NexPoint Real Estate Finance, Inc.

Emerging Growth Company and Smaller Reporting Company Status

Section 107 of the JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act, for complying with new or revised accounting standards applicable to public companies. In other words, an emerging growth company can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have elected to take advantage of this extended transition period. As a result of this election, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with public company effective dates for such new or revised standards. We may elect to comply with public company effective dates at any time, and such election would be irrevocable pursuant to Section 107(b) of the JOBS Act.

We are also a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Regulation S-K under the Securities Act, and may elect to take advantage of certain of the scaled disclosures available to smaller reporting companies. We may be a smaller reporting company even after we are no longer an “emerging growth company.”

REIT Tax Election and Income Taxes

We elected to be treated as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes, beginning with our taxable year ended December 31, 2020. We believe that our organization and proposed method of operation will enable us to meet the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT. To qualify as a REIT, we must meet certain organizational and operational requirements, including a requirement to distribute at least 90% of our annual REIT taxable income to stockholders. As a REIT, we will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on our undistributed REIT taxable income and net capital gain and to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on any amount by which distributions we pay with respect to any calendar year are less than the sum of (1) 85% of our ordinary income, (2) 95% of our capital gain net income and (3) 100% of our undistributed income from prior years. Taxable income from certain non-REIT activities is managed through a TRS and is subject to applicable federal, state, and local income and margin taxes. We had no significant taxes associated with our TRS for the year ended December 31, 2024.

If we fail to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year, we will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on our taxable income at regular corporate income tax rates, and dividends paid to our stockholders would not be deductible by us in computing taxable income. Any resulting corporate liability could be substantial and could materially and adversely affect our net income and net cash available for distribution to stockholders. Unless we were entitled to relief under certain Code provisions, we also would be disqualified from re-electing to be taxed as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year in which we failed to qualify to be taxed as a REIT.

We evaluate the accounting and disclosure of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in the course of preparing our tax returns to determine whether the tax positions are “more-likely-than-not” (greater than 50 percent probability) of being sustained by the applicable tax authority. Tax positions not deemed to meet the more-likely-than-not threshold would be recorded as a tax benefit or expense in the current year. Our management is required to analyze all open tax years, as defined by the statute of limitations, for all major jurisdictions, which include federal and certain states. We have no examinations in progress, and none are expected at this time.

We recognize our tax positions and evaluate them using a two-step process. First, we determine whether a tax position is more likely than not to be sustained upon examination, including resolution of any related appeals or litigation processes, based on the technical merits of the position. Second, we will determine the amount of benefit to recognize and record the amount that is more likely than not to be realized upon ultimate settlement. We had no material unrecognized tax benefit or expense, accrued interest or penalties as of December 31, 2024.

We and our subsidiaries are subject to U.S. federal income tax as well as income tax of various state and local jurisdictions. The 2023, 2022 and 2021 tax years remain open to examination by tax jurisdictions to which our subsidiaries and we are subject. When applicable, we may recognize interest and/or penalties related to uncertain tax positions on our consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss).

Dividends

We intend to make regular quarterly dividend payments to holders of our common stock. We also intend to make the accrued dividend payments on the Series A Preferred Stock, which are payable quarterly in arrears as provided in the articles supplementary setting forth the terms of the Series A Preferred Stock, and the Series B Preferred Stock, which are payable monthly as provided in the articles supplementary setting forth the terms of the Series B Preferred Stock. U.S. federal income tax law generally requires that a REIT distribute annually at least 90% of its REIT taxable income, without regard to the deduction for dividends paid and excluding net capital gains. As a REIT, we will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on our undistributed REIT taxable income and net capital gain and to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on any amount by which distributions we pay with respect to any calendar year are less than the sum of (1) 85% of our ordinary income, (2) 95% of our capital gain net income and (3) 100% of our undistributed income from prior years. We intend to make regular quarterly dividend payments of all or substantially all of our taxable income, which is not used to pay dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock, to holders of our common stock out of assets legally available for this purpose, if and to the extent authorized by our Board. Before we make any dividend payments, whether for U.S. federal income tax purposes or otherwise, we must first meet both our operating requirements and debt service on our debt payable. If our cash available for distribution is less than our taxable income, we could be required to sell assets, borrow funds or raise additional capital to make cash dividends or we may make a portion of the required dividend in the form of a taxable distribution of stock or debt securities.

We will make dividend payments to holders of our common stock based on our estimate of taxable earnings per share of common stock, but not earnings calculated pursuant to GAAP. Our dividends and taxable income and GAAP earnings will typically differ due to items such as depreciation and amortization, fair-value adjustments, differences in premium amortization and discount accretion and non-deductible G&A expenses. Our quarterly dividends per share of our common stock may be substantially different than our quarterly taxable earnings and GAAP earnings per share. On August 19, 2024, our Board declared a Series B Preferred Stock dividend to Series B Preferred stockholders of $0.1875 per share, which was paid on October 7, 2024, to stockholders of record as of September 25, 2024. On September 9, 2024, our Board declared a Series A Preferred Stock dividend of $0.53125 per share, which was paid on October 25, 2024, to stockholders of record as of October 15, 2024. On September 18, 2024, our Board declared a Series B Preferred Stock dividend to Series B Preferred stockholders of $0.1875 per share, which was paid on November 5, 2024, to stockholders of record as of October 25, 2024. On October 16, 2024 our Board declared a Series B Preferred Stock dividend to Series B Preferred stockholders of $0.1875 per share, which was paid on December 5, 2024 to stockholders of record as of November 25, 2024. Our Board declared the fourth quarterly dividend to common stockholders of $0.50 per share on October 28, 2024, which was paid on December 31, 2024, to common stockholders of record as of December 13, 2024. On November 21, 2024, our Board declared a Series B Preferred Stock dividend to Series B Preferred stockholders of $0.1875 per share, which was paid on January 6, 2025 to stockholders of record as of December 24, 2024. On December 12, 2024, our Board declared a Series A Preferred Stock dividend to Series A Preferred stockholders of $0.53125 per share, which was paid on January 25, 2025, to Series A Preferred stockholders of record as of January 12, 2025. On December 23, 2024, our Board declared a Series B Preferred Stock dividend to Series B Preferred stockholders of $0.1875 per share, which was paid on February 5, 2025, to Series B Preferred stockholders of record as of January 24, 2025.