At Aflac, we issue thousands of life insurance policies every year. We know all the common questions about life insurance, including how life insurance premiums and payouts work with taxes. In most cases there is not a tax on life insurance payouts.1 However, we advise you to speak with a tax professional to ensure that all your bases are covered. There are some instances where the beneficiary can be taxed. Most commonly, the cash value of life insurance is taxable when the inheritance is a particularly large sum.
There are certain instances when your life insurance payout is taxable. To protect your policy, below is a list of different life insurance tax types:
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There are only certain cases when you have to pay taxes on life insurance. Most notably, if the cash value of the policy exceeds a certain amount you may encounter the estate tax or the generation-skipping tax. The inheritance tax may come into play if you live in one the six states that enforce this measure. Each state has its own set of guidelines regarding taxes on life insurance policies.
The main parties involved in determining if your life insurance premium is taxable are the policy owner, the beneficiary, and the insured person. Usually, the policy owner and the insured person are one and the same. If this is the case, the policy is not taxable.
However, if a third person is involved, the beneficiary on the life insurance policy may be taxed. For example, say a mother buys her daughter a life insurance policy but names the father the beneficiary. In this instance, the father would be taxed.
When you invest in a cash value life insurance policy, part of your premium supports your loved ones and part is invested into an account to help replace lost income. You pay into it throughout your lifetime. To access this money early, you can take out a loan or a partial withdrawal.
If you take out a loan against the cash value, you can be subjected to interest payments and your benefits may shrink over time. If you opt for a partial withdrawal, you may have to surrender the policy to use the money freely. If not, that amount will be subtracted from your final life insurance payout. You shouldn’t pay taxes on life insurance cash outs that are less than what you have paid into your premium.
You can sell your life insurance policy for cash. However, the broker that facilitates this sale usually takes a portion of the selling price. If the profits are worth more than what you have paid so far, this life insurance payout can qualify for income taxing.
Viatical Settlements for the terminally ill can escape this tax. A viatical settlement allows you to invest in and purchase a life insurance policy that is worth less than the death benefit. It always falls back on how much the policy is being sold for compared to how much has been paid into it.
When surrendering a life insurance policy, you may face surrendering fees. You will have to pay taxes on the life insurance cash value because it now falls under the qualifications to be income taxed.
If the beneficiary isn’t named in your policy, your life insurance benefits will go into a taxable estate. The first $11.7 million is not taxed at a federal level – this is the threshold. Anything above this amount is subject to being taxed. State regulations have a lower chance of exemption and vary depending on location.
We recommend you choose your beneficiary wisely. Making the beneficiary “payable to my estate” is one of the most common mistakes. This can raise the value of the estate above the threshold, making taxes more likely. If you name a person, there is a less likely chance of being taxed.
We recommend you consult with a tax professional to help you lower your tax liability. However, one of the main ways to remain protected is to name the beneficiary as an irrevocable life insurance trust. This keeps the cash value away from being lumped into the estate value. In this case, the value of the life insurance policy can be distributed amongst any beneficiaries listed in the trust. This option may shield beneficiaries from paying taxes on life insurance.
Typically, life insurance premiums are considered a personal expense. Because of this, life insurance premiums are not tax deductible. However, there are a variety of tax benefits to having life insurance.
There are deductions if you are a business owner, and you have business-paid premiums. Also, the tax deferred cash growth of the policy is not subject to taxing through government regulation either.
This means the cash value of your life insurance plan cannot be taxed while it is growing. This allows you to collect higher interest rates and avoid money being taken out.
If you are curious how to protect your life insurance policy from being taxed, we advise you to speak to a local tax professional and chat with an Aflac agent about your life insurance policies.
1 Life insurance & disability insurance proceeds. Updated: June 15, 2023. Retrieved: January 26, 2024. https://www.irs.gov/faqs/interest-dividends-other-types-of-income/life-insurance-disability-insurance-proceeds.
Coverage is underwritten by American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus. In New York, coverage is underwritten by American Family Life Assurance Company of New York.
68000 series: In Arkansas, Idaho, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, & Virginia, Policies: ICC1368100, ICC1368200, ICC1368300, ICC1368400. In Delaware, Policies A68100-A68400. In New York, NY68100-NY68400.65000 series: In Virginia, Policies ICC0965JTO & ICC0965JWO. B61000 series: In Arkansas, Idaho, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, & Virginia, Policies: ICC18B61JWO & ICC18B61JTO. In Delaware, Policies B61JWO, B61JTO. B60000 series: In Arkansas, Idaho, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, & Virginia, Policies: ICC18B60C10, ICC18B60100, ICC18B60200, ICC18B60300, & ICC18B60400. Q60000 series: Whole: In Arkansas, Delaware & Oregon, Policy Q60100M. In Idaho Policy Q60100MID. In Oklahoma, Policy Q60100MOK. In Texas, Policy Q60100MTX.Q60000 series: Term: In Delaware, Policies Q60200CM. In Arkansas, Idaho, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Policies ICC18Q60200C, ICC18Q60300C, ICC18Q60400C.
Final Expense insurance coverage is underwritten by Tier One Insurance Company.
The life insurance policy described herein contains an optional Accelerated Death Benefits Rider that is intended for favorable tax treatment under Section 101(g) of the Internal Revenue Code. Aflac does not give legal or tax advice. Please consult with a qualified legal, tax, and accounting advisor before engaging in any transaction. In AR, AZ, ID, OK, OR, PA, TX and VA: Policies ICC21-AFLLBL21 and ICC21-AFLRPL21; and Riders ICC21-AFLABR22, ICC21-AFLADB22, and ICC21-AFLCDR22. Tier One Insurance Company is part of the Aflac family of insurers. In California, Tier One Insurance Company does business as Tier One Life Insurance Company (Tier One NAIC 92908).
This is a brief product overview only. Coverage may not be available in all states, including but not limited to DE, ID, NJ, NM, NY or VA. Benefits/premium rates may vary based on state and plan levels. Optional riders may be available at an additional cost. Policies and riders may also contain a waiting period. Refer to the exact policy and rider forms for benefit details, definitions, limitations and exclusions. For complete details, including availability and costs, please contact your local Aflac agent. Content within this article is provided for general informational purposes and is not provided as tax, legal, health, or financial advice for any person or for any specific situation. Employers, employees, and other individuals should contact their own advisers about their situations. For complete details, including availability and costs of Aflac insurance, please contact your local Aflac agent.
Aflac does not offer Universal or Variable Universal life insurance.
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