Business protection insurance solutions by Advice4Directors: There is not a one size fit all solution for business protection. It is not quite as easy as getting a £1 million pound life insurance policy for each of the directors and then thinking the business is safe. Instead a business should consult with a business protection expert who can then design a bespoke solution individual to the business Often the policies need to be written in trust and it is also very important to look at the tax position of the policies both the premiums payable and how these are treated and also the sum assured upon a claim. We have helped many directors and business owners protect their businesses. Discover even more details on Shareholder Protection Insurance.
Tax Treatment of a Key Person Insurance Policy: Key person insurance is an important tool for businesses, ensuring the continuity of the business in event of sudden death or incapacity of a key employee. The tax implications for key person insurance, however, can be complex. In general, if the company meets certain criteria then it can claim corporation tax deduction on premiums paid. Payouts are typically treated as business revenue and are therefore taxable. However, this is not always the case so you need to ensure you take the right approach from a tax perspective. It is important to consider grossing up any payouts to make sure that the net figure still meets your needs after any applicable taxes are taken into account. We at have extensive experience in this area and can help ensure optimal tax outcomes when it comes to key person insurance policies.
How Much Cover is Needed? When it comes to the amount of cover you need, it is important to reflect the amount that would be needed to pay the debt or loan back in full. To ensure you have the right level of protection, there are two main types of business loan protection insurance available; level and decreasing. Level protection is suitable if your debts stay at a consistent level over a set period, such as with an interest only mortgage. Decreasing protection allows you to address your liabilities in smaller amounts which makes more sense when responding to repayments on longer-term loans such as car finance. Business loan protection can provide significant support during a financially challenging time, allowing the continuity of trading while deferring payments on those outstanding debts. It’s vital that all businesses review their current debt levels regularly and consider the implications if one or more were suddenly unable to be paid off quickly, before selecting an appropriate level of loan protection insurance.
However, it’s important to note that there are several different methods an adviser may use when valuing a business for Shareholder Protection. Cashflow is just one factor that can be taken into account, along with other financial metrics such as net assets, market value, or earnings potential. Ultimately, the valuation will depend on the unique circumstances of your business and what your Shareholder Protection insurance policy requires in terms of coverage. By working closely with an experienced adviser who understands these various methodologies and can help you navigate through them, you can ensure that your shareholders are protected while also maximizing the value of your company.
Tax Implications: This form of succession planning is quite complex and you should seek financial advice, legal advice, tax advice and bespoke advice unique to your own situation so the guidelines below will just give a brief overview of what company owners need to watch out for. So it will be very likely that the spouse could not sell the shares at all or sell them at a massively discounted price. With a shareholder protection policy in place it would provide a lump sum payment to the remaining shareholders. The sum assured would be pre-agreed by the business owners. This would allow the individual shareholders to buy the spouses company shares at fair price.
Insurance provides peace of mind to businesses that their investment will remain secure even if something unforeseen were to occur in regards to any important employees involved in the company’s operations. So should these employees become scarce due to critical illness or death, such policies can provide much-needed financial aid by paying an outstanding loan amount in full – something that would otherwise not be possible. As such, taking out an insurance policy when any major loans have been secured can act as both a form of protection for companies and for the individuals associated with them too.
Often called key-man insurance this type of policy is sometimes miss understood. It is important to ensure that the policy is set up in the correct manner using the right trusts or structure. There are also a lot of confusion and miss information on the tax treatment of these policies. The policy can be for life only or for life and critical illness cover . In another article we also explore key person income protection insurance. The death or illness of a key employee can have devastating consequences for a business and thus protecting a business from this should be an important part of protecting a business if the financial impact and help the business survive a difficult time. Find extra info on https://advice4directors.co.uk/.