REDWOOD TRUST INC

REIT Status and Dividend Characterization

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 both the three and six months ended June 30, 2024, we recorded a tax provision of $5 million. For the three and six ended June 30, 2023, we recorded a tax provision of $0.1 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 half of 2024 compared to a GAAP loss in the first half 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 closely analyzed the realizability of our net deferred tax assets in whole and in part, and, at June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, we reported net federal ordinary and capital DTAs with no material valuation allowance recorded against them. 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.

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.