PART I

As used in this annual report on Form 10-K, except as otherwise indicated, the terms “OFS Capital,” “the Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to OFS Capital Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries.

About OFS and Our Advisor

OFS (which refers to the collective activities and operations of OFSAM, its subsidiaries, and certain affiliates) is a full-service provider of capital and leveraged finance solutions to U.S. companies.

As of December 31, 2017, OFS had 45 full-time employees. OFS is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois and also has offices in New York, New York and Los Angeles, California.

Our investment activities are managed by OFS Advisor, our investment adviser. OFS Advisor is responsible for sourcing potential investments, conducting research and diligence on potential investments and equity sponsors, analyzing investment opportunities, structuring our investments and monitoring our investments and portfolio companies on an ongoing basis. OFS Advisor is a registered investment adviser under the Advisers Act and a wholly-owned subsidiary of OFSAM.

Our relationship with OFS Advisor is governed by and dependent on the Investment Advisory Agreement and may be subject to conflicts of interest. OFS Advisor provides us with advisory services in exchange for a base management fee and incentive fee; see “Management and Other Agreements—Investment Advisory Agreement”. The base management fee is based on our total assets (other than cash and cash equivalents, and the intangible asset and goodwill resulting from the SBIC Acquisition, but including assets purchased with borrowed amounts and assets owned by any consolidated entity) and, therefore, OFS Advisor will benefit when we incur debt or use leverage. Our board of directors is charged with protecting our interests by monitoring how OFS Advisor addresses these and other conflicts of interest associated with its management services and compensation. While our board of directors is not expected to review or approve each borrowing or incurrence of leverage, our independent directors periodically review OFS Advisor’s services and fees as well as its portfolio management decisions and portfolio performance.

OFS Advisor has entered into a Staffing Agreement (the "Staffing Agreement") with OFSC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of OFSAM. Under the Staffing Agreement, OFSC makes experienced investment professionals available to OFS Advisor and provides access to the senior investment personnel of OFS and its affiliates. The Staffing Agreement provides OFS Advisor with access to deal flow generated by OFS and its affiliates in the ordinary course of their businesses and commits the members of OFS Advisor’s investment committee to serve in that capacity. As our investment adviser, OFS Advisor is obligated to allocate investment opportunities among us and any other clients fairly and equitably over time in accordance with its allocation policy.

OFS Advisor capitalizes on the deal origination and sourcing, credit underwriting, due diligence, investment structuring, execution, portfolio management and monitoring experience of OFS’s professionals. The senior management team of OFS, including Bilal Rashid, Jeff Cerny and Mark Hauser, provides services to OFS Advisor. These managers have developed a broad network of contacts within the investment community, and possess an average of over 20 years of experience investing in debt and equity securities of middle-market companies. In addition, these managers have extensive experience investing in assets that constitute our primary focus and have expertise in investing across all levels of the capital structure of middle-market companies.

Competitive Strengths and Core Competencies

Deep Management Team Experienced in All Phases of Investment Cycle and Across All Levels of the Capital Structure. We are managed by OFS Advisor, which has access through the Staffing Agreement with OFSC to the resources and expertise of OFS’s investment professionals. As of December 31, 2017, OFS’s credit and investment professionals (including all investment committee members) employed by OFSC had an average of over 15 years of investment experience with strong institutional backgrounds.

Significant Investment Capacity. The net proceeds of equity and debt offerings and borrowing capacity under our credit facilities will provide us with a substantial amount of capital available for deployment into new investment opportunities in our targeted asset class.

Scalable Infrastructure Supporting the Entire Investment Cycle. We believe that our loan acquisition, origination and sourcing, underwriting, administration and management platform is highly scalable (that is, it can be expanded on a cost efficient basis within a timeframe that meets the demands of business growth). Our platform extends beyond origination and

sourcing and includes a regimented credit monitoring system. We believe that our careful approach, which involves ongoing review and analysis by an experienced team of professionals, should enable us to identify problems early and to assist borrowers before they face difficult liquidity constraints.

Extensive Loan Sourcing Capabilities. OFS Advisor gives us access to the deal flow of OFS. We believe OFS’s 20-year history as a middle-market lending platform and its market position make it a leading lender to many sponsors and other deal sources, especially in the currently under-served lending environment, and we have extensive relationships with potential borrowers and other lenders.

Structuring with a High Level of Service and Operational Orientation. We provide client-specific and creative financing structures to our portfolio companies. Based on our experience in lending to and investing in middle-market companies, we believe that the middle-market companies we target, as well as sponsor groups we may pursue, require a higher level of service, creativity and knowledge than has historically been provided by other service providers more accustomed to participating in commodity-like loan transactions.

Rigorous Credit Analysis and Approval Procedures. OFS Advisor utilizes the established, disciplined investment process of OFS for reviewing lending opportunities, structuring transactions and monitoring investments. Using OFS’s disciplined approach to lending, OFS Advisor seeks to minimize credit losses through effective underwriting, comprehensive due diligence investigations, structuring and, where appropriate, the implementation of restrictive debt covenants.

Our Administrator

We do not have any direct employees, and our day-to-day investment operations are managed by OFS Advisor. We have a chief executive officer, chief financial officer, chief compliance officer, chief accounting officer, corporate secretary and, to the extent necessary, our board of directors may elect to appoint additional officers going forward. Our officers are employees of OFSC, an affiliate of OFS Advisor, and a portion of the compensation paid to our officers are paid by us pursuant to the Administration Agreement. All of our executive officers are also officers of OFS Advisor.

OFS Services, an affiliate of OFS Advisor, provides the administrative services necessary for us to operate. OFS Services furnishes us with office facilities and equipment, necessary software licenses and subscriptions and clerical, bookkeeping and recordkeeping services at such facilities. OFS Services oversees our financial reporting as well as prepares our reports to stockholders and all other reports and materials required to be filed with the SEC or any other regulatory authority. OFS Services also manages the determination and publication of our net asset value and the preparation and filing of our tax returns and generally monitors the payment of our expenses and the performance of administrative and professional services rendered to us by others. OFS Services may retain third parties to assist in providing administrative services to us. To the extent that OFS Services outsources any of its functions, we will pay the fees associated with such functions at cost, on a direct basis.

Market Opportunity

Large Target Market. According to the U.S. Census Bureau in its 2012 economic census, there were approximately 197,000 companies in the United States with annual revenues between $10 million and $2.5 billion, compared with approximately 1,300 companies with revenues greater than $2.5 billion. We believe that these middle-market companies represent a significant growth segment of the U.S. economy and often require substantial capital investments to grow. Middle-market companies have historically constituted the vast bulk of OFS’s portfolio companies since its inception, and constituted the vast bulk of our portfolio as of December 31, 2017 . We believe that this market segment will continue to produce significant investment opportunities for us.

Specialized Lending Requirements with High Barriers to Entry. We believe that several factors render many U.S. financial institutions ill-suited to lend to U.S. middle-market companies. For example, based on the experience of our management team, lending to private middle-market companies in the United States (a) is generally more labor-intensive than lending to larger companies due to the smaller size of each investment and the fragmented nature of information for such companies, (b) requires due diligence and underwriting practices consistent with the demands and economic limitations of the middle-market and (c) may also require more extensive ongoing monitoring by the lender. As a result, middle-market companies historically have been served by a limited segment of the lending community. As a result of the unique challenges facing lenders to middle-market companies, we believe that there are high barriers to entry that a new lender must overcome.

Robust Demand for Debt Capital. We believe that private equity firms have significant committed but uncalled capital, a large portion of which is still available for investment in the United States. Subject to market conditions, we expect the large amount of unfunded buyout commitments will drive demand for leveraged buyouts over the next several years, which should, in turn, create leveraged lending opportunities for us.

Competition

Our primary competitors include public and private funds, other BDCs, commercial and investment banks, commercial finance companies and, to the extent they provide an alternative form of financing, private equity and hedge funds. Many of our competitors are substantially larger and have considerably greater financial, technical, and marketing resources than we do. Some competitors may have access to funding sources that are not available to us. In addition, some of our competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk assessments, which could allow them to consider a wider variety of investments and establish more relationships than us. Further, many of our competitors are not subject to the regulatory restrictions that the 1940 Act imposes on us as a BDC, or to the distribution and other requirements we must satisfy to maintain our RIC status.

We expect to continue to use the expertise of the investment professionals of OFS and its affiliates to which we have access, to assess investment risks and determine appropriate pricing for our investments in portfolio companies. In addition, we expect that the relationships of the senior members of OFS and its affiliates will enable us to learn about, and compete effectively for, financing opportunities with attractive middle-market companies in the industries in which we seek to invest. For additional information concerning the competitive risks we face,

Investment Criteria/Guidelines

Our investment objective is to generate current income and capital appreciation by investing primarily in middle-market companies in the United States. We focus on investments in senior secured loans, including first lien, second lien, and unitranche loans, as well as subordinated loans and, to a lesser extent, warrants and other equity securities. In particular, we believe that structured equity debt investments (i.e., typically senior secured unitranche loans, often with warrant coverage, and often in companies with no financial sponsor) represent a strong relative value opportunity offering the borrower the convenience of dealing with one lender, which may result in a higher blended rate of interest to us than we might expect to receive under a traditional multi-tranche structure. We expect that our investments in the equity securities of portfolio companies, such as warrants, preferred stock, common stock and other equity interests, will principally be made in conjunction with our debt investments. Generally, we do not expect to make investments in companies or securities that OFS Advisor determines to be distressed investments (such as discounted debt instruments that have either experienced a default or have a significant potential for default), other than follow-on investments in portfolio companies of ours. We intend to continue to generate strong risk-adjusted net returns by assembling a diversified portfolio of investments across a broad range of industries.

We target U.S. middle-market companies through OFS’s access to a network of financial institutions, private equity sponsors, investment banks, consultants and attorneys, and our proprietary database of borrowers developed over OFS’s more than 20 years in lending to middle-market companies. A typical targeted borrower will exhibit certain of the following characteristics:

While we believe that the characteristics listed above are important in identifying and investing in prospective portfolio companies, not all of these criteria will be met by each prospective portfolio company.

Due Diligence and Investment Process Overview

We employ a thorough and disciplined underwriting and due diligence process that is conducted in accordance with established credit policies and procedures, and that is focused on investment recovery. Our process involves a comprehensive analysis of a prospective portfolio company’s market, operational, financial, and legal position, as well as its future prospects.

In addition to our own analysis, we may use the services of third parties for environmental reviews, quality of earnings reports, industry surveys, background checks on key managers, and insurance reviews.

We seek to invest in companies that have experienced and incentivized management teams, that have stable and predictable cash flows, and that have defensible market positions. We underwrite our investments with the expectation that we will hold them for a number of years, and we structure and document our investments accordingly.

Our due diligence and underwriting process typically addresses the following elements (although certain elements may not be included in every due diligence undertaking):

Prospective Portfolio Company Characteristics : focusing on primary drivers of the company’s revenues and cash flows, including its key products and services; customer and supplier concentrations, and contractual relationships; depth, breadth, and quality of company management, as well as the extent to which the management team is appropriately compensated with equity incentives; and any regulatory, labor, or litigation matters impacting the company.

Industry and Competitive Overview : including industry size and the company’s position within it; growth potential and barriers to entry; governmental, regulatory, or technological issues potentially affecting the industry; and cyclicality or seasonality risks associated with the industry.

Financial Analysis : involving an understanding of the company’s historical financial results, focusing on actual operating trends experienced over time, in order to forecast future performance, including in various sensitized performance scenarios; attention to projected cash flows, debt service coverage, and leverage multiples under such scenarios; and an assessment of enterprise valuations and debt repayment/investment recovery prospects given such sensitized performance scenarios.

Investment Documentation : focusing on obtaining the best legal protections available to us given our position within the capital structure, including, as appropriate, financial covenants; collateral liens and stock pledges; review of loan documents of other of the prospective portfolio company’s creditors; and negotiation of inter-creditor agreements.

Portfolio Review/Risk Monitoring

We view active portfolio monitoring as a vital part of our investment process, and we benefit from a portfolio management system developed by OFS that includes daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly components, and that involves comprehensive review of the performance of each of our portfolio companies. As part of the portfolio management process, OFS Advisor performs ongoing risk assessments on each of our investments and assigns each debt investment a credit rating based on OFS’s internal ratings scale.

We categorize debt investments into the following risk categories based on relevant information about the ability of borrowers to service their debt:

1 (Low Risk) – The debt investment has mostly satisfactory asset quality and liquidity, as well as good leverage capacity. It maintains predictable and strong cash flows from operations. The trends and outlook for the portfolio company's operations, balance sheet, and industry are neutral to favorable. Collateral, if appropriate, has maintained value and would be capable of being liquidated on a timely basis. Overall a debt investment with a 1 risk rating is considered to be of investment grade quality.

2 (Below Average Risk) – The debt investment has acceptable asset quality, moderate excess liquidity, and modest leverage capacity. It could have some financial/non-financial weaknesses which are offset by strengths; however, the credit demonstrates an ample current cash flow from operations. The trends and outlook for the portfolio company's operations, balance sheet, and industry are generally positive or neutral to somewhat negative. Collateral, if appropriate, has maintained value and would be capable of being liquidated successfully on a timely basis.

3 (Average) – The debt investment has acceptable asset quality, somewhat strained liquidity, and minimal leverage capacity. It is at times characterized by acceptable cash flows from operations. Under adverse market conditions, the debt service could pose difficulties for the borrower. The trends and conditions of the portfolio company's operations and balance sheet are neutral to slightly negative.

4 (Special Mention) – The debt investment has not lost, and is not expected to lose, principal or interest but it possesses credit deficiencies or potential weaknesses which deserve management’s close and continued attention. The portfolio company’s operations and/or balance sheet have demonstrated an adverse trend or deterioration which, while serious, has not reached the point where the liquidation of debt is jeopardized. These weaknesses are generally considered correctable by the borrower in the normal course of business but may weaken the asset or inadequately protect our credit position if not checked or corrected.

5 (Substandard) – The debt investment is protected inadequately by the current enterprise value or paying capacity of the obligor or of the collateral, if any. The portfolio company has well-defined weaknesses based upon objective evidence, such

as recurring or significant decreases in revenues and cash flows. These assets are characterized by the possibility that we may sustain loss if the deficiencies are not corrected. The possibility that liquidation would not be timely (e.g., bankruptcy or foreclosure) requires a Substandard classification even if there is little likelihood of loss.

6 (Doubtful) – The debt investment has all the weaknesses inherent in those classified as Substandard, with the additional factor that the weaknesses are pronounced to the point that collection or liquidation in full, on the basis of currently existing facts, conditions and values, is deemed uncertain. The possibility of loss on a Doubtful asset is high but, because of certain important and reasonably specific pending factors which may strengthen the asset, its classification as an estimated loss is deferred until its more exact status can be determined.

7 (Loss) – The debt investment is considered almost fully uncollectible and of such little value that its continuance as an asset is not warranted. It is generally a credit that is no longer supported by an operating company, a credit where the majority of our assets have been liquidated or sold and a few assets remain to be sold over many months or even years, or a credit where the remaining collections are expected to be minimal.

As of December 31, 2017 , we had debt investments in 35 portfolio companies, totaling $246.3 million at fair value, of which $3.8 million, $222.0 million, $16.5 million, and $2.9 million, and $1.2 million were rated 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, respectively.

Investment Committees

OFS Advisor’s Pre-Allocation Investment Committee, CLO Investment Committee and Middle-Market Investment Committee, (the “Middle-Market Investment Committee”, and collectively, the “Advisor Investment Committees”), are responsible for the overall asset allocation decisions and the evaluation and approval of investments of OFS Advisor’s advisory clients.

The Middle-Market Investment Committee, which is comprised of Richard Ressler (Chairman), Jeffrey Cerny, Mark Hauser and Bilal Rashid, along with the investment committee for SBIC I LP (the “SBIC Investment Committee”), which is comprised of Mark Hauser, Bilal Rashid, Jeffrey Cerny and Tod Reichert, is responsible for the evaluation and approval of all the investments made by us directly or through our wholly-owned subsidiaries, as appropriate.

The process employed by the Advisor Investment Committees, including the Middle-Market Investment Committee, and the SBIC Investment Committee is intended to bring the diverse experience and perspectives of the committees’ members to the investment process. The Middle-Market Investment Committee and SBIC Investment Committee serve to provide investment consistency and adherence to our core investment philosophy and policies. The Middle-Market Investment Committee and SBIC Investment Committee also determine appropriate investment sizing and implement ongoing monitoring requirements of our investments.

In certain instances, management may seek the approval of our board of directors prior to the making of an investment. In addition to reviewing investments, the meetings of the Middle-Market Investment Committee and SBIC Investment Committee, where applicable, serve as a forum to discuss credit views and outlooks. Potential transactions and deal flow are reviewed on a regular basis. Members of the investment team are encouraged to share information and views on credits with members of the Middle-Market Investment Committee and SBIC Investment Committee, where applicable, early in their analysis. We believe this process improves the quality of the analysis and assists the deal team members in working efficiently.

Investments

We pursue an investment strategy focused primarily on investments in middle-market companies in the United States. We focus on investments in loans, in which OFS Advisor’s investment professionals have expertise, including investments in first-lien, unitranche, second-lien, and mezzanine loans and, to a lesser extent, on warrants and other equity securities. We seek to create a diverse portfolio by making investments in the securities of middle-market companies that we expect to range generally from $3.0 million to $25.0 million each, although we expect this investment size will vary proportionately with the size of our capital base.

Structure of Investments

We anticipate that our loan portfolio will continue to contain investments of the following types with the following typical characteristics:

Senior Secured First-Lien Loans. First-lien senior secured loans comprise, and will continue to comprise, a significant portion of our investment portfolio. First-lien senior secured loans obtain security interests in the assets of these portfolio companies as collateral in support of the repayment of these loans (in certain cases, subject to a payment waterfall). The collateral takes the form of first-priority liens on specified assets of the portfolio company borrower and, typically, first-priority pledges of the ownership interests in the borrower. Our first lien loans may provide for moderate loan amortization in the early years of the loan, with the majority of the amortization deferred until loan maturity. These loans are categorized as

Senior Secured Loans in our consolidated schedule of investments included in "Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data."

Senior Secured Unitranche Loans. Unitranche loans are loans that combine both senior and subordinated debt into one loan under which the borrower pays a single blended interest rate that is intended to reflect the relative risk of the secured and unsecured components. We typically structure our unitranche loans as senior secured loans. We obtain security interests in the assets of these portfolio companies as collateral in support of the repayment of these loans. This collateral takes the form of first-priority liens on the assets of a portfolio company and, typically, first-priority pledges of the ownership interests in the company. We believe that unitranche lending represents a significant growth opportunity for us, offering the borrower the convenience of dealing with one lender, which may result in a higher blended rate of interest to us than we might realize in a traditional multi-tranche structure. Unitranche loans typically provide for moderate loan amortization in the initial years of the facility, with the majority of the amortization deferred until loan maturity. Unitranche loans generally allow the borrower to make a large lump sum payment of principal at the end of the loan term, and there is a risk of loss if the borrower is unable to pay the lump sum or refinance the amount owed at maturity. In many cases, we will be the sole lender, or we, together with our affiliates, will be the sole lender, of unitranche loans, which can afford us additional influence with a borrower in terms of monitoring and, if necessary, remediation in the event of underperformance. These loans are categorized as Senior Secured Loans in our consolidated schedule of investments included in "Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data."

Senior Secured Second-lien Loans. Second-lien senior secured loans obtain security interests in the assets of these portfolio companies as collateral in support of the repayment of such loans. This collateral typically takes the form of second-priority liens on the assets of a portfolio company, and we may enter into an inter-creditor agreement with the holders of the portfolio company’s first-lien senior secured debt. These loans typically provide for no contractual loan amortization in the initial years of the facility, with all amortization deferred until loan maturity. These loans are categorized as Senior Secured Loans in our consolidated schedule of investments included in "Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data."

Subordinated (“Mezzanine”) Loans. These investments are typically structured as unsecured, subordinated loans that typically provide for relatively high, fixed interest rates that provide us with significant current interest income. These loans typically will have interest-only payments (often representing a combination of cash pay and payment-in-kind (“PIK”) interest) in the early years, with amortization of principal deferred to maturity. Mezzanine loans generally allow the borrower to make a large lump sum payment of principal at the end of the loan term, and there is a risk of loss if the borrower is unable to pay the lump sum or refinance the amount owed at maturity. Mezzanine investments are generally more volatile than secured loans and may involve a greater risk of loss of principal. Mezzanine loans often include a PIK feature (meaning a feature allowing for the payment of interest in the form of additional principal amount of the loan instead of in cash), which effectively operates as negative amortization of loan principal, thereby increasing credit risk exposure over the life of the loan. These loans are categorized as Subordinated Loans in our consolidated schedule of investments included in "Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data."

Equity Securities. Equity securities typically consist of either a direct minority equity investment in common or membership/partnership interests or preferred stock of a portfolio company, and are typically not control-oriented investments. Our preferred equity investments typically contain a fixed dividend yield based on the par value of the equity security. Preferred equity dividends may be paid in cash at a stipulated date, usually quarterly, and are participating and/or cumulative. We may structure such equity investments to include provisions protecting our rights as a minority-interest holder, as well as a “put,” or right to sell such securities back to the issuer, upon the occurrence of specified events. In many cases, we may also seek to obtain registration rights in connection with these equity interests, which may include demand and “piggyback” registration rights, which grants us the right to register our equity interest when either the portfolio company or another investor in the portfolio company files a registration statement with the SEC to issue securities. Our equity investments typically are made in connection with debt investments to the same portfolio companies. These securities are categorized as a Preferred Equity or Common Equity in our consolidated schedule of investments included in "Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data."

Warrants. In some cases, we may receive nominally priced warrants to buy a minority equity interest in the portfolio company in connection with a loan. As a result, as a portfolio company appreciates in value, we may achieve additional investment return from this equity interest. We may structure such warrants to include provisions protecting our rights as a minority-interest holder, as well as a put to sell such securities back to the issuer, upon the occurrence of specified events. In many cases, we may also seek to obtain registration rights in connection with these equity interests, which may include demand and “piggyback” registration rights. These securities are categorized as Warrants in our consolidated schedule of investments included in "Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data."

General Structuring Considerations. We tailor the terms of each investment to the facts and circumstances of the transaction and the prospective portfolio company, negotiating a structure that protects our rights and manages our risk while creating incentives for the portfolio company to achieve its business plan and improve its operating results. We seek to limit the downside potential of our investments by:

We expect to hold most of our investments to maturity or repayment, but we may sell some of our investments earlier if a liquidity event occurs, such as a sale, recapitalization or worsening of the credit quality of the portfolio company.

MANAGEMENT AND OTHER AGREEMENTS

Investment Advisory Agreement

OFS Advisor is registered as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act. OFS Advisor is a wholly owned subsidiary of OFSAM. Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with and subject to the overall supervision of our board of directors and in accordance with the 1940 Act, OFS Advisor provides investment advisory services to us. Under the terms of the Investment Advisory Agreement, OFS Advisor:

Management and Incentive Fee .

For providing these services, OFS Advisor receives a fee from us, consisting of two components—a base management fee and an incentive fee. The base management fee is calculated at an annual rate of 1.75% based on the average value of our total assets (other than cash and cash equivalents but including assets purchased with borrowed amounts and including assets owned by any consolidated entity), adjusted for stock issuances and stock purchases, at the end of the two most recently completed calendar quarters. We have excluded from the base management fee calculation any base management fee that would be owed in respect of the intangible asset and goodwill resulting from the SBIC Acquisition. The base management fee is payable quarterly in arrears. Base management fees for any partial quarter are prorated based on the number of days in the quarter.

The incentive fee has two parts. One part ("Part One") is calculated and payable quarterly in arrears based on our pre-incentive fee net investment income for the immediately preceding calendar quarter. “Pre-incentive fee net investment income” means interest income, dividend income and any other income (including any other fees such as commitment, origination and sourcing, structuring, diligence and consulting fees or other fees that we receive from portfolio companies but excluding fees for providing managerial assistance) accrued during the calendar quarter, minus operating expenses for the quarter (including the base management fee, any expenses payable under the Administration Agreement and any interest expense and dividends paid on any outstanding preferred stock, but excluding the incentive fee). Pre-incentive fee net investment income includes, in the case of investments with a deferred interest or dividend feature (such as original issue discount, or "OID", debt instruments with PIK interest, equity investments with accruing or PIK dividend, and zero coupon securities), accrued income that we have not yet received in cash.

Pre-incentive fee net investment income does not include any realized gains, realized losses, unrealized capital appreciation or unrealized capital depreciation. Because of the structure of the incentive fee, it is possible that we may pay an incentive fee in a quarter where we incur a loss. For example, if we receive pre-incentive fee net investment income in excess of the hurdle rate (as defined below) for a quarter, we will pay the applicable incentive fee even if we have incurred a loss in that quarter due to realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation.

Pre-incentive fee net investment income, expressed as a rate of return on the value of our net assets (defined as total assets less indebtedness and before taking into account any incentive fees payable during the period) at the end of the immediately preceding calendar quarter, is compared to a fixed “hurdle rate” of 2.0% per quarter. If market interest rates rise, we may be able to invest our funds in debt instruments that provide for a higher return, which would increase our pre-incentive fee net investment income and make it easier for OFS Advisor to surpass the fixed hurdle rate and receive an incentive fee based on such net investment income. There is no accumulation of amounts on the hurdle rate from quarter to quarter and, accordingly, there is no clawback of amounts previously paid if subsequent quarters are below the quarterly hurdle rate, and there is no delay of payment if prior quarters are below the quarterly hurdle rate. Pre-incentive fee net investment income fees are prorated for any partial quarter based on the number of days in such quarter.

We pay OFS Advisor an incentive fee with respect to our pre-incentive fee net investment income in each calendar quarter as follows: 

The following is a graphical representation of the calculation of the income-related portion of the incentive fee:

Quarterly Incentive Fee Based on Net Investment Income

The second part ("Part Two") of the incentive fee (the “Capital Gains Fee”) is determined and payable in arrears as of the end of each calendar year (or upon termination of the Investment Advisory Agreement, as of the termination date) and is calculated at the end of each applicable year by subtracting (a) the sum of our cumulative aggregate realized capital losses and our aggregate unrealized capital depreciation from (b) our cumulative aggregate realized capital gains. If such amount is positive at the end of such year, then the Capital Gains Fee for such year is equal to 20.0% of such amount, less the aggregate amount of Capital Gains Fees paid in all prior years. If such amount is negative, then there is no Capital Gains Fee for such year. The Company accrues the Capital Gains Fee if, on a cumulative basis, the sum of net realized capital gains and (losses) plus net unrealized appreciation and (depreciation) is positive.

The cumulative aggregate realized capital gains are calculated as the sum of the differences, if positive, between (a) the net sales price of each investment in our portfolio when sold and (b) the accreted or amortized cost basis of such investment.

The cumulative aggregate realized capital losses are calculated as the sum of the amounts by which (a) the net sales price of each investment in our portfolio when sold is less than (b) the accreted or amortized cost basis of such investment.

The aggregate unrealized capital depreciation is calculated as the sum of the differences, if negative, between (a) the valuation of each investment in our portfolio as of the applicable Capital Gains Fee calculation date and (b) the accreted or amortized cost basis of such investments. Unrealized capital appreciation is accrued, but not paid until said appreciation is realized. We accrue the Capital Gains Fee if, on a cumulative basis, the sum of the net realized capital gains (and losses) plus net unrealized appreciation (and depreciation) is positive. OFS Advisor has excluded from the Capital Gains Fee calculation the realized gain with respect to the step acquisitions resulting from the SBIC Acquisition. The Capital Gains Fee for any partial year is prorated based on the number of days in such year.

The base management fee is payable quarterly in arrears and was $5.0 million, $4.5 million, and $4.9 million, for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015 , respectively.

Examples of Incentive Fee Calculation

Example 1—Income Related Portion of Incentive Fee:

Assumptions

(1) Represents a quarter of the 8.0% annualized hurdle rate.

(2) Represents a quarter of the 1.75% annualized management fee, which became effective October 31, 2013.

(3) Excludes estimated offering expenses.

Alternative 1

Additional Assumptions  

Pre-incentive fee net investment income does not exceed the hurdle rate, therefore there is no incentive fee.

Alternative 2

Additional Assumptions  

Pre-incentive fee net investment income exceeds hurdle rate, therefore there is an incentive fee.

Pre-incentive fee net investment income exceeds hurdle rate, therefore there is an incentive fee. 

Example 2—Capital Gains Portion of Incentive Fee:

Alternative 1

Assumptions  

The capital gains portion of the incentive fee, if any, would be: 

Alternative 2  

Assumptions  

The capital gains portion of the incentive fee, if any, would be: 

Payment of Our Expenses .

All investment professionals of OFS Advisor and/or its affiliates, when and to the extent engaged in providing investment advisory and management services to us, and the compensation and routine overhead expenses of personnel allocable to these services to us, are provided and paid for by OFS Advisor and not by us. We bear all other out-of-pocket costs and expenses of our operations and transactions. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Results of Operations—Key Financial Measures—Expenses.”

Duration and Termination

Unless terminated earlier as described below, the Investment Advisory Agreement will remain in effect from year to year if approved annually by our board of directors or by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of our outstanding voting securities, and, in either case, if also approved by a majority of our directors who are not “interested persons” as defined in the 1940 Act. The Investment Advisory Agreement automatically terminates in the event of its assignment, as defined in the 1940 Act, by OFS Advisor and may be terminated by either party without penalty upon not less than 60 days’ written notice to the other. The holders of a majority of our outstanding voting securities may also terminate the Investment Advisory Agreement without penalty upon not less than 60 days’ written notice. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Risks Related to our Business and Structure— We are dependent upon the OFS senior professionals for our future success and upon their access to the investment professionals and partners of OFS and its affiliates. ” 

Administration Agreement  

Pursuant to the Administration Agreement, OFS Services, an affiliate of OFS Advisor, provides the administrative services necessary for us to operate. OFS Services furnishes us with office facilities and equipment, necessary software licenses and subscriptions and clerical, and bookkeeping and record keeping services at such facilities. Under the Administration Agreement, OFS Services performs, or oversees the performance of, our required administrative services, which include being responsible for the financial records that we are required to maintain and preparing reports to our stockholders and all other reports and materials required to be filed with the SEC or any other regulatory authority. In addition, OFS Services assists us in determining and publishing our net asset value, oversees the preparation and filing of our tax returns and the printing and dissemination of reports to our stockholders, and generally oversees the payment of our expenses and the performance of administrative and professional services rendered to us by others. Under the Administration Agreement, OFS Services would provide managerial assistance on our behalf to certain portfolio companies that accept our offer to provide such assistance. Payments under the Administration Agreement are equal to an amount based upon our allocable portion (subject to the review and approval of our board of directors) of OFS Services’ overhead in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement, including rent, information technology, and our allocable portion of the cost of our officers, including our chief executive officer, chief financial officer, chief compliance officer, chief accounting officer, and their respective staffs. The Administration Agreement may be renewed annually with the approval of our board of directors, including a majority of our directors who are not “interested persons.” The Administration Agreement may be terminated by either party without penalty upon 60 days’ written notice to the other party. To the extent that OFS Services outsources any of its functions we pay the fees associated with such functions at cost without incremental profit to OFS Services.

Indemnification

The Investment Advisory Agreement and the Administration Agreement both provide that OFS Advisor, OFS Services and their affiliates’ respective officers, directors, members, managers, stockholders and employees are entitled to indemnification from us from and against any claims or liabilities, including reasonable legal fees and other expenses reasonably incurred, arising out of or in connection with our business and operations or any action taken or omitted on our behalf pursuant to authority granted by the Investment Advisory Agreement or the Administration Agreement, except where attributable to willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of such person’s duties or reckless disregard of such person’s obligations and duties under the Investment Advisory Agreement or the Administration Agreement.

Board Approval of the Investment Advisory and Administrative Agreements

Our board, including our independent directors, approved the Investment Advisory Agreement at a meeting held on April 7, 2017. In reaching a decision to approve the investment advisory agreement, the board of directors reviewed a significant amount of information and considered, among other things: 

Based on the information reviewed and the discussion thereof, the board of directors, including a majority of the non-interested directors, concluded that the investment advisory fee rates are reasonable in relation to the services to be provided and approved the Investment Advisory Agreement as being in the best interests of our stockholders. 

Our board also reviewed services provided under the Administrative Agreement, and approved its renewal at the April 7, 2017 meeting.  

License Agreement

We have entered into a license agreement with OFSAM under which OFSAM has agreed to grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use the name “OFS.” Under this agreement, we have a right to use the “OFS” name for so long as OFS Advisor or one of its affiliates remains our investment adviser. Other than with respect to this limited license, we have no legal right to the “OFS” name. This license agreement will remain in effect for so long as the Investment Advisory Agreement with OFS Advisor is in effect.

REGULATION

General

We have elected to be regulated as a BDC under the 1940 Act. The 1940 Act contains prohibitions and restrictions relating to transactions between BDCs and their affiliates (including any investment advisers or sub-advisers), principal underwriters and affiliates of those affiliates or underwriters and requires that a majority of the directors be persons other than “interested persons,” as that term is defined in the 1940 Act.

In addition, the 1940 Act provides that we may not change the nature of our business so as to cease to be, or to withdraw our election as, a BDC unless approved by “a majority of our outstanding voting securities” as defined in the 1940 Act. A majority of the outstanding voting securities of a company is defined under the 1940 Act as the lesser of: (a) 67% or more of such company’s voting securities present at a meeting if more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of such company are present or represented by proxy, or (b) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of such company. We do not anticipate any substantial change in the nature of our business.

We generally cannot issue and sell our common stock at a price below net asset value per share. We may, however, issue and sell our common stock, or warrants, options or rights to acquire our common stock, at a price below the then-current net asset value of our common stock if (1) our board of directors determines that such sale is in our best interests and the best interests of our stockholders, and (2) our stockholders have approved our policy and practice of making such sales within the preceding 12 months. In any such case, the price at which our securities are to be issued and sold may not be less than a price which, in the determination of our board of directors, closely approximates the market value of such securities.

As a BDC, we are required to meet a coverage ratio of the value of total assets to senior securities, which include all of our borrowings and any preferred stock we may issue in the future, of at least 200%. The Company received exemptive relief from the SEC effective November 26, 2013, which allows us to exclude our SBA guaranteed debentures from the definition of senior securities in the statutory 200% asset coverage ratio under the 1940 Act.

The 1940 Act generally prohibits BDCs from making certain negotiated co-investments with certain affiliates absent an order from the SEC permitting the BDC to do so. On October 12, 2016, we received exemptive relief from the SEC to permit us to co-invest in portfolio companies with certain funds managed by OFS Advisor ("Affiliated Funds") in a manner consistent with our investment objective, positions, policies, strategies and restrictions as well as regulatory requirements and other pertinent factors, subject to compliance with certain conditions (the "Order"). Pursuant to the Order, we are generally permitted to co-invest with Affiliated Funds if a “required majority” (as defined in Section 57(o) of the 1940 Act) of our independent directors make certain conclusions in connection with a co-investment transaction, including that (1) the terms of the transactions, including the consideration to be paid, are reasonable and fair to us and our stockholders and do not involve overreaching by us or our stockholders on the part of any person concerned and (2) the transaction is consistent with the interests of our stockholders and is consistent with our investment objective and strategies.

Legislation has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate intended to revise certain regulations applicable to BDCs. The legislation provides for (i) modifying the asset coverage ratio from 200% to 150%, (ii) permitting BDCs to file registration statements with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that incorporate information from already-filed reports by reference, (iii) utilizing other streamlined registration processes afforded to operating companies, and (iv) allowing BDCs to own investment adviser subsidiaries. There are no assurances as to when the legislation will be enacted by Congress, if at all, or, if enacted, what final form the legislation would take.

We may invest up to 100% of our assets in securities acquired directly from issuers in privately negotiated transactions. With respect to such securities, we may, for the purpose of public resale, be deemed an “underwriter” as that term is defined in the Securities Act. Our intention is to not write (sell) or buy put or call options to manage risks associated with the publicly traded securities of our portfolio companies, except that we may enter into hedging transactions to manage the risks associated with interest rate fluctuations. However, we may purchase or otherwise receive warrants to purchase the common stock of our portfolio companies in connection with acquisition financing or other investments. Similarly, in connection with an acquisition, we may acquire rights to require the issuers of acquired securities or their affiliates to repurchase them under

certain circumstances. We also do not intend to acquire securities issued by any investment company that exceed the limits imposed by the 1940 Act. Under these limits, except for registered money market funds, we generally cannot acquire more than 3% of the voting stock of any registered investment company, invest more than 5% of the value of our total assets in the securities of one investment company, or invest more than 10% of the value of our total assets in the securities of more than one investment company. With regard to that portion of our portfolio invested in securities issued by investment companies, it should be noted that such investments might subject our stockholders to additional expenses as they will be indirectly responsible for the costs and expenses of such companies. None of our investment policies are fundamental and may be changed without stockholder approval.

Qualifying Assets

Under the 1940 Act, a BDC may not acquire any asset other than assets of the type listed in section 55(a) of the 1940 Act, which are referred to as “qualifying assets,” unless, at the time the acquisition is made, qualifying assets represent at least 70% of the company’s assets, as defined by the 1940 Act. The principal categories of qualifying assets relevant to our business are the following:

Control, as defined by the 1940 Act, is presumed to exist where a BDC beneficially owns more than 25% of the outstanding voting securities of the portfolio company.

The regulations defining qualifying assets may change over time. We may adjust our investment focus as needed to comply with and/or take advantage of any regulatory, legislative, administrative or judicial actions in this area.

Managerial Assistance to Portfolio Companies

A BDC must have been organized and have its principal place of business in the United States and must be operated for the purpose of making investments in the types of securities described in (a), (b) or (c) above. However, in order to count portfolio securities as qualifying assets for the purpose of the 70% test, the BDC must either control the issuer of the securities or must offer to make available to the issuer of the securities (other than small and solvent companies described above) significant managerial assistance. Where the BDC purchases such securities in conjunction with one or more other persons acting together, the BDC will satisfy this test if one of the other persons in the group makes available such managerial assistance, although this may not be the sole method by which the BDC satisfies the requirement to make available managerial

assistance. Making available managerial assistance means, among other things, any arrangement whereby the BDC, through its directors, officers or employees, offers to provide, and, if accepted, does so provide, significant guidance and counsel concerning the management, operations or business objectives and policies of a portfolio company. With respect to an SBIC, making available managerial assistance means the making of loans to a portfolio company.

Temporary Investments

Pending investment in other types of qualifying assets, as described above, our investments may consist of cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities, repurchase agreements and high-quality debt investments that mature in one year or less from the date of investment, which we refer to, collectively, as temporary investments, so that 70% of our assets, as defined by the 1940 Act, are qualifying assets or temporary investments. We may invest in highly rated commercial paper, U.S. Government agency notes, and U.S. Treasury bills or repurchase agreements relating to such securities that are fully collateralized by cash or securities issued by the U.S. government or its agencies. A repurchase agreement involves the purchase by an investor, such as us, of a specified security and the simultaneous agreement by the seller to repurchase it at an agreed-upon future date and at a price that is greater than the purchase price by an amount that reflects an agreed-upon interest rate. Consequently, repurchase agreements are functionally similar to loans. There is no percentage restriction on the proportion of our assets that may be invested in such repurchase agreements. However, the 1940 Act and certain diversification tests in order to qualify as a RIC for federal income tax purposes typically require us to limit the amount we invest with any one counterparty. Accordingly, we do not intend to enter into repurchase agreements with a single counterparty in excess of this limit. OFS Advisor monitors the creditworthiness of the counterparties with which we enter into repurchase agreement transactions.

Warrants and Options

Under the 1940 Act, a BDC is subject to restrictions on the amount of warrants, options, restricted stock or rights to purchase shares of capital stock that it may have outstanding at any time. Under the 1940 Act, we may generally only offer warrants provided that (i) the warrants expire by their terms within ten years, (ii) the exercise or conversion price is not less than the current market value at the date of issuance, (iii) our stockholders authorize the proposal to issue such warrants, and our board of directors approves such issuance on the basis that the issuance is in the best interests of OFS Capital and its stockholders and (iv) if the warrants are accompanied by other securities, the warrants are not separately transferable unless no class of such warrants and the securities accompanying them has been publicly distributed. The 1940 Act also provides that the amount of our voting securities that would result from the exercise of all outstanding warrants, as well as options and rights, at the time of issuance may not exceed 25% of our outstanding voting securities. In particular, the amount of capital stock that would result from the conversion or exercise of all outstanding warrants, options or rights to purchase capital stock cannot exceed 25% of the BDC’s total outstanding shares of capital stock.

Senior Securities

We are permitted, under specified conditions, to issue multiple classes of indebtedness and one class of stock senior to our common stock if our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, is at least equal to 200% immediately after each such issuance. In addition, while any senior securities remain outstanding, we must make provisions to prohibit any distribution to our stockholders or the repurchase of such securities or shares unless we meet the applicable asset coverage ratios at the time of the distribution or repurchase. We may also borrow amounts up to 5% of the value of our total assets for temporary or emergency purposes without regard to asset coverage. For a discussion of the risks associated with leverage, see “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Risks Related to BDCs— Regulations governing our operation as a BDC affect our ability to and the way in which we raise additional capital. As a BDC, we will need to raise additional capital, which will expose us to risks, including the typical risks associated with leverage. ”

Compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the Nasdaq Global Select Market Corporate Governance Regulations

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) imposes a wide variety of regulatory requirements on publicly held companies and their insiders. Many of these requirements affect us. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act has required us to review our policies and procedures to determine whether we comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder. We will continue to monitor our compliance with all future regulations that are adopted under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and will take actions necessary to ensure that we are in compliance therewith.

In addition, The Nasdaq Global Select Market has adopted various corporate governance requirements as part of its listing standards. We believe we are in compliance with such corporate governance listing standards. We will continue to monitor our compliance with all future listing standards and will take actions necessary to ensure that we are in compliance therewith.

Exemptive Relief

We are generally prohibited under the 1940 Act from knowingly participating in certain transactions with our affiliates without the prior approval of our board of directors who are not interested persons and, in some cases, prior approval by the SEC. The SEC has interpreted the BDC prohibition on transactions with affiliates to prohibit all “joint transactions” between entities that share a common investment adviser. Further, the 1940 Act generally prohibits BDCs from making certain negotiated co-investments with certain affiliates absent an order from the SEC permitting the BDC to do so. On October 12, 2016, we received exemptive relief from the SEC to permit us to co-invest in portfolio companies with certain Affiliated Funds in a manner consistent with our investment objective, positions, policies, strategies and restrictions as well as regulatory requirements and other pertinent factors, subject to compliance with the Order. Pursuant to the Order, we are generally permitted to co-invest with Affiliated Funds if a “required majority” (as defined in Section 57(o) of the 1940 Act) of our independent directors make certain conclusions in connection with a co-investment transaction, including that (1) the terms of the transactions, including the consideration to be paid, are reasonable and fair to us and our stockholders and do not involve overreaching by us or our stockholders on the part of any person concerned and (2) the transaction is consistent with the interests of our stockholders and is consistent with our investment objective and strategies.

The staff of the SEC has granted no-action relief permitting purchases of a single class of privately placed securities provided that the adviser negotiates no term other than price and certain other conditions are met. As a result, unless under the Order, we only expect to co-invest on a concurrent basis with certain funds advised by OFS Advisor when each of us will own the same securities of the issuer and when no term is negotiated other than price. Any such investment would be made, subject to compliance with existing regulatory guidance, applicable regulations and OFS Advisor’s allocation policy. If opportunities arise that would otherwise be appropriate for us and for another fund advised by OFS Advisor to invest in different securities of the same issuer, OFS Advisor will need to decide which fund will proceed with the investment. The decision by OFS Advisor to allocate an opportunity to another entity could cause us to forego an investment opportunity that we otherwise would have made. Moreover, except in certain circumstances, we will be unable to invest in any issuer in which another fund advised by OFS Advisor has previously invested.

Small Business Investment Company Regulations

Our wholly owned subsidiary, SBIC I LP is an SBIC and must maintain compliance with SBA regulations.

SBICs are designed to stimulate the flow of private equity capital to eligible small businesses. Under SBA regulations, SBICs may make loans to eligible small businesses and invest in the equity securities of small businesses. The SBIC license allows SBIC I LP to receive SBA-guaranteed debenture funding, subject to the issuance of a leverage commitment by the SBA and other customary procedures. SBA-guaranteed debentures are non-recourse, interest only debentures with interest payable semi-annually and have a ten year maturity. The principal amount of SBA-guaranteed debentures is not required to be paid prior to maturity but may be prepaid without penalty twice each year on certain dates. The interest rate of SBA-guaranteed debentures is fixed at the time of issuance at a market-driven spread over U.S. Treasury Notes with 10-year maturities.

SBA regulations currently limit the amount that an SBIC may borrow to up to a maximum of $150 million when it has at least $75 million in regulatory capital, receives a leverage commitment from the SBA and has been through an examination by the SBA subsequent to licensing. For two or more SBICs under common control, the maximum amount of outstanding SBA debentures cannot exceed $350 million.

The investments of an SBIC are limited to loans to and equity securities of eligible small businesses. Under present SBA regulations, eligible small businesses generally include businesses that (together with their affiliates) have a tangible net worth not exceeding $19.5 million and have average annual net income after U.S. federal income taxes not exceeding $6.5 million (average net income to be computed without benefit of any carryover loss) for the two most recent fiscal years. In addition, an SBIC must devote 25% of its investment activity to “smaller concerns,” as defined by the SBA. A smaller concern generally includes businesses that have a tangible net worth not exceeding $6 million and have average annual net income after U.S. federal income taxes not exceeding $2 million (average net income to be computed without benefit of any net carryover loss) for the two most recent fiscal years. SBA regulations also provide alternative criteria to determine eligibility, which may include, among other things, the industry in which the business is engaged, the number of employees of the business, its gross sales, and the extent to which the SBIC is proposing to participate in a change of ownership of the business. According to SBA regulations, SBICs may make long-term loans to small businesses, invest in the equity securities of such businesses and provide them with consulting and advisory services.

The SBA prohibits an SBIC from providing funds to small businesses for certain purposes, such as relending, real estate or investing in companies outside of the United States, and from providing funds to businesses engaged in a few prohibited industries and to certain “passive” (i.e., non-operating) companies. In addition, without prior SBA approval, an SBIC may not invest an amount equal to more than approximately 30% of the SBIC’s regulatory capital in any one company and its affiliates.

SBICs must invest idle funds that are not being used to make investments permitted under SBA regulations in the following limited types of securities: (i) direct obligations of, or obligations guaranteed as to principal and interest by, the U.S. government, which mature within 15 months from the date of the investment; (ii) repurchase agreements with federally insured institutions with a maturity of seven days or less (and the securities underlying the repurchase obligations must be direct obligations of or guaranteed by the federal government); (iii) certificates of deposit with a maturity of one year or less, issued by a federally insured institution; (iv) a deposit account in a federally insured institution that is subject to a withdrawal restriction of one year or less; (v) a checking account in a federally insured institution; or (vi) a reasonable petty cash fund.

SBA regulations include restrictions on a “change of control” or other transfers of limited partnership interests in an SBIC. In addition, SBIC I LP may also be limited in its ability to make distributions to us if it does not have sufficient accumulated net profit, in accordance with SBA regulations.

SBIC I LP is subject to regulation and oversight by the SBA, including requirements with respect to maintaining certain minimum financial ratios and other covenants. Receipt of the SBIC license and an SBA leverage commitment does not ensure that SBIC I LP will receive SBA guaranteed debenture funding, and such funding is dependent upon SBIC I LP’s continued compliance with SBA regulations and policies.

The SBA, as a creditor, will have a superior claim to the SBIC I LP’s assets over our stockholders in the event that SBIC I LP is liquidated or the SBA exercises its remedies under the SBA debentures issued by SBIC I LP in the event of a default.

Other

We are subject to periodic examination by the SEC for compliance with the Exchange Act, and the 1940 Act.

We are required to provide and maintain a bond issued by a reputable fidelity insurance company to protect us against larceny and embezzlement. Furthermore, as a BDC, we are prohibited from protecting any director or officer against any liability to OFS Capital or our stockholders arising from willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such person’s office.

We and OFS Advisor each have adopted and implemented written policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent violation of relevant federal securities laws, will review these policies and procedures annually for their adequacy and the effectiveness of their implementation, and have designated a chief compliance officer to be responsible for administering the policies and procedures.

Our internet address is www.ofscapital.com . We make available free of charge on our website our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, proxy statement and amendments to those reports as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC.

Codes of Ethics

We and OFS Advisor have each adopted a code of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act that establishes procedures for personal investments and restricts certain personal securities transactions. Personnel subject to either code may invest in securities for their personal investment accounts, including securities that may be purchased or held by us, so long as such investments are made in accordance with the code’s requirements. Our code of ethics is available, free of charge, on our website at www.ofscapital.com . You may also read and copy the code of ethics at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at (202) 942-8090. In addition, the code of ethics is available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You may also obtain copies of the code of ethics, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the SEC’s Public Reference Section, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549.

Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures

We have delegated our proxy voting responsibility to OFS Advisor. The proxy voting policies and procedures of OFS Advisor are set out below. The guidelines are reviewed periodically by OFS Advisor and our directors who are not “interested persons,” and, accordingly, are subject to change. For purposes of these proxy voting policies and procedures described below, “we,” “our” and “us” refer to OFS Advisor.

Introduction

As an investment adviser registered under the Advisers Act, we have a fiduciary duty to act solely in the best interests of our clients. As part of this duty, we recognize that we must vote client securities in a timely manner free of conflicts of interest and in the best interests of our clients.

These policies and procedures for voting proxies for our investment advisory clients are intended to comply with Section 206 of, and Rule 206(4)-6 under, the Advisers Act.

Proxy Policies

We vote proxies relating to our portfolio securities in what we perceive to be the best interest of our clients. We review on a case-by-case basis each proposal submitted to a stockholder vote to determine its effect on the portfolio securities held by our clients. In most cases we will vote in favor of proposals that we believe are likely to increase the economic value of the underlying portfolio securities held by our clients. Although we will generally vote against proposals that may have a negative effect on our clients’ portfolio securities, we may vote for such a proposal if there exist compelling long-term reasons to do so.

Our proxy voting decisions are made by those senior officers who are responsible for monitoring each of our clients’ investments. To ensure that our vote is not the product of a conflict of interest, we require that (1) anyone involved in the decision-making process disclose to our chief compliance officer any potential conflict that he or she is aware of and any contact that he or she has had with any interested party regarding a proxy vote; and (2) employees involved in the decision-making process or vote administration are prohibited from revealing how we intend to vote on a proposal in order to reduce any attempted influence from interested parties. Where conflicts of interest may be present, we will disclose such conflicts to our client, including with respect to OFS Capital, those directors who are not interested persons and we may request guidance from such persons on how to vote such proxies for their account.

Proxy Voting Records

You may obtain information about how we voted proxies for OFS Capital, free of charge, by making a written request for proxy voting information to: OFS Capital Corporation, 10 S. Wacker Drive, Suite 2500, Chicago, Illinois 60606, Attention: Investor Relations, or by calling OFS Capital Corporation at (847) 734-2000. The SEC also maintains a website at http://www.sec.gov that contains such information.

Privacy Principles

We are committed to maintaining the privacy of our stockholders and to safeguarding their nonpublic personal information. The following information is provided to help you understand what personal information we collect, how we protect that information and why, in certain cases, we may share information with select other parties.

Generally, we do not receive any nonpublic personal information relating to our stockholders, although certain nonpublic personal information of our stockholders may become available to us. We do not disclose any nonpublic personal information about our stockholders or former stockholders to anyone, except as permitted by law or as is necessary in order to service stockholder accounts (for example, to a transfer agent or third-party administrator).

We restrict access to nonpublic personal information about our stockholders to employees of OFS Advisor and its affiliates with a legitimate business need for the information. We maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards designed to protect the nonpublic personal information of our stockholders.

Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations

Election to be Taxed as a RIC

We have elected to be taxed as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. As a RIC, we are not required to pay corporate-level federal income taxes on any income that we distribute to our stockholders from our otherwise taxable earnings and profits. To maintain our qualification as a RIC, we must, among other things, meet certain source-of-income and asset diversification requirements, as described below. In addition, to receive RIC tax treatment, we must distribute to our stockholders, for each taxable year, the Annual Distribution Requirement. The excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses, if any ("Net Capital Gains"), are not a component of the Annual Distribution Requirement, but impacts taxable income if not distributed as discussed below.

Taxation as a RIC

If we:

then we will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the portion of our ICTI or Net Capital Gains we distribute to stockholders. We will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the regular corporate rates on any ICTI or Net Capital Gain not distributed (or deemed distributed) to our stockholders.

We are also subject to a 4% nondeductible federal excise tax on certain undistributed income unless we distribute in a timely manner an amount at least equal to the sum of (1) 98% of our net ordinary income for each calendar year, (2) 98.2% of

our capital gain net income (both long-term and short-term) for the one-year period ending October 31 in that calendar year (or, if we so elect, for that calendar year) and (3) any income recognized, but not distributed, in preceding years and on which we paid no federal income tax (the “Excise Tax Avoidance Requirement”). We may choose to retain a portion of our ordinary income and/or capital gain net income in any year and pay the 4% U.S. federal excise tax on the retained amounts.

In order to maintain our qualification as a RIC for federal income tax purposes, we must, among other things:

We may invest in partnerships, including qualified publicly traded partnerships, which may result in our being subject to state, local or foreign income taxes, franchise taxes, or withholding liabilities. 

We are required to recognize ICTI in circumstances in which we have not received a corresponding payment in cash. For example, we hold debt obligations that are treated under applicable tax rules as issued with OID and debt instruments with PIK interest, and we must include in ICTI each year the portion of the OID and PIK interest that accrues for that year (as it accrues over the life of the obligation), irrespective of whether the cash representing such income is received by us in that taxable year. The continued recognition of non-cash ICTI may cause difficulty in meeting the Annual Distribution Requirement. We may be required to sell investments at times and/or at prices we would not consider advantageous, raise additional debt or equity capital, or forgo new investment opportunities to meet this requirement. If we are not able to obtain cash from other sources, we may fail to qualify for RIC tax treatment and thus become subject to corporate-level income tax.

We are authorized to borrow funds and to sell assets in order to satisfy distribution requirements. However, under the 1940 Act, we are not permitted to make distributions to our stockholders while our debt obligations and other senior securities are outstanding unless certain “asset coverage” tests are met. Moreover, our ability to dispose of assets to meet our distribution requirements may be limited by (1) the illiquid nature of our portfolio and/or (2) other requirements relating to our status as a RIC, including the Diversification Tests. If we dispose of assets in order to meet the Annual Distribution Requirement or the Excise Tax Avoidance Requirement, we may make such dispositions at times that, from an investment standpoint, are not advantageous. See “Regulation—Senior Securities.”

Certain of our investment practices may be subject to special and complex federal income tax provisions that may, among other things, (1) treat dividends that would otherwise qualify for the dividends received deduction or constitute qualified dividend income as ineligible for such treatment, (2) disallow, suspend or otherwise limit the allowance of certain losses or deductions, (3) convert lower-taxed long-term capital gain into higher-taxed short-term capital gain or ordinary income, (4) convert an ordinary loss or a deduction into a capital loss (the deductibility of which is more limited), (5) cause us to recognize income or gain without receipt of a corresponding distribution of cash, (6) adversely affect the time as to when a purchase or sale of stock or securities is deemed to occur, (7) adversely alter the characterization of certain complex financial transactions and (8) produce income that will not be considered "qualifying income" for purposes of the 90% Income Test. We will monitor our transactions and may make certain tax elections to mitigate the potential adverse effect of these provisions, but there can be no assurance that any adverse effects of these provisions will be mitigated.

If we purchase shares in a “passive foreign investment company” (a “PFIC”), we may be subject to federal income tax on our allocable share of a portion of any “excess distribution” received on, or any gain from the disposition of, such shares even if our allocable share of such income is distributed as a taxable dividend to our stockholders. Additional charges in the nature of interest generally will be imposed on us in respect of deferred taxes arising from any such excess distribution or gain. If we invest in a PFIC and elect to treat the PFIC as a “qualified electing fund” under the Code (a “QEF”), in lieu of the foregoing requirements, we will be required to include in income each year our proportionate share of the ordinary earnings and

net capital gain of the QEF, even if such income is not distributed by the QEF. Alternatively, we may be able to elect to mark-to-market at the end of each taxable year our shares in a PFIC; in this case, we will recognize as ordinary income our allocable share of any increase in the value of such shares, and as ordinary loss our allocable share of any decrease in such value to the extent that any such decrease does not exceed prior increases included in its income. Under either election, we may be required to recognize in a year income in excess of distributions from PFICs and proceeds from dispositions of PFIC stock during that year, and such income will nevertheless be subject to the Annual Distribution Requirement and will be taken into account for purposes of the 4% excise tax.

Some of the income and fees that we recognize may result in ICTI that will not be "qualifying income" for the 90% Income Test. In order to ensure that such income and fees do not disqualify us as a RIC for a failure to satisfy the 90% Income Test, we may recognize such income and fees directly or indirectly through one or more entities taxed as corporations for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Such corporations are required to pay U.S. corporate income tax on their earnings, which ultimately reduces our return on such income and fees.

Failure to Qualify as a RIC  

If we are unable to maintain our qualification as a RIC, we will be subject to tax on all of our ICTI and Net Capital Gains at regular corporate rates; we will not receive a dividend deduction for any distributions to our stockholders. Distributions would not be required, and any distributions would be taxable to our stockholders as ordinary dividend income that would, for qualifying non-corporate U.S. stockholders, be eligible for the current 20% maximum rate to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits (subject to limitations under the Code). Subject to certain limitations under the Code, corporate distributions would be eligible for the dividends-received deduction. Distributions in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits would be treated first as a return of capital to the extent of the stockholder’s tax basis (reducing that basis accordingly), and any remaining distributions would be treated as a capital gain. To qualify again to be taxed as a RIC in a subsequent year, we would be required to distribute to our stockholders our earnings and profits attributable to non-RIC years. In addition, if we failed to qualify as a RIC for a period greater than two taxable years, then we would be required to elect to recognize and pay tax on any net built-in gain (the excess of aggregate gain, including items of income, over aggregate loss that would have been realized if we had been liquidated) or, alternatively, be subject to taxation on such built-in gain recognized for a period of ten years, in order to qualify as a RIC in a subsequent year.