From April 1, 2023, the maturity proceeds from conventional plans (generally referred to as endowment plans) with annual premium exceeding Rs 5 lacs shall be taxable.

It is a huge change. We now have all grown up understanding that the maturity proceeds from life insurance coverage have been exempt from tax. There was a minor exception when the life cowl was lower than 10 occasions the annual premium. Aside from that, the maturity proceeds from all life insurance coverage polices have been exempt from tax.

That modified a couple of years when the Govt. began taxing excessive premium ULIPs. Now, the Govt. has broadened the scope and introduced the normal life insurance coverage underneath the tax ambit too.

Wished to rapidly discover out concerning the completely different form of life insurance coverage, take a look at this submit.

How Conventional Life Insurance coverage Plans shall be taxed from April 1, 2023?

The maturity proceeds from the normal plans (endowment plans) shall be taxable supplied:

1. The plan is purchased on or after April 1, 2023. AND
2. The annual premium exceeds Rs 5 lacs.

The earnings from such plans shall be handled as “Revenue from different sources”. And never as Capital features.

You possibly can cut back earnings by the quantity of Premium paid supplied you didn’t declare deduction for the premium paid underneath Part 80 C (or some other earnings tax provision).

Subsequently, in the event you took the tax profit for funding within the plan underneath Part 80C, you will be unable to scale back the premium paid from the maturity quantity. Nevertheless, as I perceive, in the event you make investments Rs 8 lacs every year and take most advantage of Rs 1.5 lacs underneath Part 80C, you possibly can nonetheless deduct Rs 6.5 lacs from the ultimate maturity quantity and save on taxes.

This threshold of Rs 5 lacs for conventional plans is completely different from the brink of Rs 2.5 lacs for ULIPs.

So, you possibly can make investments Rs 4 lacs per yr in a standard plan and Rs 2 lacs per yr in a ULIP. Since neither of the thresholds (Rs 5 lacs for conventional plans and Rs 2.5 lacs for ULIPs) is breached, you wouldn’t have to pay tax on both of those plans.

The brink of Rs 5 lacs is an mixture threshold

You possibly can’t spend money on 2 conventional plans with annual premium of Rs 3 lacs to get tax-free maturity proceeds.

Instance 1: Let’s say you spend money on 2 plans (Plan X and Plan Y) with an annual premium of Rs 3 lacs every. Now, annual premiums for each the plans are underneath the brink of Rs 5 lacs. However on mixture foundation, they breach the brink of Rs 5 lacs.

On this case, you possibly can select the coverage whose maturity proceeds you wish to settle for as tax-free. My evaluation is predicated on the clarification the Revenue Tax Division gave within the case of taxation of ULIPs.

If you happen to select X, the maturity proceeds from Plan X will turn out to be tax-exempt, however the maturity proceeds from Plan Y will turn out to be taxable. Each can’t be tax-free (since their premium funds coincided in not less than one of many years and the brink of Rs 5 lacs was breached).

For the proceeds to be tax-free, this situation have to be met yearly.

Instance 2: You purchase a brand new plan (Plan A) in April 2023 with an annual premium of Rs 3 lacs for the subsequent 10 years. The coverage in FY2034.

In April 2032, you purchase one other plan with annual premium of Rs 4 lacs. Coverage time period of 10 years.

In FY2033, you pay a premium of Rs 7 lacs (Rs 3 lacs + 4 lacs) in the direction of conventional plans.  There’s overlap of simply 1 yr in these plans.

Since this threshold of Rs 5 lacs was breached in FY2033 on mixture foundation (however not individually), the maturity proceeds from solely one of many plan shall be exempt from tax. And you’ll select which one. Both Plan A or Plan B. Not each. You possibly can decide one the place you’re prone to earn higher returns.

Why has the Authorities completed this?

The tax incentives have been supplied to taxpayers to encourage financial savings and to subsidize the price of life insurance coverage. However not limitless financial savings. Subsequently, in the event you take a look at the tax advantages on funding, these have been capped at Rs 1.5 lacs per monetary yr underneath Part 80C.

Not simply that, the earnings from a few of these investments was made tax-free. Nevertheless, the Authorities thinks that these incentives have been misused to earn tax-free returns. Clearly, small buyers can’t abuse the system past some extent. It’s the larger buyers (HNIs) that the Authorities appears cautious of.

Right here is an excerpt from Finances memo.

By the best way, not all Part 80C investments get pleasure from tax-free returns. Consider ELSS, SCSS, NSC, and now even EPF and ULIPs. Thus, taxing conventional plans is a logical step ahead.

PPF is the final bastion however that’s too politically delicate. As well as, the investments in PPF have been all the time capped. Thus, it might by no means be misused to the extent different merchandise have been.

The Consistency

Let’s take a look at how the Authorities has introduced numerous funding merchandise into the tax web.

Fairness Mutual Funds and shares: Introduced underneath the tax web in Finances 2018

Unit Linked Insurance coverage Plans (ULIPs): Excessive premium ULIPs introduced underneath the tax web in Finances 2021.

EPF Contribution: Employer contribution introduced underneath the tax web in Finances 2020. Worker contribution (exceeding Rs 2.5 lacs) in Finances 2021.

It is just logical that top premium conventional plans additionally began getting taxed.

The brink of Rs 5 lacs additionally ensures that smaller buyers will not be affected.  And that is additionally according to how different merchandise have been introduced underneath the tax web.

With fairness funds and shares, LTCG as much as Rs 1 lac is exempt from tax. Helpful for small buyers. Meaningless for giant portfolios.

Capital features from ULIPs with annual premiums as much as Rs 2.5 lacs are nonetheless exempt from tax.

EPF contribution as much as Rs 2.5 lacs continues to be exempt from tax.

What stays unchanged?

The demise profit from any life insurance coverage plan (time period, ULIP, or conventional) stays exempt from tax regardless of the annual premium paid. Solely the maturity proceeds from conventional plans (with annual premiums over Rs 5 lacs and acquired after March 31, 2023) are taxable.

The maturity proceeds from conventional plans purchased as much as March 31, 2023, stay exempt from tax regardless of the premium paid. Subsequently, when you’ve got paid the primary premium on or earlier than March 31, 2023, your coverage is secure from taxes.  Observe you could pay premium for such plans (purchased on or earlier than March 31, 2023) within the coming years however such premium received’t depend in the direction of the brink of Rs 5 lacs.

Thus, you possibly can besides large push from the insurance coverage trade to promote excessive premium conventional plans earlier than March 31, 2023. A bit stunned that the Authorities gave the cushion of two months. ULIPs and fairness investments didn’t get such a cushion. The rule was efficient February 1.

Annuity plans or pension plans (LIC Jeevan Akshay and LIC New Jeevan Shanti) will not be affected. The earnings from such plans was anyhow taxable.

What do I believe?

It’s a sensible transfer.

There is no such thing as a purpose why conventional life insurance coverage ought to proceed to get pleasure from particular tax remedy when all different funding merchandise are getting taxed.

Whereas taxation of funding product is a crucial variable within the determination course of, it will probably’t be the one one. You have to select funding merchandise that can assist you to attain your monetary targets. Primarily based in your danger urge for food and monetary targets.

What are the issues with conventional plans?

Excessive value and exit penalties.  Low flexibility. Poor returns.

You might be pleased with all that. Nevertheless, most buyers don’t perceive the product and implications of excessive exit penalties. They belief the salesperson to handle their pursuits. Nevertheless, entrance loaded commissions connected to the sale of such plans can put investor curiosity on the backseat. The entrance loading of incentives additionally makes these merchandise ripe for mis-selling. By the best way, front-loaded commissions are additionally the explanation for prime exit penalties.

Since IRDA, the insurance coverage regulator, doesn’t care about wanting into this apparent difficulty, it’s good that the Authorities has attacked these plans, albeit with a really completely different motive.

This tweet from Ms. Monika Halan, an writer and Chairperson IPEF SEBI, aptly captures the problem.

My solely criticism is that the Authorities might have stored this threshold decrease. ULIPs have a threshold of Rs 2.5 lacs. A decrease threshold would have compelled even smaller buyers to assume deeper earlier than investing in such plans. In spite of everything, it’s the small investor who’s affected essentially the most by such poor funding choices.

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