Tax Equity And Financial Responsibility Acts Of 1982 And 1983 (TEFRA)
Legislation that redefined life insurance and raised taxes on life insurance companies. Among the provisions were new rules for some life insurance products, including a definition of flexible premium life insurance, and an increase in life insurance company taxes. Congress was concerned that a policyholder could take a substantial amount, say $1 million, and, after putting a few dollars toward a life insurance premium, put the remainder into a tax-free investment vehicle. One of two tests had to be satisfied for a policy to qualify as life insurance: the cash surrender value policy could not exceed a net single premium, and the death benefit had to represent a certain percentage of the cash value, which declined as the policy-holder got older. For example, at age 40, the death benefit must be 140% of cash value. The second rule closed a loophole on tax-free withdrawals from annuities. Prior to 1982 annuity holders could withdraw their initial premium tax free at any time. The 1982 code decreed that any money withdrawn from an annuity would be considered income first and would therefore be taxable. The older 1959 tax code devised a shorthand formula for determining taxes paid by insurers. The formula worked when interest rates were low, but as they soared, insurers found ways to reduce the increased tax bite. The 1982 code introduced a stopgap measure designed to raise taxes on life insurers by $3 billion.
Popular Insurance Terms
Person other than the annuitant as designated by the policyholder on whose life expectancy the annuity payment is also based. ...
Coverage for sample merchandise while in the custody of a salesperson. ...
Policy that pays a dividend to its owner. ...
Insurance policy for which the required premium has been paid. ...
Holding company established by a mutual insurance company. The mutual insurance company has 100% ownership of the holding company. ...
Employee benefit plans under which both the employee and the employer pay part of the premium. Contribution ratios vary. For example, an employer contributes two dollars for every dollar ...
Addition to a business property insurance policy to cover loss of earnings, subject to a monthly limit, in the event that property of an insured is destroyed and a business cannot continue. ...
Actuary, appointed by the life insurance company, required by the national association of insurance commissioners (naic) under the naic: standard valuation law to provide an opinion as to ...
Eligible rollover distribution that is paid directly from an employee's employee benefit insurance plan to the employee's individual retirement account (IRA) or to another plan maintained ...
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