Document



UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 11‑K

ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

(Mark One)

x Annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015        

Or

¨ Transition report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

For the transition period from ________________to_________________

Commission file number 1-11530

A.
Full title of the plan and the address of the plan, if different from that of the issuer named below:

The Taubman Company and Related Entities Employee Retirement Savings Plan

B.
Name of the issuer of the securities held pursuant to the plan and the address of its principal executive office:

Taubman Centers, Inc.
200 East Long Lake Road
Suite 300
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 48304-2324.
















    





THE TAUBMAN COMPANY AND RELATED ENTITIES
EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT SAVINGS PLAN

    



Financial Statements as of
December 31, 2015 and 2014, and
for the Year Ended December 31, 2015,
Supplemental Schedule as of December 31, 2015,
and Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm


    
    
    
    








































    

TABLE OF CONTENTS    

                                                                                               
 
 
Page
 
 
 
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
1
 
 
 
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2015 AND 2014,
 
 
AND FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2015:
 
 
 
 
 
Statements of Net Assets Available for Benefits
2
 
Statement of Changes in Net Assets Available for Benefits
3
 
Notes to Financial Statements
4-12
 
 
 
SUPPLEMENTAL SCHEDULE AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2015
 
 
 
 
 
Form 5500 Schedule H, Part IV, Line 4i - Schedule of Assets
13
 
(held at end of year)     
 



                                                                                                               

    


























Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm




The Participants and Plan Administrator
The Taubman Company and
Related Entities Employee
Retirement Savings Plan:

We have audited the accompanying statements of net assets available for benefits of The Taubman Company and Related Entities Employee Retirement Savings Plan (the Plan) as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, and the related statement of changes in net assets available for benefits for the year ended December 31, 2015. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Plan’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the net assets available for benefits of the Plan as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, and the changes in net assets available for benefits for the year ended December 31, 2015, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

The supplemental information in the accompanying schedule of Schedule H, Part IV, Line 4i - Schedule of Assets (held at end of year) as of December 31, 2015 has been subjected to audit procedures performed in conjunction with the audit of the Plan’s 2015 financial statements. The supplemental information is presented for the purpose of additional analysis and is not a required part of the financial statements but includes supplemental information required by the Department of Labor’s Rules and Regulations for Reporting and Disclosure under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. The supplemental information is the responsibility of the Plan’s management. Our audit procedures included determining whether the supplemental information reconciles to the financial statements or the underlying accounting and other records, as applicable, and performing procedures to test the completeness and accuracy of the information presented in the supplemental information. In forming our opinion on the supplemental information, we evaluated whether the supplemental information, including its form and content, is presented in conformity with the Department of Labor’s Rules and Regulations for Reporting and Disclosure under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. In our opinion, the supplemental information in the accompanying schedule as of December 31, 2015 is fairly stated in all material respects in relation to the 2015 financial statements as a whole.

/s/ KPMG LLP

Chicago, Illinois
June 27, 2016







1




STATEMENTS OF NET ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR BENEFITS    

 
December 31
 
2015
 
2014
ASSETS:
 
 
 
Investments at fair value (Notes 3 and 4)
$
154,725,860

 
$
161,692,502

Receivables:
 
 
 
     Employer contributions
$
214,285

 
$
7,649

     Participant contributions
100,711

 
7,219

     Notes receivable from participants
1,569,400

 
1,833,825

          Total receivables
$
1,884,396

 
$
1,848,693

 
 
 
 
NET ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR BENEFITS
$
156,610,256

 
$
163,541,195









    




























See notes to financial statements.


2




STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR BENEFITS
YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2015        
            
ADDITIONS:
 
     Investment income:
 
       Net depreciation in fair value of investments (Note 3)
$
(4,867,049
)
         Interest and dividends
4,889,122

 
$
22,073

     Contributions:
 
       Employer
$
3,398,490

       Participant
4,890,787

 
$
8,289,277

 
 
     Interest income on notes receivable from participants
67,525

     Other income
11,012

          Total additions
$
8,389,887

 
 
DEDUCTIONS:
 
     Benefit and withdrawal payments to participants
(15,268,444
)
     Administrative expenses
(52,382
)
          Total deductions
$
(15,320,826
)
 
 
          Net decrease
$
(6,930,939
)
 
 
NET ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR BENEFITS:
 
     Beginning of year
163,541,195

     End of year
$
156,610,256





















See notes to financial statements.


3




NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

1. THE PLAN

The Taubman Company and Related Entities Employee Retirement Savings Plan (the Plan) is designed to enable certain employees of the participating companies to systematically save funds to supplement their retirement incomes through salary reduction agreements. In 2014, the Plan was amended to reduce the service eligibility to participate in the Plan, provide full vesting for participants affected by a reduction in force (as defined in the Plan), enable certain Puerto Rico based employees to participate in the Plan, modify the Plan’s rules regarding the procedure for the adoption of the Plan by subsidiaries or affiliates of The Taubman Company LLC (the Company or The Taubman Company), modify the Plan definition of “Spouse” and “Surviving Spouse” to comply with the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in United States v. Windsor, and comply with U.S. and Puerto Rico tax regulations.
The following description of the Plan provides only general information. Participants should refer to the Plan document for a more complete description of the Plan.
Included within the following description of the Plan are references to specific sections of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. For Puerto Rico participants, the Plan contains equivalent references to the Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Code.
The Plan is subject to the provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).
The Investment Committee is responsible for the administration and oversight of the Plan. The Investment Committee is appointed by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of Taubman Centers, Inc.

Related Entities - These are affiliated companies, which have approved the Plan and have been accepted for participation by The Taubman Company. The Taubman Company is a subsidiary of Taubman Centers, Inc.

Participants - Employees of the Company and Related Entities become participants on or after the first day of the month following 30 consecutive days of employment if they are not covered by a collective bargaining agreement and are 21 years old or older. An individual who is employed as an on-call or temporary employee is eligible to participate in the Plan if the individual completes 1,000 hours of service in a 12-consecutive month period.

Basic Employee Contributions - A participant who elects to contribute to the Plan may elect to contribute up to 25% of compensation, subject to the limitations specified in the Plan and by tax regulations. All employees who are eligible to make employee contributions under the Plan and who have attained age 50 before the close of the Plan year are eligible to make catch-up contributions in accordance with and subject to the limitations of Section 414(v) of the Internal Revenue Code. Participant contributions may be made on a pre-tax or, at the participant's election, a post-tax ("Roth" type) basis. The Plan also uses an automatic enrollment feature pursuant to which eligible employees may be automatically enrolled, unless they affirmatively elect not to participate in the Plan, at a pre-tax contribution rate of 3% of compensation, with the automatic contribution rate increased by 1% each year up to a maximum of 7% of compensation.
















4




Employer Matching and Supplemental Contributions - A participant is eligible to receive employer matching contributions and employer supplemental contributions. A monthly employer matching contribution and supplemental contribution, subject to the limitations specified in the Plan and by tax regulations, is made by the applicable participating company. The employer matching contribution amount is based on the employee contribution percentage according to the following schedule:
Employee Contribution Percentage
 
Employer Matching Contribution Percentage
Less than 3%
 
   0%
3
 
1
4
 
2
5
 
3
6
 
4
7 or more
 
5
                
The applicable participating company also makes a monthly supplemental employer contribution on behalf of each participant equal to 2% of compensation for the month, subject to limitations specified in the Plan by tax regulations.

Vesting - Employee contributions and rollovers are always 100% vested. Employer contributions vest as follows:
Full Years of Service
 
Vesting Percentage
1
 
  10%
2
 
30
3
 
50
4
 
70
5 or more
 
100

Participants receive a year of vesting service as of each anniversary of their hire date. The employee becomes fully vested at retirement age, defined by the Plan as age 65, or upon death or disability or a change of control of the Company (as defined in the Plan) while employed or upon the elimination of the employee's job or position resulting from a reduction in force (as defined in the Plan).

Forfeitures - Nonvested contributions become forfeitable at the point the participant terminates employment. At the earlier of the date the terminated participant takes a distribution of his vested Plan account monies or a five-year break in company service, the forfeitable amount is forfeited. Forfeitures reduce the cash required by the participating companies to fund their contributions. Forfeitures arising from the termination of participants who are not fully vested at the time of their termination are allocated as part of the matching contributions for the plan year. Forfeitures used were $83,830 in 2015.

Allocations - Each participant's account is credited with the participant's and employer contributions and allocations of investment earnings (losses). Allocations are based on participant earnings or account balances. The benefit to which a participant is entitled is the benefit that can be provided from the participant's vested account. Participant accounts are valued daily.

Notes Receivable from Participants - A participant may have a maximum of two loans, with only one obtained during any 12 month period, at rates so stipulated by the Investment Committee. The minimum loan amount is $500. The sum of all loans to a participant cannot exceed the lesser of 50 percent of the total vested accrued benefits of the participant or $50,000 reduced by the highest outstanding balance of loans during the one-year period ending on the day before the loan is granted. Plan earnings are not allocated to the portion of the participant's account balance borrowed. However, interest paid by the participant is credited to the individual participant's account balances. A loan must be repaid within 5 years, with the exception that a loan to acquire a principal residence may be repaid over 10 years. Loans are repaid through automatic payroll deductions. No allowance for credit losses has been recorded as of December 31, 2015.


5




Withdrawals - A participant may withdraw at any time any amount, credited to his rollover contribution account, voluntary contribution account or vested employer contributions. A participant who has attained age 65 may also withdraw any portion or all of his Plan account.

A participant may request a hardship withdrawal from his employee contribution account or, if fully vested, his employer contribution accounts as defined in the Plan. The hardship withdrawal must be approved by the Plan administrator and, once permitted, the participant cannot contribute to the Plan during the following 6 months.

Benefit Payments - A participant's account becomes eligible for a lump sum distribution following termination of employment as soon as the paperwork is submitted to the record keeper. If the participant is disabled or has attained age 59 ½, benefits are payable in a lump sum, or, alternatively, fixed periodic payments, as selected by the participant and subject to the Plan's specified period maximums. All vested benefits transfer to beneficiaries upon death of the participant.

2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Accounting - The accompanying financial statements have been prepared on the accrual basis of accounting.

Investments - The investments of the Plan are stated at fair value. See Note 4 for further information regarding valuation of the Plan's investments.

Notes Receivable From Participants - Notes receivable from participants are measured at their unpaid principal balances plus any accrued but unpaid interest. Interest income is recorded on an accrual basis. Related fees are recorded as administrative expenses and are expensed as incurred. Delinquent participant loans are reclassified as distributions based upon the terms of the Plan document.

Net Appreciation/Depreciation on Investments - Net appreciation/depreciation on investments includes the Plan's realized gains and losses on investments bought and sold as well as held during the year. Net gains and losses are computed using the average cost.

Payment of Benefits - Benefits are recorded when paid.

Security Transactions - Purchases and sales are accounted for on the trade date. Interest and dividend income are reported as earned on an accrual basis.

Administrative Expenses - Administrative expenses of the Plan are paid by the participating companies.

Use of Estimates - The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of net assets available for benefits and changes therein, and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Risks and Uncertainties - The Plan utilizes various investment instruments. Investment securities, in general, are exposed to various risks, such as interest rate, credit, and overall market volatility. Due to the level of risk associated with certain investment securities, it is reasonably possible that changes in the values of investment securities will occur in the near term and that such changes could materially affect the amounts reported in the financial statements.









6




New Accounting Pronouncements - In July 2015, the FASB updated Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 962 "Plan Accounting: Defined Contribution Pension Plans" with ASU No. 2015-12 "Part I - Fully Benefit-Responsive Investment Contracts, Part II - Plan Investment Disclosures and Part III - Measurement Date Practical Expedient." ASU No. 2015-12 eliminates the requirement to report fully benefit-responsive investment contracts at fair value, and eliminates the disclosure requirement for investments greater than 5% of net assets available for benefits, the disclosure for the breakout of appreciation/depreciation by fund type, and the disclosure of investment strategy for funds for which the fair value is determined using net asset value (NAV) as a practical expedient if the fund separately issues a Form 5500 with the Department of Labor. ASU No. 2015-12 also provides a practical expedient to permit plans to measure investments and investment-related accounts as of a month-end date that is closest to the plan's fiscal year end, when the fiscal period does not coincide with a month-end. ASU No. 2015-12 is effective for periods beginning after December 15, 2015, with early adoption permitted. The Plan early adopted ASU No. 2015-12, Part I, effective January 1, 2015, to reduce the complexity of reporting fully benefit-responsive investment contracts. The adoption resulted in the elimination of the disclosures noted above for Part I and had no other impact on the financial statements. Management is assessing the impact of adopting Part II and has concluded Part III is not applicable to the Plan.










































7





3. INVESTMENTS

Vanguard Fiduciary Trust Company is the Plan Trustee. Vanguard Group of Investment Companies, as agent for the Plan Trustee, is the record-keeper and provider of investment funds for the Plan. The Plan enters into transactions with parties-in-interest such as trustees or fund managers. The following Plan investments are held by Vanguard, the fund manager and trustee. Investments are summarized by category with investments representing 5% or more of the Plan's net assets at the end of the respective year separately identified.
 
December 31
 
 
2015
 
2014
 
Investments at fair value:
 
 
 
 
Retirement Savings Trust
$
16,136,989

*
$
18,200,841

*
Company Stock - Taubman Stock Fund
$
5,226,647

 
$
5,478,908

 
VGI Brokerage Option - U.S. Treasury Notes
$
290,198

 
$
114,909

 
 
 
 
 
 
Registered Investment Companies:
 
 
 
 
  Bond:
 
 
 
 
    Total Bond Market Index Fund Investor Shares
$
11,070,336

*
$
11,259,050

*
Inflation-Protected Securities Fund Investor Shares
1,147,782

 
976,665

 
  Balanced:
 
 
 
 
    Wellington Fund Investor Shares

 
19,586,372

*
    Wellington Fund Admiral Shares
18,042,085

*

 
  Domestic Equity:
 
 
 
 
    500 Index Fund Admiral Shares
28,540,566

*
30,359,873

*
    Explorer Fund Investor Shares
6,369,343

 
6,533,509

 
    Small-Cap Index Fund Investor Shares
5,967,324

 
6,061,776

 
    Target Retirement 2010 Fund
168,435

 
723,204

 
    Target Retirement 2015 Fund
2,341,400

 
2,621,038

 
    Target Retirement 2020 Fund
2,243,845

 
2,622,353

 
    Target Retirement 2025 Fund
6,824,178

 
6,484,338

 
    Target Retirement 2030 Fund
4,216,033

 
3,821,534

 
    Target Retirement 2035 Fund
3,665,348

 
3,373,798

 
    Target Retirement 2040 Fund
1,541,399

 
1,821,213

 
    Target Retirement 2045 Fund
2,274,989

 
1,857,065

 
    Target Retirement 2050 Fund
1,086,806

 
973,988

 
    Target Retirement 2055 Fund
265,661

 
198,838

 
    Target Retirement 2060 Fund
2,832

 
7,831

 
    Target Retirement Income
238,789

 
262,857

 
    Growth Index Fund Investor Shares
11,128,038

*
9,480,017

*
    Extended Market Index Fund Investor Shares
4,348,762

 
4,850,648

 
    Value Index Fund Investor Shares
5,037,542

 
6,156,147

 
  Foreign Equity - International Growth Fund Investor Shares
10,644,491

*
10,819,361

*
  REIT Portfolio - REIT Index Fund Investor Shares
5,834,334

 
6,965,424

 
  Prime Money Market Fund
71,708

 
80,945

 
Total Registered Investment Companies
$
133,072,026

 
$
137,897,844

 
 
$
154,725,860

 
$
161,692,502

 

* Represents 5% or more of net assets available for benefits.



8




Net appreciation / (depreciation) in fair value of investments (including investments bought, sold, and held) for the year ended December 31, 2015 was as follows:
Bond:
 
  Total Bond Market Index Fund Investor Shares
$
(237,276
)
  Inflation-Protected Securities Fund Investor Shares
(27,967
)
Balanced:
 
  Wellington Fund Investor Shares
(91,367
)
  Wellington Fund Admiral Shares
(1,091,554
)
Domestic Equity:
 
  500 Index Fund Admiral Shares
(216,413
)
  Explorer Fund Investor Shares
(982,340
)
  Small-Cap Index Fund Investor Shares
(326,276
)
  Target Retirement 2010 Fund
(487
)
  Target Retirement 2015 Fund
(161,264
)
  Target Retirement 2020 Fund
(96,143
)
  Target Retirement 2025 Fund
(382,870
)
  Target Retirement 2030 Fund
(202,053
)
  Target Retirement 2035 Fund
(211,697
)
  Target Retirement 2040 Fund
(67,708
)
  Target Retirement 2045 Fund
(131,096
)
  Target Retirement 2050 Fund
(30,740
)
  Target Retirement 2055 Fund
(8,950
)
  Target Retirement 2060 Fund
133

  Target Retirement Income
(7,170
)
  Growth Index Fund Investor Shares
153,223

  Extended Market Index Fund Investor Shares
(232,530
)
  Value Index Fund Investor Shares
(191,113
)
Foreign Equity - International Growth Fund Investor Shares
(269,136
)
REIT Portfolio - REIT Index Fund Investor Shares
(71,946
)
Company Stock - Taubman Stock Fund
17,691

 
$
(4,867,049
)

4.
FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

The Plan has adopted the accounting requirements of Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures.” These requirements define fair value as the price that would be received from selling an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. When determining the fair value measurements for assets and liabilities required to be recorded at fair value, the Plan considers the principal or most advantageous market in which it would transact and considers assumptions that marketplace participants would use when pricing the asset or liability, such as inherent risk, transfer restrictions, and risk of nonperformance.

The accounting standards for fair value measurements also establish a hierarchy for measurements of fair value as follows:

Level 1 - quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities

Level 2 - inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices in active markets for similar assets or liabilities, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities

Level 3 - unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities
9




As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, the Plan's investments measured at fair value consisted of the following instruments and classifications within the fair value hierarchy:

 
Fair Value Measurements as of
December 31, 2015, Using Input Type
 
Level 1
 
Level 2
 
Total
Investments in Registered Investment Companies:
 
 
 
 
 
     Bond
$
12,218,118

 
 
 
$
12,218,118

     Balanced
18,042,085

 
 
 
18,042,085

     Domestic Equity
86,261,290

 
 
 
86,261,290

     Foreign Equity
10,644,491

 
 
 
10,644,491

     REIT Portfolio - Retail Index Fund Investor Shares
5,834,334

 
 
 
5,834,334

     Prime Money Market Fund
71,708

 
 
 
71,708

 
 
 
 
 
 
Taubman Stock Fund
5,226,647

 
 
 
5,226,647

Vanguard Retirement Savings Trust
 
 
$
16,136,989

 
16,136,989

VGI Brokerage Option - U.S. Treasury Notes
290,198

 
 
 
290,198

 
 
 
 
 
 
     Total
$
138,588,871

 
$
16,136,989

 
$
154,725,860


 
Fair Value Measurements as of
December 31, 2014, Using Input Type
 
Level 1
 
Level 2
 
Total
Investments in Registered Investment Companies:
 
 
 
 
 
     Bond
$
12,235,715

 
 
 
$
12,235,715

     Balanced
19,586,372

 
 
 
19,586,372

     Domestic Equity
88,210,027

 
 
 
88,210,027

     Foreign Equity
10,819,361

 
 
 
10,819,361

     REIT Portfolio - Retail Index Fund Investor Shares
6,965,424

 
 
 
6,965,424

     Prime Money Market Fund
80,945

 
 
 
80,945

 
 
 
 
 
 
Taubman Stock Fund
5,478,908

 
 
 
5,478,908

Vanguard Retirement Savings Trust
 
 
$
18,200,841

 
18,200,841

VGI Brokerage Option - U.S. Treasury Notes
114,909

 
 
 
114,909

 
 
 
 
 
 
     Total
$
143,491,661

 
$
18,200,841

 
$
161,692,502


The Plan had no investments classified in Level 3 as of December 31, 2015 and 2014. In addition, there were no investments transferred between the Level 1 and Level 2 classifications for both years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014.











10





The Plan employs the following approaches in valuing its investments:

Investments in registered investment companies and individual investments made through the VGI Brokerage Option are valued using quoted market prices, as all have active markets.

The Taubman Stock Fund is tracked on a unitized basis and consists of common stock of Taubman Centers, Inc. and cash and/or money market investments sufficient to help accommodate daily transactions and is valued using quoted market prices. As of December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, Taubman Centers, Inc. common stock made up approximately 99.1% and 93.8% of the fair value of the Taubman Stock Fund's underlying investments, respectively.

The Vanguard Retirement Savings Trust (the Trust) is a collective investment trust fund that invests solely in the Vanguard Retirement Savings Master Trust (the Master Trust). The underlying investments of the Master Trust are primarily in pools of investment contracts that are issued by insurance companies and commercial banks and in contracts that are backed by high-quality bonds, bond and securities trusts, and mutual funds. The investments of the Master Trust are valued based on the aggregate market values of the applicable bonds, bond and securities trusts, and other investments.

The Trust is valued at the NAV of units of a collective investment trust. The NAV, as provided by the trustee, is used as a practical expedient to estimate fair value. The NAV is based on the fair value of the underlying investments held by the Trust less its liabilities. The fair value of the underlying investments is determined by utilizing quoted market prices, most recent bid prices in the principal market in which the securities are normally traded, pricing services and dealer quotes. Participant transactions (purchases and sales) may occur daily.


5.
TERMINATION OF THE PLAN

Although it has not expressed any intent to do so, the Company has the right to terminate the Plan subject to the provisions of ERISA. In accordance with the Plan, if a participating company withdraws from or terminates the Plan as to its employees, all employees of such company will become fully vested in their contribution account balances.


6.
TAX STATUS

The Internal Revenue Service has determined and informed the Company by letter dated April 11, 2014, that the Plan, as amended and restated effective as of January 1, 2012 and subsequently amended in December 2012, meets the requirements of Sections 401(a) and 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code and is exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code. Although the Plan has been amended subsequent to the dates covered by this determination letter, the Plan administrator believes that the Plan is designed and is currently being operated in compliance with the applicable requirements of the Internal Revenue Code.

In a letter dated April 14, 2015, the Company and Taubman Puerto Rico LLC (a participating employer under the Plan) submitted a request for a determination letter from the Puerto Rico Treasury Department as to the qualified status of the Plan under the provisions of Sections 1081.01(a) and (d) of the Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Code. Although a final determination has not been received, the Plan administrator believes that the Plan is designed and is currently being operated in compliance with the applicable requirements of the Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Code.








11





U.S. generally accepted accounting principles require Plan management to evaluate tax positions taken by the Plan and recognize a tax liability (or asset) if the Plan has taken an uncertain position that more likely than not would not be sustained upon examination by the Internal Revenue Service. The Plan administrator has analyzed the tax positions taken by the Plan, and has concluded that as of December 31, 2015 there are no uncertain positions taken or expected to be taken that would require recognition of a liability (or asset) or disclosure in the financial statements. The Plan is subject to routine audits by taxing jurisdictions; however, there are currently no audits for any tax periods in progress. The Plan administrator believes it is no longer subject to income tax examinations for years prior to 2012.


7. RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS

The Plan invests in the Taubman Stock Fund which is considered a related-party transaction. In addition, certain Plan investments are shares of funds managed by Vanguard Fiduciary Trust Company. Vanguard Fiduciary Trust Company is the trustee as defined by the Plan and, therefore, these transactions qualify as party-in-interest transactions. These transactions are, however, exempt from ERISA's prohibited transaction rules by virtue of a Class Exemption issued by the Department of Labor.


8. RECONCILIATION OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS TO THE FORM 5500

The following is a reconciliation of net assets available for benefits per the financial statements to the Form 5500 as of December 31, 2014:                                 
 
December 31
 
 
 
2014
Net assets available for benefits per the financial statements
 
 
$
163,541,195

Adjustment to valuation of investment (Vanguard Retirement Savings Trust)
 
 
558,715

Net assets available for benefits per the Form 5500

 
$
164,099,910


There were no reconciling items from net assets available for benefits per the financial statements to the Form 5500 as of December 31, 2015.
 
  
  
  
 


















12




SCHEDULE OF ASSETS (HELD AT END OF YEAR)
 
FORM 5500 SCHEDULE H, Part IV, Line 4i
Employer Number 38-3081510
AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2015
Plan Number 001

(a)
 
(b) Identity of issue, borrower, lessor, or similar party
 
(c) Description of investment including maturity date, rate of interest, collateral, par, or maturity value
 
(e) Current value
**
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*
 
Vanguard
 
Retirement Savings Trust
 
$
16,136,989

 
*
 
Vanguard
 
VGI Brokerage Option
 
290,198

 
*
 
Vanguard
 
500 Index Fund Admiral Shares
 
28,540,566

 
*
 
Vanguard
 
Wellington Fund Admiral Shares
 
18,042,085

 
*
 
Vanguard
 
Total Bond Market Index Fund Investor Shares
 
11,070,336

 
*
 
Vanguard
 
International Growth Fund Investor Shares
 
10,644,491

 
*
 
Vanguard
 
Growth Index Fund Investor Shares
 
11,128,038

 
*
 
Vanguard
 
Explorer Fund Investor Shares
 
6,369,343

 
*
 
Vanguard
 
REIT Index Fund Investor Shares
 
5,834,334

 
*
 
Vanguard
 
Value Index Fund Investor Shares
 
5,037,542

 
*
 
Taubman Centers, Inc.
 
Taubman Stock Fund
 
5,226,647

 
*
 
Vanguard
 
Small-Cap Index Fund Investor Shares
 
5,967,324

 
*
 
Vanguard
 
Extended Market Index Fund Investor Shares
 
4,348,762

 
*
 
Vanguard
 
Target Retirement 2010 Fund
 
168,435

 
*
 
Vanguard
 
Target Retirement 2015 Fund
 
2,341,400

 
*
 
Vanguard
 
Target Retirement 2020 Fund
 
2,243,845

 
*
 
Vanguard
 
Target Retirement 2025 Fund
 
6,824,178

 
*
 
Vanguard
 
Target Retirement 2030 Fund
 
4,216,033

 
*
 
Vanguard
 
Target Retirement 2035 Fund
 
3,665,348

 
*
 
Vanguard
 
Target Retirement 2040 Fund
 
1,541,399

 
*
 
Vanguard
 
Target Retirement 2045 Fund
 
2,274,989

 
*
 
Vanguard
 
Target Retirement 2050 Fund
 
1,086,806

 
*
 
Vanguard
 
Target Retirement 2055 Fund
 
265,661

 
*
 
Vanguard
 
Target Retirement 2060 Fund
 
2,832

 
*
 
Vanguard
 
Target Retirement Income
 
238,789

 
*
 
Vanguard
 
Inflation-Protected Securities Fund Investor Shares
 
1,147,782

 
*
 
Vanguard
 
Prime Money Market Fund
 
71,708

 
 
 
 
 
Total investment
 
$
154,725,860

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Notes receivable from participants:
 
 
 
 
 
*
 
171 loans to 123 participants
 
Participant borrowings against their individual account balances, interest rates from 4.25% to 9.25%, and maturing through September 2025
 
$
1,569,400

 

* Denotes party-in-interest

** Cost information is excluded as assets included on this schedule are participant directed.




See accompanying Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.

13




SIGNATURE



Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the trustees (or other persons who administer the employee benefit plan) have duly caused this annual report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized on the day of June 27, 2016.



THE TAUBMAN COMPANY AND RELATED
ENTITIES EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT
SAVINGS PLAN



By: /s/ Chris Heaphy
Chris Heaphy
Authorized Signatory
            












































EXHIBIT INDEX


Exhibit
Number    Description

23 ‑‑    Consent of KPMG LLP