Corporate Alternative Minimum Tax: Implications For Corporate-owned Life Insurance

Definition of "Corporate alternative minimum tax: implications for corporate-owned life insurance"

INSURANCE tax that exhibits direct impact on the book income preference. Beginning with the year 1990, the book income preference became equal to 75% of the excess of current adjusted earnings of the alternative minimum taxable income (AMTI). Book income preferences are affected by corporate-owned life insurance in the following situations:

  1. If the insured dies, the excess of the life insurance policy's DEATH BENEFIT over the CASH SURRENDER VALUE becomes book income to the corporation.
  2. If the insurance policy's annual premium exceeds the increase in the cash surrender value for a particular year, the result is a decline in the book income and thus a decline in the corporation's exposure to the alternative minimum tax (AMT).
  3. Conversely, if the insurance policy's cash surrender value exceeds the increase in the annual premium for a particular year, the result is an increase in the book income and thus an increase in the corporation's exposure to the alternative minimum tax.

Generally, if the corporation in any given year has taxable income, corporate-owned life insurance results in an alternative minimum tax liability if a significant death benefit is paid to the corporation upon the death of the insured. The result is that the alternative minimum tax will cause a reduction in the net death benefit from the life insurance policy paid to the corporation.

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Insurance Terms

Procedure in which a home office interviewer (who may or may not have underwriting experience) interviews applicants on the telephone. The questions asked the applicant are automated and ...

Type of charitable remainder trust (CRT) that pays interest income for life or for a specified term to a non charitable beneficiary. The remainder of the interest is received by a charity. ...

Bodily injury liability and property damage liability expressed as a single sum of coverage. ...

Right of a policyholder, in life insurance with cash values, to continue full coverage for a limited period, as shown in a table in the policy, with no further premiums payable. ...

Individual who works in the home office of an insurance company and performs the function of underwriting to determine if an applicant is insurable at standard rates, substandard rates, ...

Premium required by an insurance company for plans subject to premium adjustment. The initial provisional premium is paid to put a commercial property or liability insurance policy into ...

Coverage that is renewable at the option of the insured, who is not required to take a medical examination. Regardless of physical condition, the insured must be allowed to renew the policy ...

Probability of one's living to a specific age according to a particular mortality table. Life expectancy is the beginning point in calculating the pure cost of life insurance and annuities ...

Annuity contract. If the annuitant dies before receiving income at least equal to the premiums paid, a beneficiary receives the difference in installments. If the annuitant lives after the ...

Popular Insurance Questions