Secular Trust [402(b)] (nonexempt Trust)
Non qualified plan of deferred compensation whose goal is to compensate key employees without having to provide similar benefits to rank and file employees. The trust is irrevocable, and funds placed in it are protected against claims made by the company's creditors. Even though funds in this trust are not in the employee's possession, they are deemed by the Internal Revenue Service to have been constructively received by the employee. The company is allowed to take an income tax deduction for the funds it contributed to the trust, even though these funds have not been distributed to the employee while he or she has current taxable income. At the time funds from the trust are actually distributed, the employee is taxed only to the extent that these distributions are from earnings of the trust or from current trust income, which will allow the employee to pay taxes owed as the result of the company's contributions to the trust. The employer is not taxed on the trust income: the employee pays all taxes on this income. For example, assume that the company is in the 34% tax bracket and contributed $40,000 to the trust on behalf of John Employee, who is in the 28% tax bracket. The result is that John Employee will have an $11,200 tax liability ($40,000 x 28%) and the company will incur a $13,600 tax deduction ($40,000 x 34%). In order that John Employee will have the necessary funds to pay the taxes owed, the company usually will bonus him the $11,200 required, which of course is tax deductible as a business expense for the company.
Popular Insurance Terms
Amount subtracted from an annuity or from mutual fund proceeds payable to an annuity owner or mutual fund owner to reflect expense fees described in the annuity contract or mutual fund ...
Evidence of a temporary contract obliging a life or health insurance company to provide coverage as long as a premium accompanies an acceptable application. This gives the company time to ...
Provision in a property insurance policy to the effect that in the event the insured and insurer cannot agree on the amount of a claim settlement, each appoints an appraiser. The appraisers ...
Demand without foundation, such as a claim submitted to an insurance company by an insured who caused a loss, or for a loss that never occurred. ...
Theory that the probability that two independent events will occur is equal to the probability that one independent event will occur times the probability that a second independent event ...
Type of accounting method, in life insurance, designed to match revenues and expenses of an insurer according to principles designed by the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the ...
Circumstance resulting when government expenditures exceed government income. To finance this difference, the United States Treasury will auction Treasury bills, notes, and bonds. In order ...
Coverage in the event of threats to injure an insured or damage or destroy his property. ...
Physiological or psychological condition that prevents an insured from performing normal job functions. ...

Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.