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Dividends
On June 15, 2001, Nortel Networks Corporation announced that its Board of Directors decided to discontinue the declaration and payment of
common share dividends. As a result, dividends have not been declared and paid on Nortel Networks Corporation common shares since
June 29, 2001, and future dividends will not be declared unless and until the Board of Directors decides otherwise. On July 26, 2001, the Board
of Directors of Nortel Networks Corporation suspended the operation of the Nortel Networks Corporation Dividend Reinvestment and Stock
Purchase Plan.
In the first and second quarters of 2001, Nortel Networks Corporation declared and paid a cash dividend of $0.01875 per common share. This
represents a total dividend of $0.0375 per common share for 2001 and aggregate dividend payments of $123 million.
Canadian tax matters
Dividends
Under the United States-Canada Income Tax Convention (1980), or the Convention, Canadian withholding tax of 15% generally applies to the
gross amount of dividends (including stock dividends) paid or credited to beneficial owners of Nortel Networks Corporation common shares:
The Convention provides an exemption from withholding tax on dividends paid or credited to certain tax-exempt organizations that are resident
in the United States for purposes of the Convention. Persons who are subject to the United States federal income tax on dividends may be
entitled, subject to certain limitations, to either a credit or deduction with respect to Canadian income taxes withheld with respect to dividends
paid or credited on Nortel Networks Corporation common shares.
Sales or other dispositions of shares
Gains on sales or other dispositions of Nortel Networks Corporation common shares by a non-resident of Canada are generally not subject to
Canadian income tax, unless the holder realizes the gains in connection with a business carried on in Canada. A gain realized upon the
disposition of Nortel Networks Corporation common shares by a resident of the United States that is otherwise subject to Canadian tax may be
exempt from Canadian tax under the Convention. Where Nortel Networks Corporation common shares are disposed of by way of an
acquisition of such common shares by Nortel Networks Corporation, other than a purchase in the open market in the manner in which common
shares would normally be purchased by any member of the public in the open market, the amount paid by Nortel Networks Corporation in
excess of the paid-up capital of such common shares will be treated as a dividend, and will be subject to non-resident withholding tax as
described above under the heading “Dividends”.
Sales of unregistered securities
During the fourth quarter of 2003, Nortel Networks Corporation did not issue any common shares under the Nortel Networks/BCE 1985 Stock
Option Plan or the Nortel Networks/BCE 1999 Stock Option Plan. Any common shares issued under these plans are deemed to be exempt from
registration under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, pursuant to Regulation S. All funds received by Nortel Networks
Corporation in connection with the exercise of stock options granted under the two Nortel Networks/BCE stock option plans are transferred in
full to BCE pursuant to the terms of the May 1, 2000 plan of arrangement, except for nominal amounts paid to Nortel Networks Corporation to
round up fractional entitlements into whole shares. Nortel Networks Corporation keeps these nominal amounts and uses them for general
corporate purposes.
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• who are resident in the United States for the purposes of the Convention; and
• who do not hold the shares in connection with a business carried on through a permanent establishment or a fixed base in Canada.