be an emerging growth company if, among other things, we have more than \$1.0 billion in ‘‘total annual gross revenues’’ during the most recently completed fiscal year.

# The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (‘‘PCAOB’’) is not currently permitted to inspect our independent accounting firm and you may not benefit from such inspections.

Auditors of U.S. public companies are required by law to undergo periodic PCAOB inspections to assess their compliance with U.S. law and professional standards in connection with performance of audits of financial statements filed with the SEC. Certain European Union countries, including Ireland, do not currently permit the PCAOB to conduct inspections of accounting firms established and operating in such European Union countries, even if they are part of major international firms. Accordingly, unlike for most U.S. public companies, the PCAOB is currently prevented from evaluating our auditor’s performance of audits and its quality control procedures, and, unlike shareholders of most U.S. public companies, we and our shareholders are deprived of the possible benefits of such inspections.

# Tax Risks

# U.S. tax authorities could treat us as a ‘‘passive foreign investment company,’’ which could have adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. holders.

A foreign corporation will be treated as a passive foreign investment company (‘‘PFIC’’), for U.S. federal income tax purposes if either (1) at least 75% of its gross income for any taxable year consists of ‘‘passive income’’ or (2) at least 50% of the average value of the corporation’s assets produce or are held for the production of ‘‘passive income.’’ For purposes of these tests, ‘‘passive income’’ generally includes dividends, interest, and gains from the sale or exchange of investment property and rents and royalties other than rents and royalties which are received from unrelated parties in connection with the active conduct of a trade or business. For purposes of these tests, income derived from the performance of services generally does not constitute ‘‘passive income.’’ U.S. shareholders of a PFIC are subject to an adverse U.S. federal income tax regime with respect to the income derived by the PFIC, the distributions they receive from the PFIC and the gain, if any, they derive from the sale or other disposition of their shares in the PFIC.

Based upon our operations as described herein, we do not believe that our income from our time charters should be treated as ‘‘passive income’’ for purposes of determining whether we are a PFIC, and, consequently, the assets that we own and operate in connection with the production of that income should not constitute passive assets. Accordingly, based on our current operations, we do not believe we will be treated as a PFIC with respect to any taxable year.

There is substantial legal authority supporting this position consisting of case law and U.S. Internal Revenue Service (‘‘IRS’’), pronouncements concerning the characterization of income derived from time charters and voyage charters as services income for other tax purposes. However, there is also authority which characterizes time charter income as rental income rather than services income for other tax purposes. Accordingly, no assurance can be given that the IRS or a court of law will accept this position, and there is a risk that the IRS or a court of law could determine that we are a PFIC. Moreover, no assurance can be given that we would not constitute a PFIC for any future taxable year if the nature and extent of our operations change.

If the IRS were successful in asserting that we are or have been a PFIC for any taxable year, U.S. shareholders would face adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences. Under the PFIC rules, unless a shareholder makes an election available under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, (‘‘the Code’’), (which election could itself have adverse consequences for such shareholders, as discussed below under ‘‘Tax Considerations — U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations — U.S. Federal Income Taxation of U.S. Holders’’), excess distributions and any gain from the disposition of such shareholder’s common shares would be allocated ratably over the shareholder’s holding period of the common shares and the amounts allocated to the taxable year of the excess distribution or sale or other disposition and to any year before we became a PFIC would be taxed as ordinary income. The amount allocated to each other taxable year would be subject to tax at the highest rate in effect for individuals or corporations, as appropriate, for that taxable year, and an interest charge would be imposed with respect to such tax. See ‘‘Tax Considerations — U.S. Federal