Tax Benefit and TDS on Life Insurance
We are at the end of Financial year and all life insurance companies have launched some new plans to cash in the last minute “tax saving” frenzy.
But do you know that some of life insurance policies might not give you the desired tax benefit both at the time of investment and also at the time of maturity.
The tax benefits for Life Insurance are at two stages:
But Budget 2012 put on following conditions for Life Insurance policies to qualify for the above tax benefits:
This change is for all Life Insurance Policies bought after March 31, 2012.
Also Read: How are ULIP & Life Insurance Policies Taxed on Surrender & Maturity?
As a special case for life insurance of the disabled and those suffering from ailments, the annual premium can be less than 15% of the sum assured – i.e. – Sum assured should be greater than 6.67 times the annual premium. This change was made in Budget 2013.
Also Budget 2014 has mandated 2% 1% (effective June 1, 2016) TDS on the amount payable at maturity under Section 194DA for all payments greater than Rs 1 lakh. So this taxation is getting stricter and trackable.
Budget 2015 has introduced the facility to fill Form 15G/15H in case your annual income is less than the minimum taxable limit and you don’t want TDS deducted on Life Insurance maturity payment. This would be effective from June 1, 2015.
The above changes in tax laws applies to all kind of Life Insurance Policies, be it ULIP, Endowment Plan or Return of Premium Plans.
In case the Life Insurance does not qualify for tax benefit as above u/s 10(10D), the income received at the time of maturity on survival would be added to your income and taxed to your marginal tax rate.
You need not worry about the Term Insurance as the Sum Assured is always more than 10 times the annual premium paid. But if you are investing in ULIPs, Endowment Plan or Return of Premium Plans you need to do a thorough check.
There might also be cases where a Life Insurance policy can be Tax Free for only a selected group of investors.
Take example of HDFC Standard Life Insurance online ULIP – HDFC Click2Invest. In this case the investors opting for Single Premium would not get tax benefit u/s 10(10D) as the sum assured is only 1.25X of annual premium paid.
Also investors with age more than 55 years would not get any tax benefit at the time of maturity as the sum assured is only 7X of annual premium paid.
However they would get limited tax benefit u/s 80C using the following formula: minimum of (annual premium paid, 10% of Sum Assured, Rs 1,50,000)
Only investors opting for regular premium payment and aged less than 55 years would get full tax benefit both at the time of investment and at the time of maturity.
Do check and recheck before investing in these plans!
Remember Life Insurance should be an “expense” to cover the risk of your life and never an “Investment”.
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View Comments
Hi I have taken an endowment plan for 10 years premium & policy term is also 10 years. I am 53 years old & in starting my sum assured is less than 10 times of 1st year premium but at maturity my sum assured increases to more than 10 times. I want to know in my policy will i get the tax benefit under 10(10D) at maturity or not.
Sum assured and maturity benefit are two different things. In most cases Maturity benefit = sum Assured + Bonus. What I can make out from your query is your sum assured is less than 10X of premium paid and hence your maturity amount would be taxable.
Satyam
Sir i got a maturity of 909900 for a ulip plan whose premium was 1lac per anum, u/s 194da 2% tax deducted. just tell me what to show as my income while i am a businessman.
The entire maturity amount would be shown in "income from other sources" while filing income tax returns.
Sir, if the maturity amount from ULIPs is eligible for tax exemption under section 10 (10D), should it be still shown as INCOME FROM OTHER SOURCES while filing income tax returns?
No it would then be shown in "Exempted income"
I had opted for hdfc endowment supreme subidha ulip on may 2010 with yearly premium 36000 for 11 years.sum assured is 1.8 lakh in case of death.in case of maturity will get the money on the units earned by the plan.but now i have decided to surrender the plan.i have invested rs 252000 for 7 years.now am getting around 325000.will there be any tax deduction with the amount i shall get.
No the amount would be tax free. Check more details @ How are ULIP & Life Insurance Policies Taxed on Surrender & Maturity?
I have invested Rs.4000000/- (Forty Lecs ) out of Non Resident external account (NRE A/C ) in Kotak Life Insurance
vide product Kotak Single invest advantage ( UIN-107L065V01 on 31/03/2011. Surrender amount will be deposit back to the NRE A/C. T.D.S. applicable or not.
TDS should be applicable
My father had a ULPP which he surrender after 5 annual premium payments of rs 15000.tds on the same is deducted u/s 194DA @2%on surrender value. Please tell me why it is taxable and amount of taxable income, under which head taxable. If surrender value is rs 110000(approx.)
All money received as surrender value of ULPP is fully taxable. So a TDS of 2% has been deducted. While filing tax return, you should show the surrender amount in "Income from other sources".
Also he has not taken the benefit under 80C/80CCC in any of these 5 years. Policy taken in 2010.
I have investe in bajaj allianz future gain ulip policy premium 200000 and premium paying team 5 years 2015 to 2019 and my sum assured is 7 time of premium 1400000 as per policy after 5 year kya mra TDS dedicated hoga
The policy on maturity would be taxable and hence 2% TDS would be deducted from the maturity amount.
please clarify that whether after 2% TDS deduction from maturity amount, again I have to pay the tax while filing the annual return based on my total income.
Yes TDS does not pay taxes according to your applicable rates. You have to pay additional taxes according to slab or claim refund if excess TDS has been deducted.
HI Amit,
I have ICICI Pru life - Lifetime ULIP - policy taken in 2006, sum assured 15Lakshs and premium is 1 lakh per annum. I have paid 3 continuous preimuns from 2006, 2007, 2008 and stopped paying after that. Since the fund has not grown much and i feel like surrendering and investing elsewhere.. Will there be Tax on the surrender value, that i receive.
Can you please advice
Thanks & regards,
Bhim
As the policy is being surrendered after 3 years and also the sum assured is 15X of annual premium, the surrender amount would be tax free
If I have not availed 80(c) exemption for the payment of premium for purchase Ulip, is it still taxable at the time of maturity?
ULIPs maturity is taxable or not depends on the sum assured and the premium paid which you can check in the post. It does not matter if you have taken 80C exemption or not.
whether NRI is eligible for tax deduction.his sum assured is Rs.1000000 and is premium is Rs.2000000.please explain
The sum assured is just twice the annual premium, so the maturity amount would be taxable. The insurance tax benefits does not depend on residency status of individuals - so its irrespective of you being NRI.
Through Life insurance policies everyone can save taxes but you should be smart enough to buy any life insurance policy for saving tax. Because, investing in every life insurance policy doesn’t means saving of tax. Important sections under life insurance plan are Section 80C, Section 80CCC, Section 80CCE, Section 80D, Section 80D etc.