paying U.S.-source interest or other U.S.-source “fixed or determinable annual or periodical” (“FDAP”) income. Current provisions of the Code and Treasury regulations that govern FATCA treat gross proceeds from a sale or other disposition of obligations that can produce U.S.-source interest or FDAP income as subject to FATCA withholding. However, under recently proposed Treasury regulations, such gross proceeds would not be subject to FATCA withholding. In its preamble to such proposed regulations, the Treasury Department and the IRS have stated that taxpayers may generally rely on the proposed Treasury regulations until final Treasury regulations are issued. We will not be required to pay any additional amounts with respect to amounts withheld. Both U.S. and Non-U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the potential application of FATCA to the securities.