Corporate Alternative Minimum Tax: Implications For Corporate-owned Life Insurance

Definition of "Corporate alternative minimum tax: implications for corporate-owned life insurance"

INSURANCE tax that exhibits direct impact on the book income preference. Beginning with the year 1990, the book income preference became equal to 75% of the excess of current adjusted earnings of the alternative minimum taxable income (AMTI). Book income preferences are affected by corporate-owned life insurance in the following situations:

  1. If the insured dies, the excess of the life insurance policy's DEATH BENEFIT over the CASH SURRENDER VALUE becomes book income to the corporation.
  2. If the insurance policy's annual premium exceeds the increase in the cash surrender value for a particular year, the result is a decline in the book income and thus a decline in the corporation's exposure to the alternative minimum tax (AMT).
  3. Conversely, if the insurance policy's cash surrender value exceeds the increase in the annual premium for a particular year, the result is an increase in the book income and thus an increase in the corporation's exposure to the alternative minimum tax.

Generally, if the corporation in any given year has taxable income, corporate-owned life insurance results in an alternative minimum tax liability if a significant death benefit is paid to the corporation upon the death of the insured. The result is that the alternative minimum tax will cause a reduction in the net death benefit from the life insurance policy paid to the corporation.

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

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 ...

Popular Insurance Questions