About the Author
Download 2.56 Mb.
|
II. Social BenefitsThe Code excludes from gross income payments for various benefits or the fmv of benefits taxpayer receives in kind. Who should administer government benefit programs, e.g., benefits for workplace injury? Who administers benefit “programs” when they are the product of exclusions from gross income? A. Life Insurance Death Benefits: § 101 A bit about insurance. The basic idea of insurance, of course, is that individual persons purchase a policy that promises payment upon materialization of a specified risk. The policy is effective for a certain period, e.g., one year. The insurance company pools the premiums, and pays those for whom the risk materializes. Notice that policy-holders pay their premiums from after-tax money. We could treat the “winner” as if s/he has simply received a gift from those who contributed to the pool of money. Under such a rationale, the proceeds would be excluded from gross income by § 102. Section 101(a)(1) excludes from gross income “amounts received (whether in a single sum or otherwise) under a life insurance contract, if such amounts are paid by reason of death.” This provision has always been a part of the Code, and the desire to avoid taxing heirs has made repeal difficult. Many people purchase life insurance so that family members will receive money at a time when they no longer have the income of the deceased insured. It could be unseemly to tax a grieving family under such circumstances. •”If any amount excluded from gross income ... is held under an agreement to pay interest thereon, the interest payments shall be included in gross income.” § 101(c). •In the event that life insurance proceeds are paid otherwise than as a lump sum, a portion of each payment is allocated pro rata to the amount excluded and the remaining return on investment is subject to income tax. § 101(d)(1). Consider: H purchased a life insurance policy on his life with a face amount of $200,000 and named W as the beneficiary. H died. W and the insurance company entered an agreement whereby the insurance company would hold $200,000 and pay her $250,000 in five years; W would have no claim of right to the funds during that time. At that time, instead of paying W $250,000, the insurance company will pay W $28,000 per year at a time when her life expectancy will be ten years. •How would the payments to W be taxed during the first five years after H’s death? •How would the payments to W during the succeeding ten years be taxed? •See §§ 101(c and d); Reg. § 1.101-3(a); Reg. § 1.101-4(a)(1)(i); Reg. § 1.101-4(g) (Examples 1 and 5 (first two sentences only)). •The last provision might not be in your edition of the Regulations. Go to Westlaw or Lexis to find it. A note about life insurance. Life insurance comes in various forms, and tax benefits can extend well beyond excluding death benefits from gross income. “Life insurance contract” is defined in § 7702 so as to preclude an investment from being a “life insurance contract.” To be insurance, there must be a shifting of risk from the insured to the insurer. •Term insurance is insurance that promises only for the term for which it is purchased to pay upon the occurrence of death. Upon expiration of the term, the policyholder has nothing. •Permanent life insurance is life insurance that the insured maintains by paying a premium annually. Premiums for permanent life insurance are higher than they are for term insurance; the insurance company invests the excess on behalf of the insured. The policy builds up cash value (“inside buildup”) – tax-free. Inside buildup can reduce premiums in future years, notably as premiums would otherwise increase because the insured is older and the risk of his/her death higher. •Non-taxation of inside buildup permits permanent life insurance to function as a tax shelter. Section 101(a)(2) provides that in the case of a transfer of a life insurance contract for valuable consideration, the exclusion is lost. The beneficiary in such a case may exclude only the amount paid for the policy (i.e., premiums) plus any subsequent payments, i.e., premiums. •An exception to this exception is made when the transferee takes for his/her basis the basis of the transferor. § 101(a)(2)(A). •When might a transferee take for his/her basis the basis of the transferee? •Another exception to the exception is made when the transfer is to the insured, a partner of the insured, a partnership in which the insured is a partner, or a corporation in which the insured is a shareholder or officer. § 101(a)(2)(B). •When (why) would transfers such as those described in § 101(a)(2)(B) occur?
•How would you compute H’s gross income from this sale? •How would you compute H’s gross income if instead H surrendered the policy to the insurance company for its cash value of $100,000? •Are there additional facts that you would need to know? Rev. Rul. 2009-13, 2009-21 I.R.B. 1029 .... ISSUE What is the amount and character of A’s income recognized upon the surrender or sale of the life insurance contracts described in the situations below? FACTS Situation 1 On January 1 of Year 1, A, an individual, entered into a “life insurance contract” (as defined in § 7702 ...) with cash value. Under the contract, A was the insured, and the named beneficiary was a member of A’s family. A had the right to change the beneficiary, take out a policy loan, or surrender the contract for its cash surrender value. The contract in A’s hands was ... [a capital asset]. On June 15 of Year 8, A surrendered the contract for its $78,000 cash surrender value, which reflected the subtraction of $10,000 of “cost-of-insurance” charges collected by the issuer for periods ending on or before the surrender of the contract. Through that date, A had paid premiums totaling $64,000 with regard to the life insurance contract. A had neither received any distributions under the contract nor borrowed against the contract’s cash surrender value. .... Situation 2 The facts are the same as in Situation 1, except that on June 15 of Year 8, A sold the life insurance contract for $80,000 to B, a person unrelated to A and who would suffer no economic loss upon A’s death. Situation 3 .... LAW AND ANALYSIS SITUATION 1 Amount of income recognized upon surrender of the life insurance contract .... If a non-annuity amount is received ... on the complete surrender, redemption, or maturity of the contract, § 72(e)(5)(A) requires that the amount be included in gross income but only to the extent it exceeds investment in the contract. For this purpose, § 72(e)(6) defines “investment in the contract” as of any date as the aggregate amount of premiums or other consideration paid for the contract before that date, less the aggregate amount received under the contract before that date to the extent that amount was excludable from gross income. In Situation 1, A received $78,000 on the complete surrender of a life insurance contract. A’s income upon surrender of the contract is determined under § 72(e)(5). Under § 72(e)(5)(A), the amount received is included in gross income to the extent it exceeds the investment in the contract. As A paid aggregate premiums of $64,000 with regard to the contract, and neither received any distributions under the contract nor borrowed against the contract’s cash surrender value prior to surrender, A’s “investment in the contract” as required by § 72(e)(6) was $64,000. Consequently, pursuant to § 72(e)(5)(A), A recognized $14,000 of income on surrender of the contract, which is the excess of $78,000 received over $64,000. [A’s gain is ordinary income.] ... .... SITUATION 2 Section 61(a)(3) provides that gross income includes gains derived from dealings in property. Section 1001(a) provides that the gain realized from the sale or other disposition of property is the excess of the amount realized over the adjusted basis provided in § 1011 for determining gain. Thus, to determine the amount of A’s income from the sale of the life insurance contract in Situation 2, it is necessary to determine A’s amount realized from the sale, and A’s adjusted basis in the contract. Pursuant to § 1001(b), A’s amount realized from the sale of the life insurance contract is the sum of money received from the sale, or $80,000. Under §§ 1011 and 1012, the adjusted basis for determining gain or loss is generally the cost of the property adjusted as provided in § 1016 ... Under § 1016(a)(1), proper adjustment must be made for expenditures, receipts, losses, or other items properly chargeable to capital account. See also Reg. § 1.1016-2(a). Section 72 has no bearing on the determination of the basis of a life insurance contract that is sold, because § 72 applies only to amounts received under the contract. Both the Code and the courts acknowledge that a life insurance contract, although a single asset, may have both investment characteristics and insurance characteristics. See, e.g., § 7702 (defining life insurance contract for federal income tax purposes by reference, in part, to both the cash surrender value and death benefits under the contract); [citations omitted]. To measure a taxpayer’s gain upon the sale of a life insurance contract, it is necessary to reduce basis by that portion of the premium paid for the contract that was expended for the provision of insurance before the sale. .... In Situation 2, A paid total premiums of $64,000 under the life insurance contract through the date of sale, and $10,000 was subtracted from the contract’s cash surrender value as cost-of-insurance charges. Accordingly, A’s adjusted basis in the contract as of the date of sale under §§ 1011 and 1012 and the authorities cited above was $54,000 ($64,000 premiums paid less $10,000 expended as cost of insurance). Accordingly, A must recognize $26,000 on the sale of the life insurance contract to B, which is the excess of the amount realized on the sale ($80,000) over A’s adjusted basis of the contract ($54,000). Unlike Situation 1, which involves the surrender of the life insurance contract to the issuer of the contract, Situation 2 involves an actual sale of the contract. Nevertheless some or all of the gain on the sale of the contract may be ordinary if the substitute for ordinary income doctrine applies. .... Application of the “substitute for ordinary income” doctrine is limited to the amount that would be recognized as ordinary income if the contract were surrendered (i.e., to the inside build-up under the contract). Hence, if the income recognized on the sale or exchange of a life insurance contract exceeds the “inside build-up” under the contract, the excess may qualify as gain from the sale or exchange of a capital asset. See, e.g., Commissioner v. Phillips, 275 F.2d 33, 36 n.3 (4th Cir. 1960). In Situation 2, the inside build-up under A’s life insurance contract immediately prior to the sale to B was $ 14,000 ($78,000 cash surrender value less $64,000 aggregate premiums paid). Hence, $14,000 of the $26,000 of income that A must recognize on the sale of the contract is ordinary income under the “substitute for ordinary income” doctrine. Because the life insurance contract in A’s hands was ... [a capital asset] and was held by A for more than one year, the remaining $12,000 of income is long-term capital gain within the meaning of § 1222(3). SITUATION 3 .... HOLDINGS 1. In Situation 1, A must recognize $14,000 of ordinary income upon surrender of the life insurance contract. 2. In Situation 2, A must recognize $26,000 of income upon sale of the life insurance contract. Of this $26,000 of income, $14,000 is ordinary income, and $12,000 is long-term capital gain. 3. ... Notes and Questions: 1. In the case of surrender of a life insurance policy, inside buildup that (helps to) pay future premiums is not subject to tax. In the case of a sale of an insurance policy, inside buildup that (helps to) pay future premiums is subject to tax. 2. In Situation 2, assume that the face amount of the policy was $400,000. B paid $80,000 for the policy plus another $500 per month in premiums for another six years. A died. B received $400,000 from the life insurance company. How much must B include in his/her gross income? 3. Section 72 governs the tax treatment of payouts from an annuity contract. Section 72(a)(1) provides that gross income includes “any amount received as an annuity ... under an annuity, endowment, or life insurance contract.” •Thus, annuity treatment can only apply to payments made under the named type of contracts. •The rule of § 72(a)(1) appears to require inclusion of all amounts that taxpayer receives under one of the named contracts. However, § 72(b) softens the blow considerably by prescribing an “exclusion ratio” by which taxpayer’s basis in the contract is recovered pro rata over the contract’s expected payout period. •Taxpayer determines the amount of every annuity payment that s/he receives that s/he may exclude from gross income by multiplying (taxpayer’s investment in the contract)/(expected return). Taxpayer must include the balance in his/her gross income. § 72(b)(1). •If taxpayer outlives his/her life expectancy, taxpayer may not exclude any portion of further payments. § 72(b)(2). •On the other hand, if taxpayer does not live as long as his/her life expectancy, the unrecovered basis is allowed as a deduction on annuitant’s last tax return. § 72(b)(3)(A). Section 72(e) states rules applicable to amounts received under an annuity, endowment, or life insurance contract that are not received as an annuity – if no other provision of this subtitle is applicable. § 72(e)(1). •Section 1001 is a provision of “this subtitle.” •In Situation 2, no payments were made under the contract. Instead, a third party bought the contract. For that reason, § 72(e)(1) did not apply. Instead, the ruling requires treatment of the sale as any other sale of property with adjustments to basis for prior expenditures on life insurance. •Section 72(e)(5)(C) provides that § 72(e)(1) applies to amounts not received as an annuity under a life insurance or endowment contract. •This describes the payment from the insurance company to the taxpayer in Situation 1. •Section 72(e)(1) provides that the amount taxpayer must include in his/her gross income is the amount of the payment “to the extent it exceeds the investment in the contract.” Section 72(e)(6) defines “investment in the contract” to include the aggregate of premiums or other consideration paid for the contract minus any amounts previously received that taxpayer excluded from his/her gross income. •It is because of § 72(e)(5) that Situations 1 and 2 are resolved differently.
•A “terminally ill” taxpayer is one who is certified by a physician as having “an illness or physical condition which can reasonably be expected to result in death in 24 months or less after the date of the certification.” § 101(g)(4)(A). •A “chronically ill” taxpayer is one who is not “terminally ill” and is unable to perform at least two activities of daily living (i.e., eating, toileting, transferring, bathing, dressing, and continence) or requires substantial supervision to protect himself/herself “from threats to health and safety due to severe cognitive impairment.” § 101(g)(4)(B), referencing § 7702B(c)(2). •A “chronically ill” taxpayer must use the payment for unreimbursed costs of long-term care. § 101(g)(3)(A). Section 101(g) enables an insured taxpayer to get money out of a life insurance policy at a time when s/he has a substantial need for cash and the risk of death has nearly materialized. 5. In the movie, Capitalism: A Love Story (2009), Michael Moore recounts how Wal-Mart purchased life insurance policies on the lives of low-paid persons. Inside buildup was free of income tax. If one of the employees died, Wal-Mart would collect the proceeds of the policy without tax. A number of businesses engaged in this practice of purchasing “corporate-owned life insurance” (COLI) and did not even inform the affected employees that it had done this. [Michael Moore lamented that Wal-Mart did not hand the money over to the family of a deceased employee.] •In 2006 – before release of the movie – Congress enacted § 101(j) which limited the exclusion in the case of employer-owned contracts to the amounts paid for the policy. § 101(j)(1). •There is an exception to the exception if the employee is a key employee and is notified that the employer intends to procure such insurance and the employee gives his/her consent. § 101(g)(2 and 4).
•”Health and accident” insurance includes wage continuation policies. This would be important for employees whose employers provide health insurance but not disability insurance. •The exclusion applies to multiple payments from more than one self-purchased policy, even though the amount received exceeds the expense against which taxpayer procured the insurance.
•C is covered by his employer’s health insurance policy. C’s employer pays the annual premium of $10,000. This amount is excluded from C’s gross income. In addition, C paid the entire premium of $5000 for a personal health insurance policy. •During the year, C had only one illness and incurred and paid total medical expenses, as defined in § 213 of the Code, of $2700. In the same year as a result of this illness, C was indemnified $2100 under his employer’s insurance policy and $1500 under his personal insurance policy. •What is C’s gross income from the insurance companies’ reimbursements? •D is covered by his employer’s health insurance policy. The annual premium is $10,000, of which the employer pays $4000 and $6000 is deducted from D’s wages. In addition, D paid the entire premium of $5000 for a personal health insurance policy. •During the year, D had only one illness and paid total medical expenses, as defined in § 213 of the Code, of $2700. In the same year as a result of this illness, D was indemnified $2100 under his employer’s insurance policy and $1500 under his personal insurance policy. •What is D’s gross income from these reimbursements?
Do: CALI Lesson, Basic Federal Income Taxation: Gross Income: Damages and Related Receipts C. Social Security: § 86 Read § 86. It is not an easy read. It is an example of the drafting contortions necessary to accomplish legislative compromise. Section 86 of course is among the Code provisions that require inclusion of certain items in gross income. Section 86 limits the amount of social security benefits that a taxpayer must include in gross income. Taxpayer excludes the remainder. •Section 86 establishes three levels of so-called “(b)(1)(A) amounts” of income – which we define momentarily. •This amount will fall into one of three ranges that the Code defines in terms of the taxpayer’s filing status. Each income range is subject to a different set of rules governing inclusion of social security benefits in taxpayer’s gross income. The three income ranges are the following: •“(b)(1)(A) amount” of income that is below the statutory “base amount.” •“(b)(1)(A) amount” of income that is above the statutory “base amount” but below the statutory “modified base amount.” •“(b)(1)(A) amount” of income that is above the statutory “modified base amount.” Rather than try to state the computation rules, we will apply the rules through three problems involving the taxpayer “Joe the Pensioner.” He is single and receives social security benefits. Consider: •Joe the Pensioner received $20,000 of social security benefits payments last year. In addition, he received $1000 in municipal bond interest that § 103 exempts from his gross income. Joe also did some work for his old employer for which he received $6000. What is Joe’s gross income? Section 86(a) with deceptive simplicity sets forth rules governing taxpayer inclusion in gross income of social security benefits. Section 86(a) requires computations of various amounts and then comparing them. Hopefully, we can reduce this to a few straight-forward “if ... then” rules. It is best56 to begin with § 86(b) – the provision that actually defines the “Taxpayers to Whom Subsection (a) applies.” •Section 86(b)(1)(A)(i) requires that we determine what Joe’s “modified agi” is. That phrase is defined in § 86(b)(2). Joe’s agi at the moment, not counting his social security benefits or tax exempt interest, is $6000. To obtain Joe’s “modified agi,” we do not add his benefits (§ 86(b)(2)(A) (“determined without regard to this section”)) but we do add his tax exempt interest, § 86(b)(2)(B), i.e., $1000. Joe’s modified adjusted gross income is $7000. •Section 86(b)(1)(A) requires us to add Joe’s modified adjusted gross income plus one-half of his social security benefits. $7000 + $10,000 = $17,000. We will refer to this as the “(b)(1)(A) amount.” •Subtract the “base amount” from $17,000. “Base amount” is defined for Joe in § 86(c)(1)(A) as $25,000. Joe’s “modified agi” does not exceed this “base amount.” •Section 86(a)(1)(B) requires us to compute one-half of the excess described in § 86(b)(1)(A). In our case, that will of course be $0. •§ 86(a)(1) requires a comparison: $0 < $10,000. •Joe must include $0 of his Social Security benefits in his gross income. Notice that if the base amount exceeds taxpayer’s “modified agi” plus one-half of his/her social security benefits, then there will be no “excess” – a term that appears in § 86(a)(1)(B). We can state the following straight-forward rule. 1. If taxpayer’s “modified agi” plus one-half of his/her social security benefits is less than the statutory “base amount,” none of taxpayer’s social security benefits will be subject to federal income tax. Now suppose that Joe the Pensioner received $20,000 of social security benefit payments, $1000 in tax exempt interest, and $18,000 of payments for work he did for his old employer. •Joe’s “modified agi” plus one-half of his social security benefits plus tax exempt interest (i.e., “(b)(1)(A)” amount) equals $29,000. This is more than the statutory “base amount,” i.e., $25,000, § 86(c)(1)(A). •Section 86(b)(1) describes a taxpayer whose “(b)(1)(A) amount” is more than a “modified base amount.” For Joe, that amount is $34,000. § 86(c)(2)(A). Joe’s “(b)(1)(A) amount” does not exceed his “modified base amount,” so § 86(a)(1) applies to him. •According to § 86(a)(1), Joe must include in his gross income the lesser of one-half of the social security benefits that he received or one-half of the amount by which his “(b)(1)(A)” amount exceeds his “base amount.” •The first amount is $10,000. The second amount is $2000. •Joe must include $2000 of social security benefits in his gross income. We can now state the second of our straight-forward rules. 2. If taxpayer’s “modified agi” plus one-half of his/her social security benefits is more than the statutory “base amount” but less than the “modified base amount,” taxpayer must include in his/her gross income the lesser of one-half of his/her social security benefits or one-half of the amount by which his/her “modified agi” exceeds the statutory base amount. Now suppose that Joe the Pensioner received $20,000 of social security benefit payments, $1000 in tax exempt interest, and $30,000 of payments for work he did for his old employer. •Joe’s “(b)(1)(A) amount” is now $41,000. This is $7000 more than his “modified base amount,” i.e., $34,000, § 86(c)(2)(A). This means that § 86(a)(2) applies rather than § 86(a)(1). •Section 86(a)(2) requires us to determine two different amounts and to include the lesser in Joe’s gross income. •The first amount (§ 86(a)(2)(A)) is – •85% of the “excess,” i.e., $5950, PLUS •the lesser of •the amount that would be included in Joe’s gross income if our second rule (i.e., § 86(a)(1)) did apply. The lesser of one-half of Joe’s social security benefits (i.e., $10,000) or one-half of the excess of Joe’s “(b)(1)(A) amount” over his “base amount” (i.e., ½ of ($41,000 − $25,000) = $8000) is $8000. •or •one-half of the difference between Joe’s “base amount” and “modified base amount.” The difference between Joe’s “base amount” and his “modified base amount” is $34,000 − $25,000. One-half of that amount is $4500. •$4500 < $8000. •$5940 + $4500 EQUALS $10,440.
•85% of Joe’s social security benefit, i.e., 85% of $20,000 = $17,000. •$10,440 < $17,000. Joe must include $10,440 in his gross income.
Do: CALI Lesson, Basic Federal Income Taxation: Gross Income: The Taxability of Employment Connected Payments: Fringe Benefits, Meals and Lodging, Unemployment Compensation, and Social Security Benefits. Several of the questions are derived from the next section of the text. You should do the Lesson twice: now and when you finish reading the next section. Directory: sites -> default -> files files -> Answer True False 2 points Question 2 files -> Northern England’s set-jetting locations files -> Nstructions for Acquiring Excess Equipment online, through the 1033 Program files -> Occupational health and safety files -> The Black Panther Party’s Ten Point Program files -> International programs roel profile files -> Fermi Questions a guide for Teachers, Students, and Event Supervisors Lloyd Abrams, Ph. D. DuPont Company, cr&D/ccas experimental Station Wilmington, de 19880 files -> Personal Information Name: Maha Al-Ammari Nationality: Saudi Relationship Status Download 2.56 Mb. Share with your friends:
|
