Secular Trust [402(b)] (nonexempt Trust)
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 funds placed in it are protected against claims made by the company's creditors. Even though funds in this trust are not in the employee's possession, they are deemed by the Internal Revenue Service to have been constructively received by the employee. The company is allowed to take an income tax deduction for the funds it contributed to the trust, even though these funds have not been distributed to the employee while he or she has current taxable income. At the time funds from the trust are actually distributed, the employee is taxed only to the extent that these distributions are from earnings of the trust or from current trust income, which will allow the employee to pay taxes owed as the result of the company's contributions to the trust. The employer is not taxed on the trust income: the employee pays all taxes on this income. For example, assume that the company is in the 34% tax bracket and contributed $40,000 to the trust on behalf of John Employee, who is in the 28% tax bracket. The result is that John Employee will have an $11,200 tax liability ($40,000 x 28%) and the company will incur a $13,600 tax deduction ($40,000 x 34%). In order that John Employee will have the necessary funds to pay the taxes owed, the company usually will bonus him the $11,200 required, which of course is tax deductible as a business expense for the company.
Popular Insurance Terms
Restriction on the benefit that owners and other highly compensated individuals may receive from a qualified pension or other employee benefits. The U.S. Tax Code requires that benefits ...
Cost of an annuity. Annuities are often paid for in a lump sum rather than annual or other periodic payments. This sum, which guarantees an income, usually for life, is called the purchase ...
Interest of a beneficiary in the proceeds of a survivorship annuity. ...
Act first passed in 1962 that permits the self-employed individual to establish his or her own retirement plan. This individual can make nondeductible voluntary contributions and ...
Increases (decreases) in capital assets (such as stocks and bonds) between the date of purchase and the date of sale. ...
Act by a company that authorizes an agent to act on its behalf. ...
Amount of insurance coverage that an insurance company is willing to write on a given category of business. ...
Coverage giving income benefits to surviving family member (s) if one member should die. These include the family income policy, family income rider, family maintenance policy, and the ...
Contract providing whole life insurance on the father and term insurance on the mother and all children, including newborns after reaching a stated age, usually 15 days. Children, upon ...

Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.