REDWOOD TRUST INC

Taxable Income, REIT Status and Dividend Characterization

As a REIT, under the Internal Revenue Code, Redwood is required to distribute to shareholders at least 90% of its annual REIT taxable income, excluding net capital gains, and meet certain other requirements that relate to, among other matters, the assets it holds, the income it generates, and the composition of its stockholders. To the extent Redwood retains REIT taxable income, including net capital gains, it is taxed at corporate tax rates. Redwood also earns taxable income at its taxable REIT subsidiaries (TRS), which it is not required to distribute under the Internal Revenue Code.

In March 2024, our Board of Directors declared regular dividends of $0.16 per common share and $0.625 per Series A preferred share for the first quarter of 2024, which were paid on March 28, 2024 and April 15, 2024, respectively. As of March 31, 2024, we expect our full-year dividend distributions to exceed our annual minimum distribution requirements and we believe that we will meet all requirements for qualification as a REIT for federal income tax purposes. Many requirements for qualification as a REIT are complex and require analysis of particular facts and circumstances. Often there is only limited judicial or administrative interpretive guidance and as such there can be no assurance that the Internal Revenue Service or courts would agree with our various tax positions. If we were to fail to meet all the requirements for qualification as a REIT and the requirements for statutory relief, we would be subject to federal corporate income tax on our taxable income and we would not be able to elect to be taxed as a REIT for four years thereafter. Such an outcome could have a material adverse impact on our consolidated financial statements.

While our minimum REIT dividend requirement is generally 90% of our annual REIT taxable income, we carried a $37 million federal net operating loss carry forward (NOL) into 2024 at our REIT that affords us the ability to retain REIT taxable income up to the NOL amount, tax free, rather than distributing it as dividends. Federal income tax rules require the dividends paid deduction to be applied to reduce REIT taxable income before the applicability of NOLs is considered; therefore, REIT taxable income must exceed our dividend distribution for us to utilize a portion of our NOL and any remaining NOL amount will carry forward into future years.

While the exact amount is uncertain at this time, we currently expect a portion of our 2024 common stock dividend distributions to be taxable as ordinary income for federal income tax purposes. Any remaining amount is currently expected to be characterized as a return of capital, which in general is nontaxable (provided it does not exceed a shareholder's tax basis in Redwood shares) and reduces a shareholder's basis in Redwood shares (but not below zero). To the extent such distributions exceed a shareholder's basis in Redwood shares, such excess amount would be taxable as capital gain. We currently expect all of our 2024 preferred stock dividend distributions to be taxable as ordinary income for federal income tax purposes. Under the federal income tax rules applicable to REITs, none of Redwood’s 2024 dividend distributions are currently expected to be characterized as long-term capital gain dividends. The income or loss generated at our TRS will not directly affect the tax characterization of our 2024 dividends; however, any dividends paid from our TRS to our REIT would allow a portion of our REIT’s dividends to be classified as qualified dividends.

Tax Provision under GAAP

For the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, we recorded a tax provision of $1 million and a tax benefit of $1 million, respectively. Our tax provision is primarily derived from the activities at our TRS, as we do not book a material tax provision associated with income generated at our REIT. The switch to a tax provision from a benefit from income taxes year-over-year was primarily the result of GAAP income earned at our TRS in the first quarter of 2024 compared to a GAAP loss in the first quarter of 2023.

Realization of our deferred tax assets ("DTAs") is dependent on many factors, including generating sufficient taxable income prior to the expiration of NOL carryforwards (where applicable) and generating sufficient capital gains in future periods prior to the expiration of capital loss carryforwards. We determine the extent to which realization of our DTAs is not “more likely than not” and establish a valuation allowance accordingly. We closely analyzed the realizability of our net deferred tax assets in whole and in part, and, at March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, we reported net federal ordinary and capital DTAs with no material valuation allowance recorded against them. We evaluate our deferred tax assets each period to determine if a valuation allowance is required based on whether it is "more likely than not" that some portion of the deferred tax assets would not be realized. The ultimate realization of these deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of sufficient taxable income during future periods. We conduct our evaluation by considering, among other things, all available positive and negative evidence, historical operating results and cumulative earnings analysis, forecasts of future profitability, and the duration of statutory carryforward periods. Based on this analysis, we continue to believe it is more likely than not that we will realize our federal deferred tax assets in future periods as income is earned at our TRS; therefore, there continues to be no material valuation allowance recorded against our net federal DTAs. This evaluation requires significant judgment in assessing the possible need for a valuation allowance and changes to our assumptions could result in a material change in the valuation allowance with a corresponding impact on the provision for income taxes in the period including such change.

If in a future period, based on available evidence, we conclude that it is not more likely than not that our DTAs will be realized, then a valuation allowance would be established with a corresponding charge to GAAP earnings, which would reduce our book value. Such charges could cause a material reduction, up to the full value of our net DTAs for which a valuation allowance has not previously been established, to our GAAP earnings and book value per share for the quarterly and annual periods in which they are established and could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial results, or liquidity.

Consistent with prior periods, we continued to maintain a valuation allowance against the majority of our net state DTAs as realization of our state DTAs is dependent on generating sufficient taxable income in the same jurisdictions in which the DTAs exist and we project most of our state DTAs will expire prior to their utilization.