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 The 1982 code decreed that any money withdrawn from an annuity would be considered income first and would therefore be taxable.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
Account in which the same interest rate is credited on all premiums regardless of the time period and amount contributed. ...
Means of paying the cost of benefits of pension plan participants including retirement, death, and disability. ...
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 ...
Massachusetts commissioner of insurance responsible for the passage of legislation (1861) that guaranteed policy owners of that state equity in the cash value of their life insurance. The ...
Non qualified plan of deferred compensation whose goal is to compensate key employees without having to provide similar benefits to rank and file employees. The trust is irrevocable, and ...
Life insurance payment that is constant from year to year. The premium may be paid throughout the life of an insured or may be limited to a maximum number, such as 30 annual premiums. The ...
Reduction in the amount that the insured receives from the insurer, after having incurred a property loss, because the insurer failed to carry the amount of coverage required by the ...
Exemption in ocean marine policy for losses caused by strikes, riots, and civil commotion. ...
Policies that have been sold to and paid for by an insured, but not yet delivered to the insured. ...
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