Is cash value in whole life taxable?
Is Cash Value Life Insurance Taxable? Cash value life insurance is generally not taxable as it grows within the policy. However, taxes may apply to withdrawals, loans, or surrenders that exceed the total premium payments made, so it's essential to understand the specific rules and consult a tax advisor for guidance.
In most cases, cash value life insurance isn't taxable. Your beneficiaries can receive the death benefit as a lump sum tax-free, though they won't receive your cash value balance. As a policyholder, you'll typically only pay taxes on the cash value if you take out more money than you put in through premiums.
If you choose to sell or surrender your life insurance policy while you are still living, only the portion of the money beyond what you paid into the policy would be taxable. It is important to keep in mind that selling a policy and surrendering a policy are two different things.
The cash value growth in a whole life policy is guaranteed4, and it grows tax deferred. Dividends, if declared, may increase the cash value growth even more. You can pay higher premiums for fewer years or you can pay lower premiums for more years5.
The short and most simple answer to this question is yes. Although, the better question would be: when is the cash surrender value taxable? Any money that you receive from a cash surrender that is over the policy's cost basis can be taxed as income.
When a policy is surrendered for its cash value, you'll lose coverage and no longer be responsible for paying insurance premiums. You may have to pay surrender fees for canceling your coverage early, which will be deducted from any cash value your policy has or paid out of pocket if you have a term policy.
If you want your life insurance proceeds to avoid federal taxation, you'll need to transfer ownership of your policy to another person or entity.
In certain cases, the IRS can even seize life insurance benefits, particularly if the policy has a cash surrender value. If you are the beneficiary of a life insurance policy and you owe the IRS, the IRS can seize those proceeds.
Life insurance proceeds paid in a lump sum are generally received by the beneficiary tax-free. This includes term, whole, and universal life insurance. However, if the payout is set up to be paid in multiple payments the payments can be taxable.
There is a federal estate tax, however, which is paid by the estate of the deceased. In 2024, the first $13,610,000 of an estate is exempt from the estate tax. A beneficiary may also have to pay capital gains taxes if they sell assets they've inherited, including stocks, real estate or valuables.
What is the disadvantage of cash value life insurance?
Cons of cash value life insurance
Loans may reduce the death benefit: Withdrawals and unpaid cash value loans you take out can reduce the death benefit your beneficiaries receive. And, if you take out all the cash value and stop paying premiums, your coverage could lapse and you'll lose your policy.
A whole life insurance policy will begin building cash value as soon as you pay your first premium, and it will continue building throughout the life of the policy as long as there are funds in the account.
Permanent life insurance policies offer a death benefit and cash value. The death benefit is money that's paid to your beneficiaries when you pass away. Cash value is a separate savings component that you may be able to access while you're still alive.
Is Cash Value Life Insurance Taxable? Cash value life insurance is generally not taxable as it grows within the policy. However, taxes may apply to withdrawals, loans, or surrenders that exceed the total premium payments made, so it's essential to understand the specific rules and consult a tax advisor for guidance.
Is the cash surrender value of life insurance taxable? A life insurance policy's cash surrender value can be taxable. Any amount you receive over the policy's basis, or the amount you paid in premiums, can be taxed as income.
Generally, life insurance proceeds after the insured's death aren't reported as income to the beneficiaries. However, any interest on the proceeds (such as when the proceeds are delayed) are reportable. The beneficiaries should receive a Form 1099-INT with the amount of the interest paid.
Is life insurance cash value taxable? Fortunately, the cash value of life insurance grows tax-free. This means that, in many cases, you won't have to worry about paying taxes on it.
Cashing out your entire whole or universal life insurance policy should always be the last option. In fact, many financial advisors recommend waiting 10 to 15 years for the policy to build cash value before considering cashing it.
Surrendering your life insurance policy is one way you can liquidate, but selling a policy you don't need may be a better strategy. Selling has several advantages to surrendering it, including higher proceeds and greater flexibility. Surrendering the policy is faster but selling it usually brings you more money.
Generally, life insurance proceeds you receive as a beneficiary due to the death of the insured person, aren't includable in gross income and you don't have to report them. However, any interest you receive is taxable and you should report it as interest received.
Do you have to pay taxes on money received as a beneficiary?
If you received a gift or inheritance, do not include it in your income. However, if the gift or inheritance later produces income, you will need to pay tax on that income.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) excludes settlements for property loss or value from taxable incomes. The result is that insurance proceeds for property damage are not taxable unless the settlement includes compensation for punitive damages or emotional distress.
If you withdraw up to the amount of the total premiums paid into the policy, the transaction is not taxable as it is considered a return of premiums. If, however, you then withdraw any gains on the policy (like dividends), then these amounts could be taxed as ordinary income.
Withdrawing cash from a life insurance policy will reduce the death benefit. Withdrawals are taken first from your “basis”—the amount you've paid into cash value through premiums. That money comes out tax-free because it's considered a return of your basis.
The IRS considers these payments to be a personal expense, so you don't get a tax break on them. However, they can sometimes be tax-deductible for companies. The IRS generally lets companies deduct the amounts spent on employee benefit programs, and it considers life insurance policies to fall into that category.
