EXHIBIT 8.7
PricewaterhouseCoopers
One Spencer Dock
North Wall Quay
Dublin 1
Ireland
I.D.E. Box No. 137
Telephone +353 (0) 1 792 6000
Facsimile +353 (0) 1 792 6200
www.pwc.com/ie
The Managing, Supervisory and Joint
Board of Directors of James Hardie Industries N.V.
Atrium, 8th floor
Strawinskylaan 3077
1077 ZX Amsterdam, The Netherlands
20 July 2009
dhn/mkr/bja
Dear Sirs
James Hardie Industries N.V.
We have acted as special Irish tax advisers to James Hardie Industries N.V., a public limited
liability corporation registered in The Netherlands (the Company), in connection with the
registration of 102,000,000 ordinary shares, par value 0.59 per share (the Securities),
of James Hardie Industries SE (the Issuer) as a result of the transformation of the
Company from a public limited liability corporation organized in The Netherlands (Naamloze
Vennootschap (NV)) to a European Company (Societas Europaea (SE)) pursuant to the merger of a
newly-formed subsidiary of the Company incorporated in Ireland with and into the Company. At your
request, we are rendering our opinion set forth below concerning material Irish tax consequences of
the Proposal (as defined in the Registration Statement, described below). All capitalized terms
used but not defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Registration
Statement).
In the above capacity, we have reviewed (i) the Registration Statement on Form F-4 (File No.
333-160177) relating to the Securities filed by the Company on 20 July, 2009 with the Securities
and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933 (the Registration Statement) and (ii)
such other documents as we have deemed necessary or appropriate in order to enable us to render the
opinion below.
Ronan Murphy Olwyn Alexander Brian Bergin Alan Bigley Sean Brodie Paraic Burke Damian Byrne Pat Candon Mark Carter John Casey Mary Cleary
Siobhán Collier Tom Corbett Andrew Craig Thérèse Cregg Garrett Cronin Richard Day Fíona de Búrca Gearóid Deegan Jean Delaney David Devlin
Liam Diamond John Dillon Ronan Doyle John Dunne Kevin Egan Enda Faughnan John Fay Martin Freyne Ronan Furlong Denis Harrington Teresa Harrington
Alisa Hayden Paul Hennessy Mary Honohan Ken Johnson Patricia Johnston Paraic Joyce Andrea Kelly Ciaran Kelly Colm Kelly Joanne Kelly John Kelly
Susan Kilty Anita Kissane Chand Kohli John Loughlin Vincent MacMahon Ronan MacNioclais Tom McCarthy Teresa McColgan Dervla McCormack
Enda McDonagh Caroline McDonnell Jim McDonnell John McDonnell Ivan McLoughlin James McNally Robin Menzies Brian Neilan Damian Neylin
Andy OCallaghan Ann OConnell Jonathan OConnell Carmel OConnor Denis OConnor Marie OConnor Paul OConnor Terry ODriscoll Mary OHara
Irene OKeeffe John OLeary Dave OMalley Garvan ONeill Michael ONeill Tim ORahilly Billy ORiordan Feargal ORourke Joe OShea Ken Owens
George Reddin Dermot Reilly Gavan Ryle Emma Scott Bob Semple Mike Sullivan Billy Sweetman Paul Tuite David Tynan Joe Tynan Pat Wall Aidan Walsh
Tony Weldon
Also at Cork, Galway, Kilkenny, Limerick, Waterford and Wexford
PricewaterhouseCoopers is authorised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland to carry on investment business.
James Hardie Industries N.V.
For purposes of our opinion, we have assumed the legal capacity of all natural persons, the
genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the
conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as certified, conformed,
photostatic or electronic copies, and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents.
We have assumed that such documents, certificates, and records are duly authorized, valid and
enforceable. Where documents have been provided to us in draft form, we have assumed that the final
executed versions of such documents will not differ materially from such drafts.
In rendering our opinion, we have relied upon statements and representations made by the Company
and have assumed that such statements and representations are true without regard to any
qualifications as to knowledge and belief. We have further assumed that (i) each of Stage 1 and
Stage 2 of the Proposal will be consummated in accordance with the description in the Registration
Statement and none of the material terms or conditions contained therein have been or will be
waived or modified in any respect, (ii) such other documents, certificates and records and
statements as to factual matters contained in the Registration Statement are true, correct and
complete and will continue to be true, correct and complete through the date that implementation
for each of Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the Proposal is completed, and (iii) the Registration Statement
accurately describes the business operations and the anticipated future operations of the Company.
Our opinion is conditioned upon, among other things, the initial and continuing accuracy and
completeness of the facts, information, covenants, representations and warranties provided or made
by the Company.
Our opinion is based on Irish tax legislation, relevant Irish case law, other Irish Revenue
guidance and published opinions and administrative pronouncements of the Irish tax authorities,
income tax treaties to which Ireland is a party, and such other authorities as we have considered
relevant, all as in effect and available on the date of the Registration Statement and all of which
are subject to change or differing interpretations, possibly with retroactive effect. A change in
any of the authorities upon which our advice is based could affect our conclusions herein. There
can be no assurance, moreover, that our opinion will be accepted by the Irish tax authorities or,
if challenged, by a court.
On the basis of the foregoing and subject to the limitations, qualifications, exceptions and
assumptions set forth in the Registration Statement and herein, we are of the opinion that,
although the descriptions in (i) Section 9.4.2 of the F-4 entitled Irish SE Taxation on Stage 2,
(ii) Section 9.4.3.1 of the F-4 entitled Tax
(2)
James Hardie Industries N.V.
on future dividends from Irish SE: non-Irish resident shareholders, (iii) Section 9.4.3.2 of the
F-4 entitled Tax on future dividends from Irish SE: Irish resident shareholders, (iv) Section
9.4.3.3 of the F-4 entitled Tax on future disposal of Irish SE shares: Non-Irish resident
shareholders, (v) Section 9.4.3.4 of the F-4 entitled Tax on future disposal of Irish SE shares:
Irish resident shareholders, and (vi) Section 9.4.3.5 of the F-4 entitled Irish stamp duty on
future transfers of Irish SE shares do not purport to describe all possible Irish tax
consequences of the Proposal to Holders and the Company, under present Irish tax law such
descriptions fairly summarize the relevant Irish law.
Except as set out above, we express no opinions or views regarding the Irish tax consequences of
the Proposal or any other transaction related to the Proposal.
This opinion is expressed as of the date hereof, and we are not under any obligation to supplement
or revise our opinion to reflect any legal developments or factual matters arising subsequent to
the date hereof or the impact of any information, document, certificate, record, statement,
representation, covenant, or assumption relied upon herein that hereafter becomes incorrect or
untrue. In addition, any changes to either the Registration Statement or the other documents
referred to above could affect our conclusions herein.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an
exhibit to the Registration Statement. We also consent to the reference to our firm under the
caption Legal Matters in such Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not thereby
admit that we are included in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
Yours faithfully,
/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers
(3)