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 The 1982 code decreed that any money withdrawn from an annuity would be considered income first and would therefore be taxable.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
A person who relies on another for economic support. For insurance purposes, the following may be included: the insured's legal spouse; any unmarried children younger than a specified age ...
Independent insurance salesperson who represents particular insurers but may also function as a broker by searching the entire insurance market to place an applicant's coverage to maximize ...
Type of universal variable life insurance policy that provides guideline premiums to be paid usually by the policy owner. Charges on a monthly basis usually include the cost of insurance, ...
Bankruptcy. If an insured business firm becomes bankrupt, the circumstance does not relieve an insurance company of its obligations under an insurance contract. ...
Affiliate of the national association of life underwriters (NALU) that supports legislators in the interest of the insurance agents. One becomes a member of LUPAC through a monetary ...
Coverage for a tenant with a favorable lease (enabling the lessee to rent premises for less than the market value). If the lease is canceled by the lessor because an insured peril (such as ...
Life insurance policy with a death benefit that is paid only when the second of two insureds dies. No benefits are paid as long as both live or if just one lives. ...
Rating method for commercial fire insurance according to a predetermined schedule. Published by A. F. Dean in 1902, this method was the first comprehensive qualitative analysis procedure to ...
Same as term agent of record: individual who has a contractual agreement with a policyowner. The agent of record has a legal right to commissions from the insurance policy. ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.