Corporate Office Properties Trust Announces Tax Treatment of 2006 Distributions

COLUMBIA, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT) (NYSE: OFC) announced that 61.43 percent of its 2006 Common Share distributions qualifies as ordinary income (including 0.03 percent classified as qualified income dividends), 7.71 percent qualifies as capital gain (including 5.23 percent qualifying as unrecaptured Section 1250 gain) and 30.86 percent qualifies as return of capital. Shareholders generally benefit from the return of capital by deferring income taxes on that portion of the distribution until a share is sold or otherwise transferred. The Company also announced that 88.85 percent of its distributions paid to preferred shares in 2006 qualifies as ordinary income (including 0.04 percent classified as qualified income dividends) and 11.15 percent qualifies as capital gain (including 7.56 percent qualifying as unrecaptured Section 1250 gain). Shareholders are encouraged to consult with their tax advisors as to their specific tax treatment for Corporate Office Properties Trust Common and Preferred Share distributions.

The table below summarizes the income tax treatment for 2006 distributions for the Common Shares of Corporate Office Properties Trust (CUSIP# 22002T108).

                               Distribution  Ordinary Taxable
   Record Date    Payable Date    Per Share       Dividend
 -------------------------------------------------------------
       3/31/2006     4/14/2006        $0.280        $0.171994
 -------------------------------------------------------------
       6/30/2006     7/14/2006        $0.280        $0.171994
 -------------------------------------------------------------
       9/30/2006    10/13/2006        $0.310        $0.190421
 -------------------------------------------------------------
      12/29/2006     1/17/2007        $0.310        $0.190421
 -------------------------------------------------------------

                                 Qualified
  Total Capital    Return of       Income    Unrecap Sec. 1250
       Gain        Capital (1)  Dividend (2)      Gain (3)
 -------------------------------------------------------------
       $0.021590     $0.086416     $0.000072        $0.014638
 -------------------------------------------------------------
       $0.021590     $0.086416     $0.000072        $0.014638
 -------------------------------------------------------------
       $0.023904     $0.095675     $0.000079        $0.016207
 -------------------------------------------------------------
       $0.023904     $0.095675     $0.000079        $0.016207
 -------------------------------------------------------------


 (1) Represents a return of shareholder investment.
 (2) Represents additional characterization of amounts included in
  Ordinary Taxable Dividend.
 (3) Represents additional characterization of amounts included in
  Total Capital Gain.

The table below summarizes the income tax treatment for 2006 distributions of Corporate Office Properties Trust Series E Preferred Shares (CUSIP# 22002T306).

                                                  Qualified
                     Distri-  Ordinary    Total     Income   Unrecap
 Record    Payable  bution Per Taxable   Capital   Dividend  Sec. 1250
   Date      Date      Share   Dividend    Gain       (1)    Gain (2)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
3/31/2006 4/14/2006   $0.6406 $0.569154 $0.071446 $0.000237 $0.048440
----------------------------------------------------------------------
6/30/2006 7/14/2006   $0.6406 $0.569154 $0.071446 $0.000237 $0.048440
----------------------------------------------------------------------


 (1) Represents additional characterization of amounts included in
  Ordinary Taxable Dividend.
 (2) Represents additional characterization of amounts included in
  Total Capital Gain.

The table below summarizes the income tax treatment for 2006 distributions of Corporate Office Properties Trust Series F Preferred Shares (CUSIP# 22002T405).

                      Distri-                     Qualified
                      bution  Ordinary    Total     Income   Unrecap
 Record    Payable      Per    Taxable   Capital   Dividend  Sec. 1250
   Date       Date     Share   Dividend    Gain       (1)    Gain (2)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
3/31/2006  4/14/2006  $0.6172 $0.548363 $0.068837 $0.000229 $0.046671
----------------------------------------------------------------------
6/30/2006  7/14/2006  $0.6172 $0.548363 $0.068837 $0.000229 $0.046671
----------------------------------------------------------------------
9/30/2006 10/13/2006  $0.6172 $0.548363 $0.068837 $0.000229 $0.046671
----------------------------------------------------------------------


 (1) Represents additional characterization of amounts included in
  Ordinary Taxable Dividend.
 (2) Represents additional characterization of amounts included in
  Total Capital Gain.

The table below summarizes the income tax treatment for 2006 distributions of Corporate Office Properties Trust Series G Preferred Shares (CUSIP# 22002T504).

                      Distri-                     Qualified
                      bution  Ordinary    Total     Income   Unrecap
            Payable     Per    Taxable   Capital   Dividend  Sec. 1250
Record Date    Date     Share  Dividend    Gain       (1)    Gain (2)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
 3/31/2006  4/14/2006 $0.5000 $0.444234 $0.055766 $0.000185 $0.037809
----------------------------------------------------------------------
 6/30/2006  7/14/2006 $0.5000 $0.444234 $0.055766 $0.000185 $0.037809
----------------------------------------------------------------------
 9/30/2006 10/13/2006 $0.5000 $0.444234 $0.055766 $0.000185 $0.037809
----------------------------------------------------------------------
12/29/2006  1/17/2007 $0.5000 $0.444234 $0.055766 $0.000185 $0.037809
----------------------------------------------------------------------


 (1) Represents additional characterization of amounts included in
  Ordinary Taxable Dividend.
 (2) Represents additional characterization of amounts included in
  Total Capital Gain.

The table below summarizes the income tax treatment for 2006 distributions of Corporate Office Properties Trust Series H Preferred Shares (CUSIP# 22002T603).

                      Distri-                     Qualified
                      bution  Ordinary    Total     Income   Unrecap
            Payable     Per    Taxable   Capital   Dividend  Sec. 1250
Record Date    Date     Share  Dividend    Gain       (1)    Gain (2)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
 3/31/2006  4/14/2006 $0.4688 $0.416515 $0.052285 $0.000174 $0.035449
----------------------------------------------------------------------
 6/30/2006  7/14/2006 $0.4688 $0.416515 $0.052285 $0.000174 $0.035449
----------------------------------------------------------------------
 9/30/2006 10/13/2006 $0.4688 $0.416515 $0.052285 $0.000174 $0.035449
----------------------------------------------------------------------
12/29/2006  1/17/2007 $0.4688 $0.416515 $0.052285 $0.000174 $0.035449
----------------------------------------------------------------------


 (1) Represents additional characterization of amounts included in
  Ordinary Taxable Dividend.
 (2) Represents additional characterization of amounts included in
  Total Capital Gain.

The table below summarizes the income tax treatment for 2006 distributions of Corporate Office Properties Trust Series J Preferred Shares (CUSIP# 22002T702).

                      Distri-                     Qualified
                      bution  Ordinary    Total     Income   Unrecap
            Payable     Per    Taxable   Capital   Dividend  Sec. 1250
Record Date    Date     Share  Dividend    Gain       (1)    Gain (2)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
 9/30/2006 10/13/2006 $0.4501 $0.399900 $0.050200 $0.000167 $0.034035
----------------------------------------------------------------------
12/29/2006  1/17/2007 $0.4766 $0.423444 $0.053156 $0.000177 $0.036039
----------------------------------------------------------------------


 (1) Represents additional characterization of amounts included in
  Ordinary Taxable Dividend.
 (2) Represents additional characterization of amounts included in
  Total Capital Gain.

Company Information

Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT) is a fully integrated, self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT) that focuses on the ownership, management, leasing, acquisition and development of suburban office properties located primarily in submarkets within the Greater Washington, DC region. As of September 30, 2006, the Company owned 186 office properties totaling 15.4 million rentable square feet, which included 18 properties totaling 806,000 square feet held through joint ventures. The Company has implemented a core customer expansion strategy that is built around meeting, through acquisitions and development, the multi-location requirements of the Company's existing strategic tenants. The Company's property management services team provides comprehensive property and asset management to company owned properties and select third party clients. The Company's development and construction services team provides a wide range of development and construction management services for company owned properties, as well as land planning, design/build services, consulting, and merchant development to select third party clients. The Company's shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol OFC. More information on Corporate Office Properties Trust can be found on the Internet at www.copt.com.

Forward-Looking Information

This press release may contain "forward-looking" statements, as defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, that are based on the Company's current expectations, estimates and projections about future events and financial trends affecting the Company. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may", "will", "should", "expect", "estimate" or other comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which the Company cannot predict with accuracy and some of which the Company might not even anticipate. Accordingly, the Company can give no assurance that these expectations, estimates and projections will be achieved. Future events and actual results may differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements.

Important factors that may affect these expectations, estimates, and projections include, but are not limited to:

    --  the Company's ability to borrow on favorable terms;

    --  general economic and business conditions, which will, among
        other things, affect office property demand and rents, tenant
        creditworthiness, interest rates and financing availability;

    --  adverse changes in the real estate markets including, among
        other things, increased competition with other companies;

    --  risk of real estate acquisition and development, including,
        among other things, risks that development projects may not be
        completed on schedule, that tenants may not take occupancy or
        pay rent or that development or operating costs may be greater
        than anticipated;

    --  risks of investing through joint venture structures, including
        risks that the Company's joint venture partners may not
        fulfill their financial obligations as investors or may take
        actions that are inconsistent with the Company's objectives;

    --  our ability to satisfy and operate effectively under federal
        income tax rules relating to real estate investment trusts and
        partnerships;

    --  governmental actions and initiatives; and

    --  environmental requirements.

The Company undertakes no obligation to update or supplement any forward-looking statements. For further information, please refer to the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, particularly the section entitled "Risk Factors" in Item 1 of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005.

Source: Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT)