Section 125 Plans (cafeteria Plans)

Definition of "Section 125 plans (cafeteria plans)"

Shon McGuire real estate agent

Written by

Shon McGuireelite badge icon

Adams Cameron & Co. Realtors

Additions made by Congress in 1978 to the Internal Revenue Code that provide an employee benefit plan under which the employee makes an irrevocable decision to forego a portion of future income in exchange for receiving future benefits not subject to income tax at reception date. The employer deducts the cost of the employee's future benefits from present income as a business expense. These plans usually provide three options:

  1. Premium Conversion Employee contributes a proportionate share of the family health care costs with pre-tax dollars.
  2. Medical Reimbursement Account Employee is able to use a SALARY REDUCTION PLAN to pay with dollars on a pre-tax basis for medical expenses not covered by insurance; a separate medical reimbursement account is established for each employee.
  3. Dependent Care Reimbursement Account Employee is able to use a salary reduction plan to pay with dollars on a pre-tax basis for dependent care expenses.
An additional option sometimes provided for employees only (family members are excluded) is TERM LIFE INSURANCE for an amount up to $50,000 and DISABILITY INCOME INSURANCE. All employees must have equal access to the plans whether they are highly compensated or non highly compensated employees. Any monies left in the employee's account not used by the end of the year revert back to the company; this is known as the Use It or Lose It rule. As the employee incurs expenses, that employee applies for reimbursement through a form attached to the bill. When the administrator of the plan issues a check to the employee for the expenses, a statement is also provided that shows the amount remaining in the employee's account.

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

Annual meetings of insurance practitioners and academicians from throughout the world interested in exchanging ideas concerning the theory and applications of insurance. The meeting is held ...

Sum the insurance company is legally obligated to pay an insured for losses incurred. ...

Coverage that protects a business, up to the policy limits, if actions or non-actions of the insured result in a legally enforceable claim for bodily injury, property damage, or personal ...

Present value of a series of payments such that the first payment is due one period hence, the second payment two periods hence, and so forth. The continued payment is contingent upon the ...

Account in which a predetermined interest rate is paid for a predetermined period of time. For each contribution that is paid into the fixed account, a new guarantee period begins for that ...

Utilization of life insurance to make annual gifts into a trust in order to produce the largest tax-free death benefit possible to the trust beneficiaries. ...

The open perils policy is the counterpart to the named perils policy. In it, any peril NOT mentioned is covered by the policy. Here's an example: let's say you got an open perils policy ...

Physical, moral, or financial circumstance of a life insurance applicant that sets him or her apart from a physically, morally, and financially sound standard applicant. The underwriting ...

Coverage that exceeds the normal insurance capacity of an insurer or reinsurer. ...

Popular Insurance Questions