Facility and Employee-Related Items
During 2005, we recorded a net pretax gain of $18 million ($8 million after-tax) in connection with our planned relocation of several functions to Verizon Center, including a pretax gain of $120 million ($72 million after-tax) related to the sale of a New York City office building, partially offset by a pretax charge of $102 million ($64 million after-tax) primarily associated with relocation-related employee severance costs and related activities.

During 2005, we recorded a net pretax charge of $98 million ($59 million after-tax) related to the restructuring of the Verizon management retirement benefit plans. This pretax charge was recorded in accordance with SFAS No. 88, “Employers’ Accounting for Settlements and Curtailments of Defined Benefit Pension Plans and for Termination Benefits” and SFAS No. 106, “Employers’ Accounting for Postretirement Benefits Other Than Pensions” and includes the unamortized cost of prior pension enhancements of $441 million offset partially by a pretax curtailment gain of $343 million related to retiree medical benefits. In connection with this restructuring, management employees will no longer earn pension benefits or earn service towards the company retiree medical subsidy after June 30, 2006, after receiving an 18-month enhancement of the value of their pension and retiree medical subsidy, but will receive a higher savings plan matching contribution.

In addition, during 2005 we recorded a charge of $59 million ($36 million after-tax) associated with employee severance costs and severance-related activities in connection with the voluntary separation program for surplus union-represented employees.

During 2004, we recorded pretax pension settlement losses of $815 million ($499 million after-tax) related to employees that received lump-sum distributions during 2004 in connection with the voluntary separation plan under which more than 21,000 employees accepted the separation offer in the fourth quarter of 2003. These charges were recorded in accordance with SFAS No. 88, which requires that settlement losses be recorded once prescribed payment thresholds have been reached.

Total pension, benefit and other costs related to severance activities were $5,524 million ($3,399 million after-tax) in 2003, primarily in connection with the voluntary separation of more than 25,000 employees, as follows:

• In connection with the voluntary separation of more than 21,000 employees during the fourth quarter of 2003, we recorded a pretax charge of $4,695 million ($2,882 million after-tax). This pretax charge included $2,716 million recorded in accordance with SFAS No. 88 and SFAS No. 106, for pension and postretirement benefit enhancements and a net curtailment gain for a significant reduction of the expected years of future service resulting from early retirements. In addition, we recorded a pretax charge of $76 million for pension settlement losses related to lump-sum settlements of some existing pension obligations. The fourth quarter pretax charge also included severance costs of $1,720 million and costs related to other severance-related activities of $183 million.
• We also recorded a special charge in 2003 of $235 million ($150 million after-tax) primarily associated with employee severance costs and severance-related activities in connection with the voluntary separation of approximately 4,000 employees. In addition, we recorded pretax pension settlement losses of $131 million ($81 million after-tax) in 2003 related to employees that received lump-sum distributions during the year in connection with previously announced employee separations.
• Further, in 2003 we recorded a special charge of $463 million ($286 million after-tax) in connection with enhanced pension benefits granted to employees retiring in the first half of 2003, estimated costs associated with the July 10, 2003 Verizon New York arbitration ruling and pension settlement losses related to lump-sum pay-outs in 2003. On July 10, 2003, an arbitrator ruled that Verizon New York’s termination of 2,300 employees in 2002 was not permitted under a union contract; similar cases were pending impacting an additional 1,100 employees. Verizon offered to reinstate all 3,400 impacted employees, and accordingly, recorded a charge in the second quarter of 2003 representing estimated payments to employees and other related company-paid costs.

Tax Matters
During 2005, we recorded a tax benefit of $336 million in connection with capital gains and prior year investment losses. As a result of the capital gain realized in 2005 in connection with the sale of our Hawaii businesses, we recorded a tax benefit of $242 million related to prior year investment losses. The investment losses pertain to Iusacell, CTI Holdings, S.A. (CTI) and TelecomAsia.

Also during 2005, we recorded a net tax provision of $206 million related to the repatriation of foreign earnings under the provisions of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004, which provides for a favorable federal income tax rate in connection with the repatriation of foreign earnings, provided the criteria described in the law is met. Two of Verizon’s foreign investments repatriated earnings resulting in income taxes of $332 million, partially offset by a tax benefit of $126 million.

As a result of the capital gain realized in 2004 in connection with the sale of Verizon Information Services Canada, we recorded tax benefits of $234 million in the fourth quarter of 2004 pertaining to prior year investment impairments. The investment impairments primarily related to debt and equity investments in CTI, Cable & Wireless plc and NTL Incorporated.

Other Charges and Special Items
During 2005, we recorded pretax charges of $139 million ($133 million after-tax) including a pretax impairment charge of $125 million ($125 million after-tax) pertaining to our leasing operations for aircraft leases involved in recent airline bankruptcy proceedings and a pretax charge of $14 million ($8 million after-tax) in connection with the early retirement of debt.

In 2004, we recorded an expense credit of $204 million ($123 million after-tax) resulting from the favorable resolution of pre-bankruptcy amounts due from MCI. Previously reached settlement agreements became fully effective when MCI emerged from bankruptcy proceedings in the second quarter of 2004.

Also during 2004, we recorded a charge of $113 million ($87 million after-tax) related to operating asset losses pertaining to our international long distance and data network. In addition, we recorded pretax charges of $55 million ($34 million after-tax) in connection with the early retirement of debt.

During 2003, we recorded other special pretax charges of $557 million ($419 million after-tax). These charges included $240 million ($156 million after-tax) primarily in connection with environmental remediation efforts relating to several discontinued businesses, including a former facility that processed nuclear fuel rods in Hicksville, New York (see Note 22) and a pretax impairment charge of $184 million ($184 million after-tax) pertaining to our leasing operations for airplanes leased to airlines experiencing financial difficulties and for power generating facilities. These 2003 charges also include pretax charges of $61 million ($38 million after-tax) related to the early retirement of debt and other pretax charges of $72 million ($41 million after-tax).