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The Daily Insight

Is Owners life insurance tax deductible?

Author

John Thompson

Published Feb 14, 2026

Yes, you can usually take a life insurance deduction for the premiums you pay on employees as business expense. So, the premiums that are paid on the lives of your employees are considered a tax deductible life insurance expense should be claimed as a general business expense.

Is key person insurance tax deductible?

Is Key Person Insurance Tax Deductible? According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), premiums paid for a life insurance policy are not a deductible expense on a business’ federal income taxes.

How is tax gain on life insurance calculated?

To calculate the portion that would be taxed as capital gains, you subtract the premiums you’ve paid from the settlement you received, leaving you with $75,000. Then, you subtract the amount that is subject to income tax, which is $25,000 in our example. The remaining $50,000 would be subject to capital gains tax.

When does a life insurance policy become taxable?

Any outstanding loan becomes taxable income at the time of policy surrender or lapse, however, to the extent that the loan exceeds the owner’s basis in the contract. If policy death proceeds are tax free, the amount of the loan is not taxed but is treated as part of the tax free death proceeds.

Do you have to pay taxes on prepaid life insurance?

A: Yes. Any increment in the value of prepaid life insurance or annuity premiums or premium deposit funds constitutes taxable income in the year it is applied to the payment of a premium or is made available for withdrawal, whichever occurs first.

Can a business claim life insurance as a business expense?

For employees and officers of a business, if the premiums of a life insurance policy are paid for directly by the company, and the company is not a beneficiary (either direct or indirect), the premiums can be deducted as long as the death benefit is for the benefit of the employees.

Can a company deduct term life insurance premiums?

For example, an employer providing group term life insurance coverage to employees may deduct the premium amount for the first $50,000 of coverage that the company purchases. Premiums that are paid by a company for coverage provided along with a non-qualified employee benefit plan, such as deferred compensation, may also be deducted. Questions?