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 The 1982 code decreed that any money withdrawn from an annuity would be considered income first and would therefore be taxable.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
Same as term Original Age: insured's age at the date a term life insurance policy is issued. An original age or retroactive conversion option permits the insured to convert the term policy ...
HEALTH MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATION that restricts to a relatively small amount the number of medical providers from which an HMO member may seek services. Usually, HMO members may select the ...
Assistance program for the financially needy. Medicaid, also referred to as Title XIX of the Social Security Act, was enacted in 1965 at the same time as medicare. It is a joint ...
Policy underwritten on either a monoline primary insurance or monoline excess insurance basis that will allow the purchaser to increase the limits of liability coverage above that of ...
Coverage for the contents of a renter's home or apartment and for liability. Tenant policies are similar to homeowners insurance, except that they do not cover the structure. They do, ...
Surrender of rights by an insured against the third party to an insurance company that has paid a claim. ...
Monetary sum paid to an intermediary who acts as the contact between the lender (an insurance company) and the borrower. ...
Additional coverage designed to provide protection against economic losses incurred by insured wage earners when their income is interrupted or terminated because of illness, sickness, or ...
Provision that excludes from coverage under Form No. 3: flood damage, except if the flood causes a fire, explosion, or theft; water damage from the backup of sewers; earthquake, except if ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.