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 The 1982 code decreed that any money withdrawn from an annuity would be considered income first and would therefore be taxable.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
Coverage up to specific limits for payments demanded by kidnappers for the release of an insured held against his or her will. Most ransom insurance policies have a deductible and exclude ...
Rate of return computed by dividing the current annual dividend (if a stock) or annual coupon amount (if a bond) by the amount paid for that financial instrument. ...
Provision used to avoid duplication of coverage in other policies; to eliminate coverage for property under the care, custody, and control of an insured business; as well as to avoid ...
1% of the loan amount paid to the lender for making a loan. ...
Health insurance coverage for miscellaneous medical expenses associated with a hospital stay. Benefits provided in individual and group health insurance include ambulance service to and ...
Membership organization of insurance companies that write workers compensation insurance. The organization collects statistics on the frequency and severity of job-related injuries to ...
Same as term Debit Insurance: life insurance on which a premium is collected on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis, usually at the home of a policyholder. The face value of the policy is ...
Same as term Coverage: protection under an insurance policy. In property insurance, coverage lists perils insured against, properties covered, locations covered, individuals insured, and ...
Average earned monthly income of the insured wage earner after regular earned income has been interrupted or terminated because of illness, sickness, or accident. This income amount is ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.