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

Offer made by the insurance company to insure an applicant, provided the applicant is insurable according to the underwriting standards of the company, and the applicant accepts the offer ...

Commitment that a lending institution makes to offer a loan at a stipulated interest rate at a predetermined future time, usually limited to 90 days. ...

Combination of the federal estate tax and the federal gift tax. ...

Investment risk associated with the changes in government policies that may have a dramatic effect on financial instruments. For example, if federal legislation is passed removing the ...

Same as term Coinsurance: ...

Legislation that makes insurance fraud a federal crime. This act is part of the Omnibus Crime Bill. Under the act, it is a federal crime to embezzle or misappropriate funds, money, or ...

Common law rule of negligence that imposes liability on an individual who had one last opportunity to avoid an accident but did not take it. An example is a driver who could have avoided ...

(Formerly the American College of Life Underwriters) accrediting body for the CLU (Chartered Life Underwriter) and the ChFC (Chartered Financial Consultant) designations. Provides ...

Same as term Compulsory Insurance: coverage required by the laws of a particular state. For example, many states stipulate minimum amounts of automobile liability insurance that must be ...

Popular Insurance Questions