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 The 1982 code decreed that any money withdrawn from an annuity would be considered income first and would therefore be taxable.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
Choice among the following options made by retiree prior to retirement concerning the distribution of benefits: option since all income payments cease upon the death of the retiree. Monthly ...
Action (s) that the insured must take, or continue to take, for the insurance policy to remain in force and the insurance company to process a claim. For example, the insured must pay the ...
Process of the continual reinsurance of a ceding company's portfolio of insurance policies. All premiums that have been ceded become earned premiums. ...
Financial instrument established irrevocably for a minimum of 10 years, after which the principal reverts to the grantor upon termination of the trust. A key feature is that earnings from ...
Policy used to provide the funds for buy and sell agreements under which an income payment or a series of income payments is paid to the buyer of the disabled partner's interest contained ...
Measurement of income received by households from employment, self-employment, or investment and transfer payments, as provided monthly by the United States Department of Commerce. ...
Re-registration of existing shares when there is any change in the name of the owner (s). Such a circumstance may occur when the owner (s) of the shares gives these shares to another ...
Federal agency that regulates commerce across state lines. The ICC does not oversee insurance, which is subject to regulation by the states according to Public Law 15, McCarran-Ferguson ...
Written agreement attached to a policy to add or subtract insurance coverages. Once attached, the endorsement takes precedence over the original provisions of the policy. For example, under ...
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