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 The 1982 code decreed that any money withdrawn from an annuity would be considered income first and would therefore be taxable.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
One-year coverage that is renewable at the end of each year. Since the group plan is subject to experience rating, the premium rate upon renewal is based on such factors as the loss record ...
Bona fide organization that purchases insurance on a group basis on behalf of members. However, a group cannot be formed for the purpose of purchasing insurance since adverse selection ...
In many property insurance policies, a requirement that the insured carry insurance as a percentage of the total monetary value of the insured property. If this percentage is not carried, ...
Amount, not in excess of $10,000 per year, given to each of an unlimited number of donees free of federal estate tax and gift tax. Each individual can give up to $10,000 to any one donee, ...
Financial incentives credited to the policy to encourage the policyowner to keep the policy in force. The incentives may be utilized by: (1) applying them to the policy cash value after a ...
Canadian retirement plan much like U.S. individual retirement account (IRA). Here, an employee can contribute on a tax deductible basis C $3500 each year as a member of an employer pension ...
Transfer of highly individualized loss exposures that is not based on the usual pooling principles of insurance such as risk identification and classification selection. Rather than setting ...
Rules of conduct and commissions paid to agents. For example, under the rules of conduct agents may be required to submit all of their business to only that agency. The contract also lists ...
Provision for coverage for buildings and personal property within the simplified commercial lines portfolio policy (sclp). The buildings and personal property coverage may be classified in ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.