Edgar Filing: HOSPITALITY PROPERTIES TRUST

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): February 9, 2007

HOSPITALITY PROPERTIES TRUST

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

Maryland

(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)

1-11527		04-3262075
(Commission File Number)		(IRS Employer Identification No.)

400 Centre Street, Newton, Massachusetts 02458

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

617-964-8389

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

o Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

o Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Item 8.01. Other Events.

FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS

The following summary of federal income tax considerations is based on existing law, and is limited to investors who own our shares as investment assets rather than as inventory or as property used in a trade or business. The summary does not discuss the particular tax consequences that might be relevant to you if you are subject to special rules under federal income tax law, for example if you are:

· a bank, life insurance company, regulated investment company, or other financial institution;

· a broker or dealer in securities or foreign currency;

· a person who has a functional currency other than the U.S. dollar;

· a person who acquires our shares in connection with employment or other performance of services;

· a person subject to alternative minimum tax;

· a person who owns our shares as part of a straddle, hedging transaction, constructive sale transaction, constructive ownership transaction, or conversion transaction; or

· except as specifically described in the following summary, a tax-exempt entity or a foreign person.

The Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or IRC, sections that govern federal income tax qualification and treatment of a real estate investment trust, or REIT, and its shareholders are complex. This presentation is a summary of applicable IRC provisions, related rules and regulations and administrative and judicial interpretations, all of which are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. Future legislative, judicial, or administrative actions or decisions could also affect the accuracy of statements made in this summary. We have not received a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, with respect to any matter described in this summary, and we cannot assure you that the IRS or a court will agree with the statements made in this summary. The IRS or a court could, for example, take a different position, which could result in significant tax liabilities for applicable parties, from that described in this summary with respect to our acquisitions, operations, restructurings or any other matters described in this summary. In addition, this summary is not exhaustive of all possible tax consequences, and does not discuss any estate, gift, state, local, or foreign tax consequences. For all these reasons, we urge you and any prospective acquiror of our shares to consult with a tax advisor about the federal income tax and other tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our shares. Our intentions and beliefs described in this summary are based upon our understanding of applicable laws and regulations that are in effect as of the date of this Current Report on Form 8-K. If new laws or regulations are enacted which impact us directly or indirectly, we may change our intentions or beliefs.

Your federal income tax consequences may differ depending on whether or not you are a “U.S. shareholder.” For purposes of this summary, a “U.S. shareholder” for federal income tax purposes is:

· a citizen or resident of the United States, including an alien individual who is a lawful permanent resident of the United States or meets the substantial presence residency test under the federal income tax laws;

· an entity treated as a corporation for federal income tax purposes, that is created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia;

· an estate the income of which is subject to federal income taxation regardless of its source; or

· a trust if a court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of the trust and one or more United States persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust, or electing trusts in existence on August 20, 1996, to the extent provided in Treasury regulations;

whose status as a U.S. shareholder is not overridden by an applicable tax treaty. Conversely, a “non-U.S. shareholder” is a beneficial owner of our shares who is not a U.S. shareholder. If a partnership (including any entity treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes) is a beneficial owner of our shares, the tax treatment of a partner in the partnership generally will depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. A beneficial owner that is a partnership and partners in such a partnership should consult their tax advisors about the federal income tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our shares.

Taxation as a REIT

We have elected to be taxed as a REIT under Sections 856 through 860 of the IRC, commencing with our taxable year ending December 31, 1995. Our REIT election, assuming continuing compliance with the then applicable qualification tests, continues in effect for subsequent taxable years. Although no assurance can be given, we believe that we are organized, have operated, and will continue to operate in a manner that qualifies us to be taxed under the IRC as a REIT.

As a REIT, we generally are not subject to federal income tax on our net income distributed as dividends to our shareholders. Distributions to our shareholders generally are included in their income as dividends to the extent of our current or accumulated earnings and profits. Our dividends are not generally entitled to the favorable 15% rate on qualified dividend income, but a portion of our dividends may be treated as capital gain dividends, all as explained below. No portion of any of our dividends is eligible for the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders. Distributions in excess of current or accumulated earnings and profits generally are treated for federal income tax purposes as return of capital to the extent of a recipient shareholder’s basis in our shares, and will reduce this basis. Our current or accumulated earnings and profits are generally allocated first to distributions made on our preferred shares, and thereafter to

distributions made on our common shares. For all these purposes, our distributions include both cash distributions and any in kind distributions of property that we might make (for example, as described below, our January 2007 spin off of TravelCenters of America LLC, or TA, to our common shareholders).

If a shareholder actually or constructively owns none or a small percentage of our common shares, and such shareholder surrenders its preferred shares to us to be repurchased for cash only, then the repurchase of the preferred shares is likely to qualify for sale or exchange treatment because the repurchase would not be “essentially equivalent to a dividend” as defined by the IRC. More specifically, a cash repurchase of preferred shares will be treated under Section 302 of the IRC as a distribution, and hence taxable as a dividend to the extent of our allocable current or accumulated earnings and profits, as discussed above, unless the repurchase satisfies one of the tests set forth in Section 302(b) of the IRC and is therefore treated as a sale or exchange of the repurchased shares. The repurchase will be treated as a sale or exchange if it (1) is “substantially disproportionate” with respect to the surrendering shareholder’s ownership in us, (2) results in a “complete termination” of the surrendering shareholder’s common and preferred share interest in us, or (3) is “not essentially equivalent to a dividend” with respect to the surrendering shareholder, all within the meaning of Section 302(b) of the IRC. In determining whether any of these tests have been met, a shareholder must generally take into account our common and preferred shares considered to be owned by such shareholder by reason of constructive ownership rules set forth in the IRC, as well as our common and preferred shares actually owned by such shareholder. In addition, if a repurchase is treated as a distribution under the preceding tests, then a shareholder’s tax basis in the repurchased preferred shares will be transferred to the shareholder’s remaining shares of our stock, if any, and if such shareholder owns no other shares of our stock, such basis may be transferred to a related person or may be lost entirely. Because the determination as to whether a shareholder will satisfy any of the tests of Section 302(b) of the IRC depends upon the facts and circumstances at the time that the preferred shares are repurchased, we encourage you to consult your own tax advisor to determine your particular tax treatment.

Our counsel, Sullivan & Worcester LLP, has opined that we have been organized and have qualified as a REIT under the IRC for our 1995 through 2006 taxable years and that our current investments and plan of operation enable us to continue to meet the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the IRC. Our continued qualification and taxation as a REIT will depend upon our compliance with various qualification tests imposed under the IRC and summarized below. While we believe that we will satisfy these tests, our counsel has not reviewed and will not review compliance with these tests on a continuing basis. If we fail to qualify as a REIT, we will be subject to federal income taxation as if we were a C corporation and our shareholders will be taxed like shareholders of C corporations. In this event, we could be subject to significant tax liabilities, and the amount of cash available for distribution to our shareholders may be reduced or eliminated.

If we qualify as a REIT and meet the tests described below, we generally will not pay federal income tax on amounts we distribute to our shareholders. However, even if we qualify as a REIT, we may be subject to federal tax in the following circumstances:

· We will be taxed at regular corporate rates on any undistributed “real estate investment trust taxable income,” including our undistributed net capital gains.

· If our alternative minimum taxable income exceeds our taxable income, we may be subject to the corporate alternative minimum tax on our items of tax preference.

· If we have net income from the disposition of “foreclosure property” that is held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business or from other nonqualifying income from foreclosure property, we will be subject to tax on this income at the highest regular corporate rate, currently 35%.

· If we have net income from prohibited transactions, including dispositions of inventory or property held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business other than foreclosure property, we will be subject to tax on this income at a 100% rate.

· If we fail to satisfy the 75% gross income test or the 95% gross income test discussed below, but nonetheless maintain our qualification as a REIT, we will be subject to tax at a 100% rate on the greater of the amount by which we fail the 75% or the 95% test, with adjustments, multiplied by a fraction intended to reflect our profitability.

· If we fail to distribute for any calendar year at least the sum of 85% of our REIT ordinary income for that year, 95% of our REIT capital gain net income for that year, and any undistributed taxable income from prior periods, we will be subject to a 4% excise tax on the excess of the required distribution over the amounts actually distributed.

· If we acquire an asset from a corporation in a transaction in which our basis in the asset is determined by reference to the basis of the asset in the hands of a present or former C corporation, and if we subsequently recognize gain on the disposition of this asset during the ten year period beginning on the date on which the asset ceased to be owned by the C corporation, then we will pay tax at the highest regular corporate tax rate, which is currently 35%, on the lesser of the excess of the fair market value of the asset over the C corporation’s basis in the asset on the date the asset ceased to be owned by the C corporation, or the gain we recognize in the disposition.

· If we acquire a corporation, to preserve our status as a REIT we must generally distribute all of the C corporation earnings and profits inherited in that acquisition, if any, not later than the end of the taxable year of the acquisition. However, if we fail to do so, relief provisions would allow us to maintain our status as a REIT provided we distribute any subsequently discovered C corporation earnings and profits and pay an interest charge in respect of the period of delayed distribution. As discussed below, we have acquired C corporations in connection with our acquisition of real estate. Our investigation of these C corporations indicated that they did not have undistributed earnings and profits that we would inherit and not distribute. However, upon review or audit, the IRS may disagree with our conclusion.

· As summarized below, REITs are permitted within limits to own stock and securities of a “taxable REIT subsidiary.” A taxable REIT subsidiary is separately taxed on its net income as a C corporation, and is subject to limitations on the deductibility of interest expense paid to its REIT parent. In addition, its REIT parent is subject to a 100% tax on

the difference between amounts charged and redetermined rents and deductions, including excess interest.

· If and to the extent we invest in properties in foreign jurisdictions, our income from those properties will generally be subject to tax in those jurisdictions. In 2005, we acquired hotels in Canada and Puerto Rico. Our profits from properties outside of the United States will generally be subject to tax in the local jurisdictions. Through structuring and obtaining available tax exemptions, we expect to minimize the Canadian and Puerto Rican income taxes we have to pay, but there can be no assurance that these existing structures and exemptions will be available to us in the future to minimize taxes. If we continue to operate as we do, then we will distribute our taxable income to our shareholders each year and we will generally not pay federal income tax. As a result, we cannot recover the cost of foreign income taxes imposed on our foreign investments by claiming foreign tax credits against our federal income tax liability. Also, we cannot pass through to our shareholders any foreign tax credits.

If we fail to qualify or elect not to qualify as a REIT, we will be subject to federal income tax in the same manner as a C corporation. Distributions to our shareholders if we do not qualify as a REIT will not be deductible by us nor will distributions be required under the IRC. In that event, distributions to our shareholders will generally be taxable as ordinary dividends potentially eligible for the 15% income tax rate discussed below in “Taxation of U.S. Shareholders” and, subject to limitations in the IRC, will be eligible for the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders. Also, we will generally be disqualified from qualification as a REIT for the four taxable years following disqualification. If we do not qualify as a REIT for even one year, this could result in reduction or elimination of distributions to our shareholders, or in our incurring substantial indebtedness or liquidating substantial investments in order to pay the resulting corporate-level taxes. The IRC provides certain relief provisions under which we might avoid automatically ceasing to be a REIT for failure to meet certain REIT requirements, all as discussed in more detail below.

In the January 31, 2007 spin off of TA, our common shareholders received a distribution from us in an amount equal to the fair market value of the TA common shares at the time of the spin off. A recipient of TA common shares in the spin off obtained a tax basis in those shares equal to their fair market value at the time of the spin off, and the recipient’s holding period in those TA common shares commenced on the day after the spin off. Sullivan & Worcester LLP is unable to render an opinion on the fair market value of the TA common shares because of the factual nature of value determinations. However, we believe that our shareholders may, for federal income tax purposes, value the TA common shares at the time of the spin off as $32.34 per TA common share.

Because of a number of factors unknown at this time, including our final taxable income for 2007, a definitive calculation of the federal income tax impact from the January 2007 spin off will not be possible until after the close of our 2007 taxable year. However, at this time we expect that:

· Our spin off distribution will not reduce your total taxable dividends for 2007.

· Because we succeeded to and must distribute the earnings and profits of TravelCenters of America, Inc., or TravelCenters, a greater portion of our 2007 total distributions to our common shareholders will be taxable than would have otherwise been the case, and these additional taxable dividends will generally be eligible for treatment as qualified dividends in 2007, taxed to our noncorporate common shareholders at the maximum capital gain rate of 15%.

· As a result of any gain that we recognized in the spin off, a greater portion of our 2007 distributions to our common shareholders will be taxable than would have otherwise been the case. To the extent of these additional taxable dividends in 2007, our taxable dividends paid to our common shareholders in 2008 will generally be eligible for treatment as qualified dividends that are taxed to our noncorporate shareholders at the maximum capital gain rate of 15%.

REIT Qualification Requirements

General Requirements. Section 856(a) of the IRC defines a REIT as a corporation, trust or association:

(1) that is managed by one or more trustees or directors;

(2) the beneficial ownership of which is evidenced by transferable shares or by transferable certificates of beneficial interest;

(3) that would be taxable, but for Sections 856 through 859 of the IRC, as a C corporation;

(4) that is not a financial institution or an insurance company subject to special provisions of the IRC;

(5) the beneficial ownership of which is held by 100 or more persons;

(6) that is not “closely held” as defined under the personal holding company stock ownership test, as described below; and

(7) that meets other tests regarding income, assets and distributions, all as described below.

Section 856(b) of the IRC provides that conditions (1) through (4) must be met during the entire taxable year and that condition (5) must be met during at least 335 days of a taxable year of 12 months, or during a pro rata part of a taxable year of less than 12 months. Section 856(h)(2) of the IRC provides that neither condition (5) nor (6) need be met for our first taxable year as a REIT. We believe that we have met conditions (1) through (7) during each of the requisite periods ending on or before our most recently completed taxable year, and that we can continue to meet these conditions in future taxable years. There can, however, be no assurance in this regard.

By reason of condition (6), we will fail to qualify as a REIT for a taxable year if at any time during the last half of a year more than 50% in value of our outstanding shares is owned directly or

indirectly by five or fewer individuals. To help comply with condition (6), our declaration of trust restricts transfers of our shares. In addition, if we comply with applicable Treasury regulations to ascertain the ownership of our shares and do not know, or by exercising reasonable diligence would not have known, that we failed condition (6), then we will be treated as having met condition (6). However, our failure to comply with these regulations for ascertaining ownership may result in a penalty of $25,000, or $50,000 for intentional violations. Accordingly, we intend to comply with these regulations, and to request annually from record holders of significant percentages of our shares information regarding the ownership of our shares. Under our declaration of trust, our shareholders are required to respond to these requests for information.

For purposes of condition (6), REIT shares held by a pension trust are treated as held directly by the pension trust’s beneficiaries in proportion to their actuarial interests in the pension trust. Consequently, five or fewer pension trusts could own more than 50% of the interests in an entity without jeopardizing that entity’s federal income tax qualification as a REIT. However, as discussed below, if a REIT is a “pension-held REIT,” each pension trust owning more than 10% of the REIT’s shares by value generally may be taxed on a portion of the dividends it receives from the REIT.

The IRC provides that we will not automatically fail to be a REIT if we do not meet conditions (1) through (6), provided we can establish reasonable cause for any such failure. Each such excused failure will result in the imposition of a $50,000 penalty instead of REIT disqualification. It is impossible to state whether in all circumstances we would be entitled to the benefit of this relief provision. This relief provision applies to any failure of the applicable conditions, even if the failure first occurred in a prior taxable year, as long as each of the requirements of the relief provision is satisfied after October 22, 2004.

Our Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries and Our Investments through Partnerships. Except in respect of taxable REIT subsidiaries as discussed below, Section 856(i) of the IRC provides that any corporation, 100% of whose stock is held by a REIT, is a qualified REIT subsidiary and shall not be treated as a separate corporation. The assets, liabilities and items of income, deduction and credit of a qualified REIT subsidiary are treated as the REIT’s. We believe that each of our direct and indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries, other than the taxable REIT subsidiaries discussed below, will either be a qualified REIT subsidiary within the meaning of Section 856(i) of the IRC, or a noncorporate entity that for federal income tax purposes is not treated as separate from its owner under regulations issued under Section 7701 of the IRC. Thus, except for the taxable REIT subsidiaries discussed below, in applying all the federal income tax REIT qualification requirements described in this summary, all assets, liabilities and items of income, deduction and credit of our direct and indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries are treated as ours.

We have invested and may invest in real estate through one or more limited or general partnerships or limited liability companies that are treated as partnerships for federal income tax purposes. In the case of a REIT that is a partner in a partnership, regulations under the IRC provide that, for purposes of the REIT qualification requirements regarding income and assets discussed below, the REIT is deemed to own its proportionate share of the assets of the partnership corresponding to the REIT’s proportionate capital interest in the partnership and is deemed to be entitled to the income of the partnership attributable to this proportionate share. In addition, for these purposes, the character of the assets and gross income of the partnership generally retain the

same character in the hands of the REIT. Accordingly, our proportionate share of the assets, liabilities, and items of income of each partnership in which we are a partner is treated as ours for purposes of the income tests and asset tests discussed below. In contrast, for purposes of the distribution requirement discussed below, we must take into account as a partner our share of the partnership’s income as determined under the general federal income tax rules governing partners and partnerships under Sections 701 through 777 of the IRC.

Taxable REIT Subsidiaries. We are permitted to own any or all of the securities of a “taxable REIT subsidiary” as defined in Section 856(l) of the IRC, provided that no more than 20% of our assets, at the close of each quarter, is comprised of our investments in the stock or securities of our taxable REIT subsidiaries. Among other requirements, a taxable REIT subsidiary must:

(1) be a non-REIT corporation for federal income tax purposes in which we directly or indirectly own shares;

(2) join with us in making a taxable REIT subsidiary election;

(3) not directly or indirectly operate or manage a lodging facility or a health care facility; and

(4) not directly or indirectly provide to any person, under a franchise, license, or otherwise, rights to any brand name under which any lodging facility or health care facility is operated, except that in limited circumstances a subfranchise, sublicense or similar right can be granted to an independent contractor to operate or manage a lodging facility.

In addition, a corporation other than a REIT in which a taxable REIT subsidiary directly or indirectly owns more than 35% of the voting power or value will automatically be treated as a taxable REIT subsidiary. Subject to the discussion below, we believe that we and each of our taxable REIT subsidiaries have complied with, and will continue to comply with, the requirements for taxable REIT subsidiary status during all times each subsidiary’s taxable REIT subsidiary election remains in effect, and we believe that the same will be true for any taxable REIT subsidiary that we later form or acquire.

Our ownership of stock and securities in taxable REIT subsidiaries is exempt from the 10% and 5% REIT asset tests discussed below. Also, as discussed below, taxable REIT subsidiaries can perform services for our tenants without disqualifying the rents we receive from those tenants under the 75% or 95% gross income tests discussed below. Moreover, because taxable REIT subsidiaries are taxed as C corporations that are separate from us, their assets, liabilities and items of income, deduction and credit are not generally imputed to us for purposes of the REIT qualification requirements described in this summary. Therefore, taxable REIT subsidiaries can generally undertake third-party management and development activities and activities not related to real estate. Finally, while a REIT is generally limited in its ability to earn qualifying rental income from a taxable REIT subsidiary, a REIT can earn qualifying rental income from the lease of a qualified lodging facility to a taxable REIT subsidiary if an eligible independent contractor operates the facility, as discussed more fully below.

Restrictions are imposed on taxable REIT subsidiaries to ensure that they will be subject to an appropriate level of federal income taxation. For example, a taxable REIT subsidiary may not

deduct interest paid in any year to an affiliated REIT to the extent that the interest payments exceed, generally, 50% of the taxable REIT subsidiary’s adjusted taxable income for that year. However, the taxable REIT subsidiary may carry forward the disallowed interest expense to a succeeding year, and deduct the interest in that later year subject to that year’s 50% adjusted taxable income limitation. In addition, if a taxable REIT subsidiary pays interest, rent, or other amounts to its affiliated REIT in an amount that exceeds what an unrelated third party would have paid in an arm’s length transaction, then the REIT generally will be subject to an excise tax equal to 100% of the excessive portion of the payment. Finally, if in comparison to an arm’s length transaction, a tenant has overpaid rent to the REIT in exchange for underpaying the taxable REIT subsidiary for services rendered, then the REIT may be subject to an excise tax equal to 100% of the overpayment. There can be no assurance that arrangements involving our taxable REIT subsidiaries will not result in the imposition of one or more of these deduction limitations or excise taxes, but we do not believe that we are or will be subject to these impositions.

Income Tests. There are two gross income requirements for qualification as a REIT under the IRC:

· At least 75% of our gross income, excluding gross income from sales or other dispositions of property held primarily for sale, must be derived from investments relating to real property, including “rents from real property” as defined under Section 856 of the IRC, mortgages on real property, or shares in other REITs. When we receive new capital in exchange for our shares or in a public offering of five-year or longer debt instruments, income attributable to the temporary investment of this new capital in stock or a debt instrument, if received or accrued within one year of our receipt of the new capital, is generally also qualifying income under the 75% gross income test.

· At least 95% of our gross income, excluding gross income from sales or other dispositions of property held primarily for sale, must be derived from a combination of items of real property income that satisfy the 75% gross income test described above, dividends, interest, gains from the sale or disposition of stock, securities, or real property or, for financial instruments entered into during our 2004 or earlier taxable years, certain payments under interest rate swap or cap agreements, options, futures contracts, forward rate agreements or similar financial instruments. But for financial instruments entered into during our 2005 or later taxable years, the 95% gross income test has been modified as follows: except as may be provided in Treasury regulations, gross income for these purposes no longer includes income from a “hedging transaction” as defined under clauses (ii) and (iii) of Section 1221(b)(2)(A) of the IRC, but only to the extent that (A) the transaction hedges indebtedness we incur to acquire or carry real estate assets, and (B) the hedging transaction was “clearly identified,” meaning that the transaction must be identified as a hedging transaction before the end of the day on which it is entered and the risks being hedged must be identified generally within 35 days after the date the transaction is entered.

For purposes of the 75% and 95% gross income tests outlined above, income derived from a “shared appreciation provision” in a mortgage loan is generally treated as gain recognized on the sale of the property to which it relates. Although we will use our best efforts to ensure that the income generated by our investments will be of a type that satisfies both the 75% and 95% gross income tests, there can be no assurance in this regard.

In order to qualify as “rents from real property” under Section 856 of the IRC, several requirements must be met:

· The amount of rent received generally must not be based on the income or profits of any person, but may be based on receipts or sales.

· Rents do not qualify if the REIT owns 10% or more by vote or value of the tenant, whether directly or after application of attribution rules. While we intend not to lease property to any party if rents from that property would not qualify as rents from real property, application of the 10% ownership rule is dependent upon complex attribution rules and circumstances that may be beyond our control. For example, an unaffiliated third party’s ownership directly or by attribution of 10% or more by value of our shares, as well as 10% or more by vote or value of the stock of one of our tenants, would result in that tenant’s rents not qualifying as rents from real property. Our declaration of trust disallows transfers or purported acquisitions, directly or by attribution, of our shares to the extent necessary to maintain our REIT status under the IRC. Nevertheless, there can be no assurance that these provisions in our declaration of trust will be effective to prevent our REIT status from being jeopardized under the 10% affiliated tenant rule. Furthermore, there can be no assurance that we will be able to monitor and enforce these restrictions, nor will our shareholders necessarily be aware of ownership of shares attributed to them under the IRC’s attribution rules.

· There is a limited exception to the above prohibition on earning “rents from real property” from a 10% affiliated tenant, if the tenant is a taxable REIT subsidiary. If at least 90% of the leased space of a property is leased to tenants other than taxable REIT subsidiaries and 10% affiliated tenants, and if the taxable REIT subsidiary’s rent for space at that property is substantially comparable to the rents paid by nonaffiliated tenants for comparable space at the property, then otherwise qualifying rents paid by the taxable REIT subsidiary to the REIT will not be disqualified on account of the rule prohibiting 10% affiliated tenants.

· There is a second exception to the above prohibition on earning “rents from real property” from a 10% affiliated tenant. For this second exception to apply, a real property interest in a “qualified lodging facility” must be leased by the REIT to its taxable REIT subsidiary, and the facility must be operated on behalf of the taxable REIT subsidiary by a person who is an “eligible independent contractor,” all as described in Section 856(d)(8)-(9) of the IRC. As described below, we believe our leases with our taxable REIT subsidiaries have satisfied and will satisfy these requirements.

· In order for rents to qualify, we generally must not manage the property or furnish or render services to the tenants of the property, except through an independent contractor from whom we derive no income or, for our 2001 taxable year and thereafter, through one of our taxable REIT subsidiaries. There is an exception to this rule permitting a REIT to perform customary tenant services of the sort that a tax-exempt organization could perform without being considered in receipt of “unrelated business taxable income” as defined in Section 512(b)(3) of the IRC. In addition, a de minimis amount of noncustomary services will not disqualify income as “rents from real property” so long as the value of the impermissible services does not exceed 1% of the gross income from the property.

· If rent attributable to personal property leased in connection with a lease of real property is 15% or less of the total rent received under the lease, then the rent attributable to personal property will qualify as “rents from real property”; if this 15% threshold is exceeded, the rent attributable to personal property will not so qualify. For our taxable years through December 31, 2000, the portion of rental income treated as attributable to personal property was determined according to the ratio of the tax basis of the personal property to the total tax basis of the real and personal property that is rented. For our 2001 taxable year and thereafter, the ratio is determined by reference to fair market values rather than tax bases.

We believe that all or substantially all our rents have qualified and will qualify as rents from real property for purposes of Section 856 of the IRC, subject to the considerations in the following paragraph.

We have received opinions from our counsel Sullivan & Worcester LLP that (i) our underground storage tanks should constitute real estate assets, rather than personal property, for purposes of the various REIT qualification tests described in this summary, and (ii) although the matter is not free from doubt, for purposes of applying the 15% incidental personal property test above, regarding rent attributable to incidental personal property leased in connection with real property, the test will be applied in the aggregate to all the travel center sites leased under our lease with TA, rather than on a site by site basis. If the IRS or a court determines that one or both of these opinions is incorrect, then a portion of the rental income we receive from TA could be nonqualifying income for purposes of the 75% and 95% gross income tests, possibly jeopardizing our compliance with the 95% gross income test. Under those circumstances, however, we expect we would qualify for the gross income tests’ relief provision described below, and thereby preserve our qualification as a REIT. If the relief provision below were to apply to us, we would be subject to tax at a 100% rate on the amount by which we failed the 95% gross income test, with adjustments, multiplied by a fraction intended to reflect our profitability for the taxable year; however, in a typical taxable year, we have little or no nonqualifying income from other sources and thus would expect to owe little tax in such circumstances.

In order to qualify as mortgage interest on real property for purposes of the 75% test, interest must derive from a mortgage loan secured by real property with a fair market value, at the time the loan is made, at least equal to the amount of the loan. If the amount of the loan exceeds the fair market value of the real property, the interest will be treated as interest on a mortgage loan in a ratio equal to the ratio of the fair market value of the real property to the total amount of the mortgage loan.

Amounts payable to us under agreements relating to the Canadian hotels we acquired in 2005 may be determined by reference to revenue and expenditure items denominated in Canadian dollars. Currency translation or exchange gains or losses might not count favorably toward the 75% and 95% gross income tests summarized above, and thus, in sufficient amounts, such currency gains could threaten compliance with the REIT income tests. However, because any amounts paid to us, as opposed to our taxable REIT subsidiary, under these Canadian hotel agreements will be denominated in U.S. dollars only, we do not expect to have material amounts of currency gains in respect of our Canadian investments.

Our January 31, 2007 spin off of TA is treated for federal income tax purposes as though we disposed of each of the individual assets of TA and its principal subsidiaries in a taxable transaction in which individual asset gains, but not losses, were recognized. The amount realized on each asset in this taxable disposition is equal to the fair market value of that asset at the time of the spin off, and our tax basis in the asset was the carryover tax basis inherited from TravelCenters. For these purposes, the assets and liabilities of any taxable REIT subsidiaries are ignored, and instead the stock in the taxable REIT subsidiary is treated like any other individual asset being distributed. Even though some of the gains we recognized on the distributed assets were not qualifying gross income under the 75% and 95% gross income tests of Section 856(c) of the IRC, we do not believe the recognized gains from the distribution materially affect our ability to comply with these tests. Although our counsel Sullivan & Worcester LLP is unable to opine on factual matters such as the fair market value of the distributed assets at the time of the spin off, Sullivan & Worcester LLP has opined that it is more likely that not that we have been reasonable in our approach to valuations and gain computations (including valuation methodology) in connection with the spin off of TA and thus that, even if our computations should be successfully challenged so as to result in our failing the 95% gross income test, we would more likely than not qualify for the gross income tests’ relief provision described below and thereby preserve our qualification as a REIT. If the relief provision below were to apply to us, we would be subject to tax at a 100% rate on the amount by which we failed the 95% gross income test, with adjustments, multiplied by a fraction intended to reflect our profitability for the taxable year; but we would expect to owe little tax in such circumstances.

Other than sales of foreclosure property, any gain we realize on the sale of property held as inventory or other property held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business will be treated as income from a prohibited transaction that is subject to a penalty tax at a 100% rate. This prohibited transaction income also may adversely affect our ability to satisfy the 75% and 95% gross income tests for federal income tax qualification as a REIT. We cannot provide assurances as to whether or not the IRS might successfully assert that one or more of our dispositions is subject to the 100% penalty tax. However, we believe that dispositions of assets that we have made or that we might make in the future will not be subject to the 100% penalty tax, because we intend to:

· own our assets for investment with a view to long-term income production and capital appreciation;

· engage in the business of developing, owning and operating our existing properties and acquiring, developing, owning and operating new properties; and

· make occasional dispositions of our assets consistent with our long-term investment objectives.

If we fail to satisfy one or both of the 75% or the 95% gross income tests in any taxable year, we may nevertheless qualify as a REIT for that year if we satisfy the following requirements after October 22, 2004:

· our failure to meet the test is due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect, and

· after we identify the failure, we file a schedule describing each item of our gross income included in the 75% or 95% gross income tests for that taxable year.

It is impossible to state whether in all circumstances we would be entitled to the benefit of this relief provision for the 75% and 95% gross income tests. Even if this relief provision does apply, a 100% tax is imposed upon the greater of the amount by which we failed the 75% test or the 95% test, with adjustments, multiplied by a fraction intended to reflect our profitability. This relief provision applies to any failure of the applicable income tests, even if the failure first occurred in a prior taxable year, as long as each of the requirements of the relief provision is satisfied after October 22, 2004.

Under prior law, if we failed to satisfy one or both of the 75% or 95% gross income tests, we nevertheless would have qualified as a REIT for that year if: our failure to meet the test was due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect; we reported the nature and amount of each item of our income included in the 75% or 95% gross income tests for that taxable year on a schedule attached to our tax return; and any incorrect information on the schedule was not due to fraud with intent to evade tax. For our 2004 and prior taxable years, we attached a schedule of gross income to our federal income tax returns, but it is impossible to state whether in all circumstances we would be entitled to the benefit of this prior relief provision for the 75% and 95% gross income tests. Even if this relief provision did apply, a 100% tax is imposed upon the greater of the amount by which we failed the 75% test or the 95% test, with adjustments, multiplied by a fraction intended to reflect our profitability.

Asset Tests. At the close of each quarter of each taxable year, we must also satisfy the following asset percentage tests in order to qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes:

· At least 75% of our total assets must consist of real estate assets, cash and cash items, shares in other REITs, government securities, and temporary investments of new capital (that is, stock or debt instruments purchased with proceeds of a stock offering or a public offering of our debt with a term of at least five years, but only for the one-year period commencing with our receipt of the offering proceeds).

· Not more than 25% of our total assets may be represented by securities other than those securities that count favorably toward the preceding 75% asset test.

· Of the investments included in the preceding 25% asset class, the value of any one non-REIT issuer’s securities that we own may not exceed 5% of the value of our total assets, and we may not own more than 10% of any one non-REIT issuer’s outstanding voting securities. For our 2001 taxable year and thereafter, we may not own more than 10% of the vote or value of any one non-REIT issuer’s outstanding securities, unless that issuer is our taxable REIT subsidiary or the securities are “straight debt” securities or otherwise excepted as discussed below.

· For our 2001 taxable year and thereafter, our stock and securities in a taxable REIT subsidiary are exempted from the preceding 10% and 5% asset tests. However, no more than 20% of our total assets may be represented by stock or securities of taxable REIT subsidiaries.

When a failure to satisfy the above asset tests results from an acquisition of securities or other property during a quarter, the failure can be cured by disposition of sufficient nonqualifying assets within 30 days after the close of that quarter.

In addition, if we fail the 5% value test or the 10% vote or value tests at the close of any quarter and do not cure such failure within 30 days after the close of that quarter, that failure will nevertheless be excused if (a) the failure is de minimis and (b) within 6 months after the last day of the quarter in which we identify the failure, we either dispose of the assets causing the failure or otherwise satisfy the 5% value and 10% vote and value asset tests. For purposes of this relief provision, the failure will be “de minimis” if the value of the assets causing the failure does not exceed the lesser of (a) 1% of the total value of our assets at the end of the relevant quarter or (b) $10,000,000. If our failure is not de minimis, or if any of the other REIT asset tests have been violated, we may nevertheless qualify as a REIT if (a) we provide the IRS with a description of each asset causing the failure, (b) the failure was due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect, (c) we pay a tax equal to the greater of (i) $50,000 or (ii) the highest rate of corporate tax imposed (currently 35%) on the net income generated by the assets causing the failure during the period of the failure, and (d) within 6 months after the last day of the quarter in which we identify the failure, we either dispose of the assets causing the failure or otherwise satisfy all of the REIT asset tests. These relief provisions apply to any failure of the applicable asset tests, even if the failure first occurred in a prior taxable year, as long as each of the requirements of the relief provision is satisfied after October 22, 2004.

The IRC also provides, for our 2001 taxable year and thereafter, an excepted securities safe harbor to the 10% value test that includes among other items (a) “straight debt” securities, (b) certain rental agreements in which payment is to be made in subsequent years, (c) any obligation to pay rents from real property, (d) securities issued by governmental entities that are not dependent in whole or in part on the profits of or payments from a nongovernmental entity, and (e) any security issued by another REIT.

We intend to maintain records of the value of our assets to document our compliance with the above asset tests, and to take actions as may be required to cure any failure to satisfy the tests within 30 days after the close of any quarter.

Our Relationship with TA. On January 31, 2007, we spun off all the then outstanding TA common shares. Under the transaction agreement that governed the spin off, TA will generally be responsible for the tax filings and liabilities, including federal income tax filings and liabilities, of TravelCenters and its subsidiaries for the periods ending on or before the distribution date. Because TA and its principal subsidiaries were entities which were not regarded as separate from us for tax purposes prior to the spin off, TA and these subsidiaries were immediately after the spin off (and expected to thereafter remain) tenants in whom we have at all times during each taxable year an actual and constructive ownership interest of less than 10% by vote and by value. For example, our lease with TA, TA’s limited liability company operating agreement, and the transaction agreement governing the spin off collectively contain restrictions upon the ownership of TA common shares and require TA to refrain from taking any actions that may result in any affiliation with us that would jeopardize our qualification as a REIT under the IRC. Accordingly, subject to the personal property considerations discussed

above and commencing with the January 31, 2007 spin off, we expect that the rental income we receive from TA and its subsidiaries will be “rents from real property” under Section 856(d) of the IRC, and therefore qualifying income under the 75% and 95% gross income tests described above.

Our Relationship with Our Taxable REIT Subsidiaries. We currently own hotels that we purchased to be leased to our taxable REIT subsidiaries or which are being leased to our taxable REIT subsidiaries as a result of modifications to a prior lease that were agreed to among us, the former tenant and the manager. We may from time to time in the future lease additional hotels that we acquire in this manner.

In connection with lease defaults, we terminated occupancy of some of our hotels by defaulting tenants and immediately leased these hotels to our taxable REIT subsidiaries and entered into new third party management agreements for these hotels. We may in the future employ similar arrangements if we ever again face lease or occupancy terminations.

In transactions involving our taxable REIT subsidiaries, our intent is that the rents paid to us by the taxable REIT subsidiary qualify as “rents from real property” under the REIT gross income tests summarized above. In order for this to be the case, the manager engaged by the applicable taxable REIT subsidiary must be an “eligible independent contractor” within the meaning of Section 856(d)(9)(A) of the IRC, and the hotels leased to the taxable REIT subsidiary must be “qualified lodging facilities” within the meaning of Section 856(d)(9)(D) of the IRC. Qualified lodging facilities are defined as hotels, motels, or other establishments where more than half of the dwelling units are used on a transient basis, provided that legally authorized wagering or gambling activities are not conducted at or in connection with such facilities. Also included in the definition are the qualified lodging facility’s customary amenities and facilities.

For these purposes, a contractor qualifies as an “eligible independent contractor” if it is less than 35% affiliated with the REIT and, at the time the contractor enters into the agreement with the taxable REIT subsidiary to operate the qualified lodging facility, that contractor or any person related to that contractor is actively engaged in the trade or business of operating qualified lodging facilities for persons unrelated to the taxable REIT subsidiary or its affiliated REIT. For these purposes, an otherwise eligible independent contractor is not disqualified from that status on account of the taxable REIT subsidiary bearing the expenses for the operation of the qualified lodging facility, the taxable REIT subsidiary receiving the revenues from the operation of the qualified lodging facility, net of expenses for that operation and fees payable to the eligible independent contractor, or the REIT receiving income from the eligible independent contractor pursuant to a preexisting or otherwise grandfathered lease of another property.

In one case involving a former manager whose hotel management activities for parties unrelated to us were not as extensive as those of our current managers, we received an opinion of counsel that the particular manager should qualify as an “eligible independent contractor” within the meaning of Section 856(d)(9)(A) of the IRC, and that, although the matter is not free from doubt, it is reasonable for us to rely on such opinion for purposes of the relief provisions under the REIT gross income tests summarized above. Although there can be no assurance in this

regard, we expect that the rental income we receive from our taxable REIT subsidiaries will qualify as “rents from real property” under the REIT gross income tests. We also took steps to qualify for the 75% and 95% gross income tests’ relief provision, including for example attaching an applicable schedule of gross income to our federal income tax returns as previously required by Section 856(c)(6) of the IRC. Thus, even if the IRS or a court ultimately determines that one or more of our managers failed to operate “qualified lodging facilities” for others sufficient to qualify as an eligible independent contractor, and that this failure thereby implicated our compliance with the REIT gross income tests, we expect we would qualify for the gross income tests’ relief provision and thereby preserve our qualification as a REIT.

As explained above, we will be subject to a 100% tax if the IRS successfully asserts that the rents paid by our taxable REIT subsidiary to us exceed an arm’s length rental rate. Although there is no clear precedent to distinguish for federal income tax purposes among leases, management contracts, partnerships, financings, and other contractual arrangements, we believe that our leases and our taxable REIT subsidiaries’ management agreements will be respected for purposes of the requirements of the IRC discussed above. Accordingly, we expect that the rental income from our current and future taxable REIT subsidiaries will qualify favorably as “rents from real property,” and that the 100% tax on excessive rents from a taxable REIT subsidiary will not apply.

Annual Distribution Requirements. In order to qualify for taxation as a REIT under the IRC, we are required to make annual distributions other than capital gain dividends to our shareholders in an amount at least equal to the excess of:

(A) the sum of 90% of our “real estate investment trust taxable income,” as defined in Section 857 of the IRC, computed by excluding any net capital gain and before taking into account any dividends paid deduction for which we are eligible, and 90% of our net income after tax, if any, from property received in foreclosure, over

(B) the sum of our qualifying noncash income, e.g., imputed rental income or income from transactions inadvertently failing to qualify as like-kind exchanges.

The distributions must be paid in the taxable year to which they relate, or in the following taxable year if declared before we timely file our tax return for the earlier taxable year and if paid on or before the first regular distribution payment after that declaration. If a dividend is declared in October, November, or December to shareholders of record during one of those months, and is paid during the following January, then for federal income tax purposes the dividend will be treated as having been both paid and received on December 31 of the prior taxable year. A distribution which is not pro rata within a class of our beneficial interests entitled to a distribution, or which is not consistent with the rights to distributions among our classes of beneficial interests, is a preferential distribution that is not taken into consideration for purposes of the distribution requirements, and accordingly the payment of a preferential distribution could affect our ability to meet the distribution requirements. Taking into account our distribution policies, including the dividend reinvestment plan we have adopted, we expect that we will not make any preferential distributions. The distribution requirements may be waived by the IRS if a REIT establishes that it failed to meet them by reason of distributions previously made to meet the requirements of the 4%

excise tax discussed below. To the extent that we do not distribute all of our net capital gain and all of our real estate investment trust taxable income, as adjusted, we will be subject to tax on undistributed amounts.

In addition, we will be subject to a 4% excise tax to the extent we fail within a calendar year to make required distributions to our shareholders of 85% of our ordinary income and 95% of our capital gain net income plus the excess, if any, of the “grossed up required distribution” for the preceding calendar year over the amount treated as distributed for that preceding calendar year. For this purpose, the term “grossed up required distribution” for any calendar year is the sum of our taxable income for the calendar year without regard to the deduction for dividends paid and all amounts from earlier years that are not treated as having been distributed under the provision. We will be treated as having sufficient earnings and profits to treat as a dividend any distribution by us up to the amount required to be distributed in order to avoid imposition of the 4% excise tax.

If we do not have enough cash or other liquid assets to meet the 90% distribution requirements, we may find it necessary and desirable to arrange for new debt or equity financing to provide funds for required distributions in order to maintain our REIT status. We can provide no assurance that financing would be available for these purposes on favorable terms.

We may be able to rectify a failure to pay sufficient dividends for any year by paying “deficiency dividends” to shareholders in a later year. These deficiency dividends may be included in our deduction for dividends paid for the earlier year, but an interest charge would be imposed upon us for the delay in distribution. Although we may be able to avoid being taxed on amounts distributed as deficiency dividends, we will remain liable for the 4% excise tax discussed above.

In addition to the other distribution requirements above, to preserve our status as a REIT we are required to timely distribute C corporation earnings and profits that we inherit from acquired corporations.

Acquisition of C Corporations

In 2005 we purchased a hotel in Puerto Rico. In order to acquire the Puerto Rican hotel, we acquired all of the outstanding stock of a C corporation that owned that hotel as its primary asset. Upon our acquisition, the acquired C corporation became our qualified REIT subsidiary under Section 856(i) of the IRC. Thus, after the acquisition, all assets, liabilities and items of income, deduction and credit of the acquired corporation are treated as ours for purposes of the various REIT qualification tests described above. In our acquisitions of the stock of C corporations, we are generally treated as the successor to the acquired corporation’s federal income tax attributes, such as its adjusted tax bases in its assets and its C corporation earnings and profits. However, because we made an election under Section 338(g) of the IRC in respect of this acquired Puerto Rican corporation, we did not succeed to its earnings and profits, nor do we have any built-in gain in this former C corporation’s assets.

On January 31, 2007, we acquired all of the outstanding stock of TravelCenters, a C corporation. At the time of that acquisition, this C corporation directly or indirectly owned all of

the outstanding equity interests in various corporate and noncorporate subsidiaries. Upon our acquisition, the acquired entities generally became either our qualified REIT subsidiaries under Section 856(i) of the IRC or disregarded entities under Treasury regulations issued under Section 7701 of the IRC. Thus, after the acquisition, all assets, liabilities and items of income, deduction and credit of these acquired entities have been treated as ours for purposes of the various REIT qualification tests described above. In addition, we generally were treated as the successor to these acquired subsidiaries’ federal income tax attributes, such as these entities’ adjusted tax bases in their assets and their depreciation schedules; we were also treated as the successor to these acquired corporate subsidiaries’ earnings and profits for federal income tax purposes, if any.

Upon completing the acquisition, we effected a restructuring of the travel center business so as to divide it between us and TA, and we then spun off TA on January 31, 2007.

Earnings and Profits. A REIT may not have any undistributed C corporation earnings and profits at the end of any taxable year. Upon the closing of the January 31, 2007 transaction, we succeeded to the undistributed earnings and profits, if any, of the acquired corporate entities. Thus, we need to distribute all of these earnings and profits no later than December 31, 2007. If we fail to do so, we will not qualify to be taxed as a REIT for 2007 and a number of years thereafter, unless we are able to rely on the relief provision described below.

Although Sullivan & Worcester LLP is unable to render an opinion on factual determinations such as the amount of undistributed earnings and profits, we have retained accountants to compute the amount of undistributed earnings and profits that we inherited in the January 31, 2007 transaction. We believe this inherited amount is not more than $20 million. In such case, our total 2007 distributions, including the spin off of TA, are expected to be more than sufficient to distribute both our 2007 earnings and profits and the undistributed earnings and profits that we inherited in our January 31, 2007 acquisition.

Upon examination, the IRS may propose adjustments to our calculation of undistributed earnings and profits that we inherited, including adjustments that might be deemed necessary by the IRS as a result of its examination of the companies we acquired. If, despite our best estimates, we subsequently discover that we have inherited undistributed earnings and profits that would not be eliminated by way of our regular distributions to shareholders by December 31, 2007, then we will elect to preserve our qualification as a REIT by making a special distribution for our 2007 taxable year. If, despite our best efforts, it is subsequently determined that we have not distributed these earnings and profits before December 31, 2007, we may be eligible for a relief provision similar to the “deficiency dividends” procedure described above. To utilize this relief provision, we would have to pay an interest charge for the delay in distributing the undistributed earnings and profits; in addition, we would be required to distribute to our shareholders, in addition to our other REIT distribution requirements, the amount of the undistributed earnings and profits less the interest charge paid.

Any inherited C corporation earnings and profits that we distribute to our shareholders in 2007 will be additional taxable dividends, and these additional amounts will be eligible for

treatment as qualified dividends that are taxed to our noncorporate shareholders at the maximum capital gain rate of 15%.

Built-in-Gains from C Corporations. As described above, notwithstanding our qualification and taxation as a REIT, we may still be subject to corporate taxation in particular circumstances. Specifically, if we acquire an asset from a corporation in a transaction in which our adjusted tax basis in the asset is determined by reference to the adjusted tax basis of that asset in the hands of a present or former C corporation, and if we subsequently recognize gain on the disposition of that asset during the ten year period beginning on the date on which the asset ceased to be owned by the C corporation, then we will generally pay tax at the highest regular corporate tax rate, currently 35%, on the lesser of (1) the excess, if any, of the asset’s fair market value over its adjusted tax basis, each determined as of the time the asset ceased to be owned by the C corporation, or (2) our gain recognized in the disposition. In the case of assets acquired in the January 31, 2007 acquisition, any gain subject to this tax may generally be reduced by certain net operating loss carryforwards, if any, that we inherit. Other than the assets we distributed in the spin off of TA as described above, we have no present plan or intent to dispose of any other assets acquired in the January 31, 2007 acquisition. We believe that we recognized only modest taxable gains from the spin off of TA, and we also currently expect that some net operating loss carryforwards will be available to us so as to reduce or eliminate any tax that we may owe in respect of any such recognized gains.

To the extent of our gains in a taxable year that are subject to the built in gains tax described above, net of any taxes paid on such gains with respect to that taxable year, our taxable dividends paid to you in the following year will be eligible for treatment as qualified dividends that are taxed to our noncorporate shareholders at the maximum capital gain rate of 15% while that rate is in effect.

Depreciation and Federal Income Tax Treatment of Leases

Our initial tax bases in our assets will generally be our acquisition cost. We will generally depreciate our real property on a straight-line basis over 40 years and our personal property over the applicable shorter periods. These depreciation schedules may vary for properties that we acquire through tax-free or carryover basis acquisitions.

We are entitled to depreciation deductions from our facilities only if we are treated for federal income tax purposes as the owner of the facilities. This means that the leases of the facilities must be classified for federal income tax purposes as true leases, rather than as sales or financing arrangements, and we believe this to be the case. In the case of sale-leaseback arrangements, the IRS could assert that we realized prepaid rental income in the year of purchase to the extent that the value of a leased property, at the time of purchase, exceeded the purchase price for that property. While we believe that the value of leased property at the time of purchase did not exceed purchase prices, because of the lack of clear precedent we cannot provide assurances as to whether the IRS might successfully assert the existence of prepaid rental income in any of our sale-leaseback transactions.

Taxation of U.S. Shareholders

The maximum individual federal income tax rate for long-term capital gains is generally 15% (for taxable years that begin on or before December 31, 2010) and for most corporate dividends is generally also 15% (for taxable years that begin on or before December 31, 2010). However, because we are not generally subject to federal income tax on the portion of our REIT taxable income or capital gains distributed to our shareholders, dividends on our shares generally are not eligible for such 15% tax rate on dividends. As a result, our ordinary dividends continue to be taxed at the higher federal income tax rates applicable to ordinary income. However, the 15% federal income tax rate for long-term capital gains and dividends generally applies to:

(1) your long-term capital gains, if any, recognized on the disposition of our shares;

(2) our distributions designated as long-term capital gain dividends (except to the extent attributable to real estate depreciation recapture, in which case the distributions are subject to a 25% federal income tax rate);

(3) our dividends attributable to dividends, if any, received by us from non-REIT corporations such as taxable REIT subsidiaries; and

(4) our dividends to the extent attributable to income upon which we have paid federal corporate income tax.

As long as we qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, a distribution to our U.S. shareholders that we do not designate as a capital gain dividend will be treated as an ordinary income dividend to the extent of our current or accumulated earnings and profits. Distributions made out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits that we properly designate as capital gain dividends will be taxed as long-term capital gains, as discussed below, to the extent they do not exceed our actual net capital gain for the taxable year. However, corporate shareholders may be required to treat up to 20% of any capital gain dividend as ordinary income under Section 291 of the IRC.

In addition, we may elect to retain net capital gain income and treat it as constructively distributed. In that case:

(1) we will be taxed at regular corporate capital gains tax rates on retained amounts;

(2) each U.S. shareholder will be taxed on its designated proportionate share of our retained net capital gains as though that amount were distributed and designated a capital gain dividend;

(3) each U.S. shareholder will receive a credit for its designated proportionate share of the tax that we pay;

(4) each U.S. shareholder will increase its adjusted basis in our shares by the excess of the amount of its proportionate share of these retained net capital gains over its proportionate share of this tax that we pay; and

(5) both we and our corporate shareholders will make commensurate adjustments in our respective earnings and profits for federal income tax purposes.

If we elect to retain our net capital gains in this fashion, we will notify our U.S. shareholders of the relevant tax information within 60 days after the close of the affected taxable year.

As discussed above, for noncorporate U.S. shareholders, long-term capital gains are generally taxed at maximum rates of 15% or 25%, depending upon the type of property disposed of and the previously claimed depreciation with respect to this property. If for any taxable year we designate capital gain dividends for U.S. shareholders, then the portion of the capital gain dividends we designate will be allocated to the holders of a particular class of shares on a percentage basis equal to the ratio of the amount of the total dividends paid or made available for the year to the holders of that class of shares to the total dividends paid or made available for the year to holders of all classes of our shares. We will similarly designate the portion of any capital gain dividend that is to be taxed to noncorporate U.S. shareholders at the maximum rates of 15% or 25% so that the designations will be proportionate among all classes of our shares.

Distributions in excess of current or accumulated earnings and profits will not be taxable to a U.S. shareholder to the extent that they do not exceed the shareholder’s adjusted tax basis in the shareholder’s shares, but will reduce the shareholder’s basis in those shares. To the extent that these excess distributions exceed the adjusted basis of a U.S. shareholder’s shares, they will be included in income as capital gain, with long-term gain generally taxed to noncorporate U.S. shareholders at a maximum rate of 15%. No U.S. shareholder may include on his federal income tax return any of our net operating losses or any of our capital losses.

Dividends that we declare in October, November or December of a taxable year to U.S. shareholders of record on a date in those months will be deemed to have been received by shareholders on December 31 of that taxable year, provided we actually pay these dividends during the following January. Also, items that are treated differently for regular and alternative minimum tax purposes are to be allocated between a REIT and its shareholders under Treasury regulations which are to be prescribed. It is possible that these Treasury regulations will require tax preference items to be allocated to our shareholders with respect to any accelerated depreciation or other tax preference items that we claim.

A U.S. shareholder will generally recognize gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount realized and the shareholder’s adjusted basis in our shares that are sold or exchanged. This gain or loss will be capital gain or loss, and will be long-term capital gain or loss if the shareholder’s holding period in the shares exceeds one year. In addition, any loss upon a sale or exchange of our shares held for six months or less will generally be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of our long-term capital gain dividends during the holding period.

Effective for federal tax returns with due dates after October 22, 2004, the IRC imposes a penalty for the failure to properly disclose a “reportable transaction.” A reportable transaction currently includes, among other things, a sale or exchange of our shares resulting in a tax loss in excess of (i) $10 million in any single year or $20 million in any combination of years in the case of our shares held by a C corporation or by a partnership with only C corporation partners or (ii) $2 million in any single year or $4 million in any combination of years in the case of our shares

held by any other partnership or an S corporation, trust or individual, including losses that flow through pass through entities to individuals. A taxpayer discloses a reportable transaction by filing IRS Form 8886 with its federal income tax return and, in the first year of filing, a copy of Form 8886 must be sent to the IRS’s Office of Tax Shelter Analysis. The penalty for failing to disclose a reportable transaction is generally $10,000 in the case of a natural person and $50,000 in any other case.

Noncorporate U.S. shareholders who borrow funds to finance their acquisition of our shares could be limited in the amount of deductions allowed for the interest paid on the indebtedness incurred. Under Section 163(d) of the IRC, interest paid or accrued on indebtedness incurred or continued to purchase or carry property held for investment is generally deductible only to the extent of the investor’s net investment income. A U.S. shareholder’s net investment income will include ordinary income dividend distributions received from us and, if an appropriate election is made by the shareholder, capital gain dividend distributions received from us; however, distributions treated as a nontaxable return of the shareholder’s basis will not enter into the computation of net investment income.

Taxation of Tax-Exempt Shareholders

In Revenue Ruling 66-106, the IRS ruled that amounts distributed by a REIT to a tax-exempt employees’ pension trust did not constitute “unrelated business taxable income,” even though the REIT may have financed some of its activities with acquisition indebtedness. Although revenue rulings are interpretive in nature and subject to revocation or modification by the IRS, based upon the analysis and conclusion of Revenue Ruling 66-106, our distributions made to shareholders that are tax-exempt pension plans, individual retirement accounts, or other qualifying tax-exempt entities should not constitute unrelated business taxable income, unless the shareholder has financed its acquisition of our shares with “acquisition indebtedness” within the meaning of the IRC.

Tax-exempt pension trusts, including so-called 401(k) plans but excluding individual retirement accounts or government pension plans, that own more than 10% by value of a “pension-held REIT” at any time during a taxable year may be required to treat a percentage of all dividends received from the pension-held REIT during the year as unrelated business taxable income. This percentage is equal to the ratio of:

(1) the pension-held REIT’s gross income derived from the conduct of unrelated trades or businesses, determined as if the pension-held REIT were a tax-exempt pension fund, less direct expenses related to that income, to

(2) the pension-held REIT’s gross income from all sources, less direct expenses related to that income,

except that this percentage shall be deemed to be zero unless it would otherwise equal or exceed 5%. A REIT is a pension-held REIT if:

· the REIT is “predominantly held” by tax-exempt pension trusts; and

· the REIT would fail to satisfy the “closely held” ownership requirement discussed above if the stock or beneficial interests in the REIT held by tax-exempt pension trusts were viewed as held by tax-exempt pension trusts rather than by their respective beneficiaries.

A REIT is predominantly held by tax-exempt pension trusts if at least one tax-exempt pension trust owns more than 25% by value of the REIT’s stock or beneficial interests, or if one or more tax-exempt pension trusts, each owning more than 10% by value of the REIT’s stock or beneficial interests, own in the aggregate more than 50% by value of the REIT’s stock or beneficial interests. Because of the share ownership concentration restrictions in our declaration of trust, we believe that we are not and will not be a pension-held REIT. However, because our shares are publicly traded, we cannot completely control whether or not we are or will become a pension-held REIT.

Social clubs, voluntary employee benefit associations, supplemental unemployment benefit trusts and qualified group legal services plans exempt from federal income taxation under Sections 501(c)(7), (c)(9), (c)(17) and (c)(20) of the IRC, respectively, are subject to different unrelated business taxable income rules, which generally will require them to characterize distributions from a REIT as unrelated business taxable income. In addition, these prospective investors should consult their own tax advisors concerning any “set aside” or reserve requirements applicable to them.

Taxation of Non-U.S. Shareholders

The rules governing the United States federal income taxation of non-U.S. shareholders are complex, and the following discussion is intended only as a summary of these rules. If you are a non-U.S. shareholder, we urge you to consult with your own tax advisor to determine the impact of United States federal, state, local, and foreign tax laws, including any tax return filing and other reporting requirements, with respect to your investment in our shares.

In general, a non-U.S. shareholder will be subject to regular United States federal income tax in the same manner as a U.S. shareholder with respect to its investment in our shares if that investment is effectively connected with the non-U.S. shareholder’s conduct of a trade or business in the United States. In addition, a corporate non-U.S. shareholder that receives income that is or is deemed effectively connected with a trade or business in the United States may also be subject to the 30% branch profits tax under Section 884 of the IRC, which is payable in addition to regular United States federal corporate income tax. The balance of this discussion of the United States federal income taxation of non-U.S. shareholders addresses only those non-U.S. shareholders whose investment in our shares is not effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business in the United States.

A distribution by us to a non-U.S. shareholder that is not attributable to gain from the sale or exchange of a United States real property interest and that is not designated as a capital gain dividend will be treated as an ordinary income dividend to the extent that it is made out of current or accumulated earnings and profits. A distribution of this type will generally be subject to United States federal income tax and withholding at the rate of 30%, or at a lower rate if the non-U.S. shareholder has in the manner prescribed by the IRS demonstrated its entitlement to benefits under a tax treaty. In the case of any in kind distributions of property, we or other applicable withholding agents will collect the amount required to be withhold by reducing to cash for remittance to the

IRS a sufficient portion of the property that the non-U.S. shareholder would otherwise receive, and the non-U.S. shareholder may bear brokerage or other costs for this withholding procedure. Because we cannot determine our current and accumulated earnings and profits until the end of the taxable year, withholding at the rate of 30% or applicable lower treaty rate will generally be imposed on the gross amount of any distribution to a non-U.S. shareholder that we make and do not designate a capital gain dividend. Notwithstanding this withholding on distributions in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits, these distributions are a nontaxable return of capital to the extent that they do not exceed the non-U.S. shareholder’s adjusted basis in our shares, and the nontaxable return of capital will reduce the adjusted basis in these shares. To the extent that distributions in excess of current and accumulated earnings and profits exceed the non-U.S. shareholder’s adjusted basis in our shares, the distributions will give rise to tax liability if the non-U.S. shareholder would otherwise be subject to tax on any gain from the sale or exchange of these shares, as discussed below. A non-U.S. shareholder may seek a refund from the IRS of amounts withheld on distributions to him in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits.

Some of our 2007 distributions are expected to be attributable to the sale or exchange of United States real property interests. However, capital gain dividends that are received by a non-U.S. shareholder, including dividends attributable to our sales of United States real property interests, and that are deductible by us in respect of our 2005 taxable year and thereafter will be subject to the taxation and withholding regime applicable to ordinary income dividends and the branch profits tax will not apply, provided that (1) the capital gain dividends are received with respect to a class of shares that is “regularly traded” on a domestic “established securities market” such as the New York Stock Exchange, or NYSE, both as defined by applicable Treasury regulations, and (2) the non-U.S. shareholder does not own more than 5% of that class of shares at any time during the one-year period ending on the date of distribution of the capital gain dividends. If both of these provisions are satisfied, qualifying non-U.S. shareholders will not be subject to withholding on capital gain dividends as though those amounts were effectively connected with a United States trade or business, and qualifying non-U.S. shareholders will not be required to file United States federal income tax returns or pay branch profits tax in respect of these capital gain dividends. Instead, these dividends will be subject to United States federal income tax and withholding as ordinary dividends, currently at a 30% tax rate unless reduced by applicable treaty, as discussed below. We believe that our shares have been and will remain “regularly traded” on an “established securities market” within the definition of each term provided in applicable Treasury regulations; however, we can provide no assurance that our shares will continue to be “regularly traded” on an “established securities market” in future taxable years.

Except as discussed above, for any year in which we qualify as a REIT, distributions that are attributable to gain from the sale or exchange of a United States real property interest are taxed to a non-U.S. shareholder as if these distributions were gains effectively connected with a trade or business in the United States conducted by the non-U.S. shareholder. Accordingly, a non-U.S. shareholder that does not qualify for the provision above or that received dividends for taxable years before 2005 will be taxed on these amounts at the normal capital gain rates applicable to a U.S. shareholder, subject to any applicable alternative minimum tax and to a special alternative minimum tax in the case of nonresident alien individuals; such a non-U.S. shareholder will be required to file a United States federal income tax return reporting these amounts, even if applicable withholding is imposed as described below; and such a non-U.S. shareholder that is also

a corporation may owe the 30% branch profits tax under Section 884 of the IRC in respect of these amounts. We will be required to withhold from distributions to such non-U.S. shareholders, and remit to the IRS, 35% of the maximum amount of any distribution that could be designated as a capital gain dividend. In addition, for purposes of this withholding rule, if we designate prior distributions as capital gain dividends, then subsequent distributions up to the amount of the designated prior distributions will be treated as capital gain dividends. The amount of any tax withheld is creditable against the non-U.S. shareholder’s United States federal income tax liability, and the non-U.S. shareholder may file for a refund from the IRS of any amount of withheld tax in excess of that tax liability.

Effective generally from and after 2006, a special “wash sale” rule applies to a non-U.S. shareholder who owns any class of our shares if (1) the shareholder owns more than 5% of that class of shares at any time during the one-year period ending on the date of the distribution described below, or (2) that class of our shares is not, within the meaning of applicable Treasury Regulations, “regularly traded” on a domestic “established securities market” such as the NYSE. Although there can be no assurance in this regard, we believe that our common shares and each class of our preferred shares has been and will remain “regularly traded” on a domestic “established securities market” within the meaning of applicable Treasury regulations, all as discussed above. We thus anticipate this wash sale rule to apply, if at all, only to a non-U.S. shareholder that owns more than 5% of either our common shares or any class of our preferred shares. Such a non-U.S. shareholder will be treated as having made a “wash sale” of our shares if it (1) disposes of an interest in our shares during the 30 days preceding the ex-dividend date of a distribution by us that, but for such disposition, would have been treated by the non-U.S. shareholder in whole or in part as gain from the sale or exchange of a United States real property interest, and then (2) acquires or enters into a contract to acquire a substantially identical interest in our shares, either actually or constructively through a related party, during the 61-day period beginning 30 days prior to the ex-dividend date. In the event of such a wash sale, the non-U.S. shareholder will have gain from the sale or exchange of a United States real property interest in an amount equal to the portion of the distribution that, but for the wash sale, would have been a gain from the sale or exchange of a United States real property interest. As discussed above, a non-U.S. shareholder’s gain from the sale or exchange of a United States real property interest can trigger increased United States taxes, such as the branch profits tax applicable to non-U.S. corporations, and increased United States tax filing requirements.

If for any taxable year we designate capital gain dividends for our shareholders, then the portion of the capital gain dividends we designate will be allocated to the holders of a particular class of shares on a percentage basis equal to the ratio of the amount of the total dividends paid or made available for the year to the holders of that class of shares to the total dividends paid or made available for the year to holders of all classes of our shares.

Tax treaties may reduce the withholding obligations on our distributions. Under some treaties, however, rates below 30% that are applicable to ordinary income dividends from United States corporations may not apply to ordinary income dividends from a REIT or may apply only if the REIT meets certain additional conditions. You must generally use an applicable IRS Form W-8, or substantially similar form, to claim tax treaty benefits. If the amount of tax withheld by us with respect to a distribution to a non-U.S. shareholder exceeds the shareholder’s United States federal income tax liability with respect to the distribution, the non-U.S. shareholder may file for a

refund of the excess from the IRS. The 35% withholding tax rate discussed above on some capital gain dividends corresponds to the maximum income tax rate applicable to corporate non-U.S. shareholders but is higher than the 15% and 25% maximum rates on capital gains generally applicable to noncorporate non-U.S. shareholders. Treasury regulations also provide special rules to determine whether, for purposes of determining the applicability of a tax treaty, our distributions to a non-U.S. shareholder that is an entity should be treated as paid to the entity or to those owning an interest in that entity, and whether the entity or its owners are entitled to benefits under the tax treaty. In the case of any in kind distributions of property, we or other applicable withholding agents will have to collect the amount required to be withhold by reducing to cash for remittance to the IRS a sufficient portion of the property that the non-U.S. shareholder would otherwise receive, and the non-U.S. shareholder may bear brokerage or other costs for this withholding procedure.

If our shares are not “United States real property interests” within the meaning of Section 897 of the IRC, then a non-U.S. shareholder’s gain on sale of these shares generally will not be subject to United States federal income taxation, except that a nonresident alien individual who was in the United States for 183 days or more during the taxable year may be subject to a 30% tax on this gain. Our shares will not constitute a United States real property interest if we are a “domestically controlled REIT.” A domestically controlled REIT is a REIT in which at all times during the preceding five-year period less than 50% in value of its shares is held directly or indirectly by foreign persons. We believe that we have been and will remain a domestically controlled REIT and thus a non-U.S. shareholder’s gain on sale of our shares will not be subject to United States federal income taxation. However, because our shares are publicly traded, we can provide no assurance that we will be a domestically controlled REIT. If we are not a domestically controlled REIT, a non-U.S. shareholder’s gain on sale of our shares will not be subject to United States federal income taxation as a sale of a United States real property interest, if that class of shares is “regularly traded,” as defined by applicable Treasury regulations, on an established securities market like the New York Stock Exchange, and the non-U.S. shareholder has at all times during the preceding five years owned 5% or less by value of that class of shares. In this regard, because the preferred shares of others may be redeemed, a non-U.S. shareholder’s percentage interest in a class of our preferred shares may increase even if it acquires no additional preferred shares in that class. If the gain on the sale of our shares were subject to United States federal income taxation, the non-U.S. shareholder will generally be subject to the same treatment as a U.S. shareholder with respect to its gain, will be required to file a United States federal income tax return reporting that gain, and a corporate non-U.S. shareholder might owe branch profits tax under Section 884 of the IRC. A purchaser of our shares from a non-U.S. shareholder will not be required to withhold on the purchase price if the purchased shares are regularly traded on an established securities market or if we are a domestically controlled REIT. Otherwise, a purchaser of our shares from a non-U.S. shareholder may be required to withhold 10% of the purchase price paid to the non-U.S. shareholder and to remit the withheld amount to the IRS.

Backup Withholding and Information Reporting

Information reporting and backup withholding may apply to distributions or proceeds paid to our shareholders under the circumstances discussed below. The backup withholding rate is currently 28%. Amounts withheld under backup withholding are generally not an additional tax and may be refunded by the IRS or credited against the REIT shareholder’s federal income tax

liability. In the case of any in kind distributions of property by us to a shareholder, we or other applicable withholding agents will have to collect any applicable backup withholding by reducing to cash for remittance to the IRS a sufficient portion of the property that our shareholder would otherwise receive, and the shareholder may bear brokerage or other costs for this withholding procedure.

A U.S. shareholder will be subject to backup withholding when it receives distributions on our shares or proceeds upon the sale, exchange, redemption, retirement or other disposition of our shares, unless the U.S. shareholder properly executes, or has previously properly executed, under penalties of perjury an IRS Form W-9 or substantially similar form that:

· provides the U.S. shareholder’s correct taxpayer identification number; and

· certifies that the U.S. shareholder is exempt from backup withholding because it is a corporation or comes within another exempt category, it has not been notified by the IRS that it is subject to backup withholding, or it has been notified by the IRS that it is no longer subject to backup withholding.

If the U.S. shareholder has not and does not provide its correct taxpayer identification number on the IRS Form W-9 or substantially similar form, it may be subject to penalties imposed by the IRS, and the REIT or other withholding agent may have to withhold a portion of any capital gain distributions paid to it. Unless the U.S. shareholder has established on a properly executed IRS Form W-9 or substantially similar form that it is a corporation or comes within another exempt category, distributions on our shares paid to it during the calendar year, and the amount of tax withheld, if any, will be reported to it and to the IRS.

Distributions on our shares to a non-U.S. shareholder during each calendar year and the amount of tax withheld, if any, will generally be reported to the non-U.S. shareholder and to the IRS. This information reporting requirement applies regardless of whether the non-U.S. shareholder is subject to withholding on distributions on our shares or whether the withholding was reduced or eliminated by an applicable tax treaty. Also, distributions paid to a non-U.S. shareholder on our shares may be subject to backup withholding, unless the non-U.S. shareholder properly certifies its non-U.S. shareholder status on an IRS Form W-8 or substantially similar form in the manner described above. Similarly, information reporting and backup withholding will not apply to proceeds a non-U.S. shareholder receives upon the sale, exchange, redemption, retirement or other disposition of our shares, if the non-U.S. shareholder properly certifies its non-U.S. shareholder status on an IRS Form W-8 or substantially similar form. Even without having executed an IRS Form W-8 or substantially similar form, however, in some cases information reporting and backup withholding will not apply to proceeds that a non-U.S. shareholder receives upon the sale, exchange, redemption, retirement or other disposition of our shares if the non-U.S. shareholder receives those proceeds through a broker’s foreign office.

Other Tax Consequences

Our tax treatment and that of our shareholders may be modified by legislative, judicial, or administrative actions at any time, which actions may be retroactive in effect. The rules dealing with federal income taxation are constantly under review by the Congress, the IRS and the

Treasury Department, and statutory changes, new regulations, revisions to existing regulations, and revised interpretations of established concepts are issued frequently. Likewise, the rules regarding taxes other than federal income taxes may also be modified. No prediction can be made as to the likelihood of passage of new tax legislation or other provisions or the direct or indirect effect on us and our shareholders. Revisions to tax laws and interpretations of these laws could adversely affect the tax or other consequences of an investment in our shares. We and our shareholders may also be subject to taxation by state, local or other jurisdictions, including those in which we or our shareholders transact business or reside. These tax consequences may not be comparable to the federal income tax consequences discussed above.

ERISA PLANS, KEOGH PLANS AND INDIVIDUAL RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS

General Fiduciary Obligations

Fiduciaries of a pension, profit-sharing or other employee benefit plan subject to Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, ERISA, must consider whether:

· their investment in our shares satisfies the diversification requirements of ERISA;

· the investment is prudent in light of possible limitations on the marketability of our shares;

· they have authority to acquire our shares under the applicable governing instrument and Title I of ERISA; and

· the investment is otherwise consistent with their fiduciary responsibilities.

Trustees and other fiduciaries of an ERISA plan may incur personal liability for any loss suffered by the plan on account of a violation of their fiduciary responsibilities. In addition, these fiduciaries may be subject to a civil penalty of up to 20% of any amount recovered by the plan on account of a violation. Fiduciaries of any IRA, Roth IRA, Keogh Plan or other qualified retirement plan not subject to Title I of ERISA, referred to as “non-ERISA plans,” should consider that a plan may only make investments that are authorized by the appropriate governing instrument. Fiduciary shareholders should consult their own legal advisors if they have any concern as to whether the investment is consistent with the foregoing criteria.

Prohibited Transactions

Fiduciaries of ERISA plans and persons making the investment decision for an IRA or other non-ERISA plan should consider the application of the prohibited transaction provisions of ERISA and the IRC in making their investment decision. Sales and other transactions between an ERISA or non-ERISA plan, and persons related to it, are prohibited transactions. The particular facts concerning the sponsorship, operations and other investments of an ERISA plan or non-ERISA plan may cause a wide range of other persons to be treated as disqualified persons or parties in interest with respect to it. A prohibited transaction, in addition to imposing potential personal liability upon fiduciaries of ERISA plans, may also result in the imposition of an excise tax under the IRC or a penalty under ERISA upon the disqualified person or party in interest with respect to the plan. If the disqualified person who engages in the transaction is the individual on behalf of whom an IRA or Roth IRA is maintained or his beneficiary, the IRA or Roth IRA may lose its tax-exempt status and its assets may be deemed to have been distributed to the individual in a taxable distribution on account of the prohibited transaction, but no excise tax will be imposed.

The sale of our shares to a plan is in no respect a representation by us or any underwriter of the shares that the investment meets all relevant legal requirements with respect to investments by plans generally or any particular plan, or that the investment is appropriate for plans generally or any particular plan. Fiduciaries considering an investment in our shares should consult their own legal advisors as to whether the ownership of our shares involves a prohibited transaction or is otherwise inappropriate.

“Plan Assets” Considerations

The Department of Labor, which has administrative responsibility over ERISA plans as well as non-ERISA plans, has issued a regulation defining “plan assets.” The regulation generally provides that when an ERISA or non-ERISA plan acquires a security that is an equity interest in an entity and that security is neither a “publicly offered security” nor a security issued by an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, the ERISA plan’s or non-ERISA plan’s assets include both the equity interest and an undivided interest in each of the underlying assets of the entity, unless it is established either that the entity is an operating company or that equity participation in the entity by benefit plan investors is not significant.

Each class of our shares (that is, our common shares and any class of preferred shares that we have issued or may issue) must be analyzed separately to ascertain whether it is a publicly offered security. The regulation defines a publicly offered security as a security that is “widely held,” “freely transferable” and either part of a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act, or sold under an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, provided the securities are registered under the Exchange Act within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year of the issuer during which the offering occurred. Each class of our outstanding shares has been registered under the Exchange Act.

The regulation provides that a security is “widely held” only if it is part of a class of securities that is owned by 100 or more investors independent of the issuer and of one another. However, a security will not fail to be “widely held” because the number of independent investors falls below 100 subsequent to the initial public offering as a result of events beyond the issuer’s control. Our common shares and our preferred shares have been widely held and we expect our common shares and our preferred shares to continue to be widely held. We expect the same to be true of any additional class of preferred stock that we may issue, but we can give no assurance in that regard.

The regulation provides that whether a security is “freely transferable” is a factual question to be determined on the basis of all relevant facts and circumstances. The regulation further provides that, where a security is part of an offering in which the minimum investment is $10,000 or less, some restrictions on transfer ordinarily will not, alone or in combination, affect a finding that these securities are freely transferable. The restrictions on transfer enumerated in the regulation as not affecting that finding include:

· any restriction on or prohibition against any transfer or assignment which would result in a termination or reclassification for federal or state tax purposes, or would otherwise violate any state or federal law or court order;

· any requirement that advance notice of a transfer or assignment be given to the issuer and any requirement that either the transferor or transferee, or both, execute documentation setting forth representations as to compliance with any restrictions on transfer which are among those enumerated in the regulation as not affecting free transferability, including those described in the preceding clause of this sentence;

· any administrative procedure which establishes an effective date, or an event prior to which a transfer or assignment will not be effective; and

· any limitation or restriction on transfer or assignment that is not imposed by the issuer or a person acting on behalf of the issuer.

We believe that the restrictions imposed under our declaration of trust on the transfer of shares do not result in the failure of our shares to be “freely transferable.” Furthermore, we believe that there exist no other facts or circumstances limiting the transferability of our shares which are not included among those enumerated as not affecting their free transferability under the regulation, and we do not expect or intend to impose in the future, or to permit any person to impose on our behalf, any limitations or restrictions on transfer which would not be among the enumerated permissible limitations or restrictions.

Assuming that each class of our shares will be “widely held” and that no other facts and circumstances exist which restrict transferability of these shares, we have received an opinion of our counsel, Sullivan & Worcester LLP, that our shares will not fail to be “freely transferable” for purposes of the regulation due to the restrictions on transfer of the shares under our declaration of trust and that under the regulation each class of our currently outstanding shares is publicly offered and our assets will not be deemed to be “plan assets” of any ERISA plan or non-ERISA plan that invests in our shares.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits.

The Company hereby files the following exhibits:

8.1 Opinion of Sullivan & Worcester LLP as to certain tax matters (Filed herewith).

10.1 Transaction Agreement, dated as of January 29, 2007, among Hospitality Properties Trust, TravelCenters of America LLC, HPT TA Properties Trust, HPT TA Properties LLC, HPT TA Merger Sub Inc. and Reit Management & Research LLC (Filed herewith).

10.2 Lease Agreement, dated as of January 31, 2007, among HPT TA Properties Trust, HPT TA Properties LLC and TA Leasing LLC (Filed herewith).

10.3 Guaranty Agreement, dated as of January 31, 2007, by TravelCenters of America LLC and certain of its subsidiaries, for the benefit of HPT TA Properties Trust and HPT TA Properties LLC (Filed herewith).

10.4 First Amendment to Second Amended and Restated Consolidated Guaranty Agreement, dated as of December 21, 2006, made by InterContinental Hotel Groups PLC, HPT TRS IHG-1, Inc., HPT TRS IHG-2, Inc., HPT TRS IHG-3, Inc., HPT IHG PR, Inc., and Hospitality Properties Trust (Filed herewith).

10.5 First Amendment to Lease Agreement, dated December 21, 2006, by and among HPT IHG PR, Inc. and InterContinental Hotels (Puerto Rico) Inc. (Filed herewith).

10.6 First Amendment to Amended and Restated Management Agreement, dated December 21, 2006, by and among HPT TRS IHG-2, Inc., IHG Management (Maryland) LLC, and InterContinental Hotels Group (Canada), Inc. (Filed herewith).

10.7 First Amendment to Amended and Restated Purchase and Sale Agreement, dated December 21, 2006, by and among BHR Texas, L.P., InterContinental Hotels Group Resources, Inc., Crowne Plaza LAX, LLC, Holiday Pacific Partners Limited Partnership, and HPT IHG-2 Properties Trust (Filed herewith).

23.1 Consent of Sullivan & Worcester LLP (contained in Exhibit 8.1).

WARNING CONCERNING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

THIS CURRENT REPORT CONTAINS STATEMENTS WHICH CONSTITUTE FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995 AND OTHER FEDERAL SECURITIES LAWS. THESE FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS CONCERN, AMONG OTHER THINGS, OUR TAX STATUS AS A REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST. ALSO, WHENEVER WE USE WORDS SUCH AS “BELIEVE,” “EXPECT,” “ANTICIPATE,” “INTEND,” “PLAN,” “ESTIMATE” OR SIMILAR EXPRESSIONS, WE ARE MAKING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS. THESE FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS ARE BASED UPON OUR PRESENT INTENT, BELIEFS OR EXPECTATIONS, BUT FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS ARE NOT GUARANTEED TO OCCUR AND MAY NOT OCCUR. OUR ACTUAL RESULTS MAY DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM THOSE CONTAINED IN OR IMPLIED BY OUR FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS AS A RESULT OF VARIOUS FACTORS.

OTHER RISKS MAY ADVERSELY IMPACT US, AS DESCRIBED MORE FULLY IN OUR ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005, UNDER “ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS,” OUR QUARTERLY REPORT ON FORM 10-Q FOR THE QUARTERLY PERIOD ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2006, UNDER “ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS” AND OUR CURRENT REPORT ON FORM 8-K DATED DECEMBER 12, 2006, AS AMENDED, UNDER “RISK FACTORS.”

YOU SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE RELIANCE UPON FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS.

EXCEPT AS REQUIRED BY LAW, WE UNDERTAKE NO OBLIGATION TO UPDATE OR REVISE ANY FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS AS A RESULT OF NEW INFORMATION, FUTURE EVENTS OR OTHERWISE.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this Current Report on Form 8-K to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	HOSPITALITY PROPERTIES TRUST


	By:	/s/ Mark L. Kleifges
	Name:	Mark L. Kleifges
Dated: February 9, 2007	Title:	Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer