Company: XXII
Filing Date: 2025-06-10
Form Type: PRER14A
Source: 0001641172-25-014371
Chunk: 103

Company: 22nd Century Group, Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-06-10
Form: PRER14A
Chunk 103
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 the amount of the Base Period Income (as defined below), (2) the amount and present value of the Total Payments, (3) the amount and present value of any excess parachute payments determined without regard to any reduction of Total Payments pursuant to Section 6(a)(ii), and (4) the net after-tax proceeds to the Participant, taking into account applicable federal, state and local income taxes and the Excise Tax if (x) the Total Payments were delivered in accordance with Section 16(d)(i)(A) or (y) the Total Payments were delivered in accordance with Section 16(d)(i)(B). The opinion of National Tax Counsel shall be addressed to the Company and the Participant and shall be binding upon the Company and the Participant. If such National Tax Counsel opinion determines that Section 16(d)(i)(B) applies, then the Plan Payments or any other payment or benefit determined by such counsel to be includable in the Total Payments shall be reduced or eliminated so that under the bases of calculations set forth in such opinion there will be no excess parachute payment. In such event, payments or benefits included in the Total Payments shall be reduced or eliminated by applying the following principles, in order: (1) the payment or benefit with the higher ratio of the parachute payment value to present economic value (determined using reasonable actuarial assumptions) shall be reduced or eliminated before a payment or benefit with a lower ratio; (2) the payment or benefit with the later possible payment date shall be reduced or eliminated before a payment or benefit with an earlier payment date; and (3) cash payments shall be reduced prior to non-cash benefits; provided that if the foregoing order of reduction or elimination would violate Code Section 409A, then the reduction shall be made pro rata among the payments or benefits included in the Total Payments (on the basis of the relative present value of the parachute payments).

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(B) For purposes of this Section 16: (1) the terms “excess parachute payment” and “parachute payments” shall have the meanings given in Code Section 280G and such “parachute payments” shall be valued as provided therein; (2) present value shall be calculated in accordance with Code Section 280G(d)(4); (3) the term “Base Period Income” means an amount equal to the Participant’s “annualized includible compensation for the base period” as defined in Code Section 280G(d)(1); (4) for purposes of the