26 C.F.R. §§ 1.79-1–1.79-3

As a general rule, life insurance provided to a group of employees cannot qualify as group-term life insurance for purposes of section 79 unless, at some time during the calendar year, it is provided to at least 10 full-time employees who are members of the group of employees. For purposes of this rule, all life insurance provided under policies carried directly or indirectly by the employer is taken into account in determining the number of employees to whom life insurance is provided.

The general rule of paragraph (c)(1) of this section does not apply if the following conditions are met:

The general rule of paragraph (c)(1) of this section does not apply if the following conditions are met:

For purposes of paragraph (c) (2) and (3) of this section, employees are not taken into account if they are denied insurance for the following reasons:

For purposes of paragraph (c) (1) and (2) of this section, insurance is considered to be provided to an employee who elects not to receive insurance unless, in order to receive the insurance, the employee is required to contribute to the cost of benefits other than term life insurance. Thus, if an employee could receive term life insurance by contributing to its cost, the employee is taken into account in determining whether the insurance is provided to 10 or more employees even if such employee elects not to receive the insurance. However, an employee who must contribute to the cost of permanent benefits to obtain term life insurance is not taken into account in determining whether the term life insurance is provided to 10 or more employees unless the term life insurance is actually provided to such employee.

In general. If an insurance policy that meets the requirements of this section provides permanent benefits to an employee, the cost of the permanent benefits reduced by the amount paid for permanent benefits by the employee is included in the employee's income. The cost of the permanent benefits is determined under the formula in paragraph (d)(2) of this section.

Formula for determining cost of the permanent benefits. In each policy year the cost of the permanent benefits for any particular employee must be no less than:

Formula for determining deemed death benefit. The deemed death benefit (DDB) at the end of any policy year for any particular employee is equal to—

Mortality tables and interest rates used. For purposes of paragraph (d) (2) and (3) of this section, the net level premium reserve (R) and the net single premium (X or Y) shall be based on the 1958 CSO Mortality Table and 4 percent interest.

Dividends. If an insurance policy that meets the requirements of this section provides permanent benefits, part or all of the dividends under the policy may be includible in the employee's income. If the employee pays nothing for the permanent benefits, all dividends under the policy that are actually or constructively received by the employee are includible in the employee's income. In all other cases, the amount of dividends included in the employee's income is equal to:

Example. The provisions of this paragraph may be illustrated by the following example:

See section 79(b) and § 1.79-2 for rules relating to group-term life insurance provided to certain retired individuals.

See section 61(a) and the regulations thereunder for rules relating to life insurance not meeting the requirements of section 79, this section, or § 1.79-2, such as insurance provided on the life of a non-employee (for example, an employee's spouse), insurance not provided as compensation for personal services performed as an employee, insurance not provided under a policy carried directly or indirectly by the employer, or permanent benefits.

See sections 106 and § 1.106-1 for rules relating to certain insurance that does not provide general death benefits, such as travel insurance or accident and health insurance (including amounts payable under a double indemnity clause or rider).

Section 79(b) provides exceptions for the cost of group-term life insurance provided under certain policies otherwise described in section 79(a). The policy or policies of group-term life insurance which are described in section 79(a) but which qualify for one of the exceptions set forth in section 79(b) are described in paragraphs (b) through (d) of this section. Paragraph (b) of this section discusses the exception provided in section 79(b) (1); paragraph (c) of this section discusses the exception provided in section 79(b)(2); and paragraph (d) of this section discusses the exception provided in section 79(b)(3).

In general. Section 79(b)(1) provides an exception for the cost of group-term life insurance on the life of an individual which is provided under a policy or policies otherwise described in section 79(a) if the individual has terminated his employment (as defined in subparagraph (2) of this paragraph) with such employer and either has reached the retirement age with respect to such employer (as defined in subparagraph (3) of this paragraph), or has become disabled (as defined in subparagraph (4)(i) of this paragraph). If an individual who has terminated his employment attains retirement age or has become disabled during his taxable year, or if an employee who has attained retirement age or has become disabled terminates his employment during the taxable year, the exception provided by section 79(b)(1) applies only to the portion of the cost of group-term life insurance which is provided subsequent to the happening of the last event which qualifies the policy of insurance on the employee's life for the exception provided in such section.

Termination of employment. For purposes of section 79(b)(1), an individual has terminated his employment with an employer providing such individual group-term life insurance when such individual no longer renders services to that employer as an employee of such employer.

Retirement age. For purposes of section 79(b)(1) and this section, the meaning of the term “retirement age” is determined in accordance with the following rules—

General rule. Section 79(b)(2) provides an exception with respect to the amounts referred to in section 79 (a) for the cost of any portion of the group-term life insurance on the life of an employee provided during part or all of the taxable year of the employee under which the employer is directly or indirectly the beneficiary, or under which a person described in section 170(c) (relating to definition of charitable contributions) is the sole beneficiary, for the entire period during such taxable year for which the employee receives such insurance.

Employer is a beneficiary. For purposes of section 79(b)(2) and subparagraph (1) of this paragraph, the determination of whether the employer is directly or indirectly the beneficiary under a policy or policies of group-term life insurance depends upon the facts and circumstances of the particular case. Such determination is not made solely with regard to whether the employer possesses all the incidents of ownership in the policy. Thus, for example, if the employer is the nominal beneficiary under a policy of group-term life insurance on the life of his employee but there is an arrangement whereby the employer is required to pay over all (or a portion) of the proceeds of such policy to the employee's estate or his beneficiary, the employer is not considered a beneficiary under such policy (or such portion of the policy).

Section 79(b)(3) provides an exception with respect to the cost of any group-term life insurance which is provided under a life insurance contract purchased as a part of a plan described in section 403(a), or purchased by a trust described in section 401(a) which is exempt from tax under section 501(a) if the proceeds of such contract are payable directly or indirectly to a participant in such trust or to a beneficiary of such participant. The provisions of section 72(m)(3) and § 1.72-16 apply to the cost of such group-term life insurance, and, therefore, no part of such cost is excluded from the gross income of the employee by reason of the provisions of section 79.

Whether the life insurance protection on an employee's life is provided under a qualified employee plan referred to in subparagraph (1) of this paragraph depends upon the provisions of such plan. In determining whether a pension, profit-sharing, stock bonus, or annuity plan satisfies the requirements for qualification set forth in sections 401(a) or 403(a), only group-term life insurance which is provided under such plan is taken into account.

For each “period of coverage” (as defined in paragraph (c) of this section), the portion of the group-term life insurance to be taken into account in computing the amount includible in an employee's gross income for purposes of paragraph (a)(1) of this section is the sum of the proceeds payable upon the death of the employee under each policy, or portion of a policy, of group-term life insurance on such employee's life to which the rule of inclusion set forth in section 79(a) applies, less $50,000 of such insurance. Thus, the amount of any proceeds payable under a policy, or portion of a policy, which qualifies for one of the exceptions to the rule of inclusion provided by section 79(b) is not taken into account. For the regulations relating to such exceptions to the rule of inclusion, see § 1.79-2.

For purposes of making the computation required by subparagraph (1) of this paragraph in any case in which the amount payable under the policy, or portion thereof, varies during the period of coverage, the amount payable under such policy during such period is considered to be the average of the amount payable under such policy at the beginning and the end of such period.

This paragraph sets forth the rules for determining the cost, for each period of coverage, of the portion of the group-term life insurance on the employee's life to be taken into account in computing the amount includible in the employee's gross income for purposes of paragraph (a)(1) of this section. The portion of the group-term life insurance on the employee's life to be taken into account is determined in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (b) of this section. Table I, which is set forth in subparagraph (2) of this paragraph, determines the cost for each $1,000 of such portion of the group-term life insurance on the employee's life for each one-month period. The cost of the portion of the group-term life insurance on the employee's life for each period of coverage of one month is obtained by multiplying the number of thousand dollars of such insurance computed to the nearest tenth which is provided during such period by the appropriate amount set forth in Table I. In any case in which group-term life insurance is provided for a period of coverage of less than one month, the amount set forth in Table I is prorated over such period of coverage.

For the cost of group-term life insurance provided after June 30, 1999, the following table sets forth the cost of $1,000 of group-term life insurance provided for one month, computed on the basis of 5-year age brackets. See 26 CFR 1.79-3(d)(2) in effect prior to July 1, 1999, and contained in the 26 CFR part 1 edition revised as of April 1, 1999, for a table setting forth the cost of group-term life insurance provided before July 1, 1999. For purposes of Table I, the age of the employee is the employee's attained age on the last day of the employee's taxable year.

The net premium cost of group-term life insurance as provided in Table I of subparagraph (2) of this paragraph applies only to the cost of group-term life insurance subject to the rule of inclusion set forth in section 79(a). Therefore, such net premium cost is not applicable to the determination of the cost of group-term life insurance provided under a policy which is not subject to such rule of inclusion.

General effective date for table. Except as provided in paragraph (e)(2) of this section, the table in paragraph (d)(2) of this section is applicable July 1, 1999. Until January 1, 2000, an employer may calculate imputed income for all its employees under age 30 using the 5-year age bracket for ages 25 to 29.

Effective date for table for purposes of § 1.79-0. For a policy of life insurance issued under a plan in existence on June 30, 1999, which would not be treated as carried directly or indirectly by an employer under § 1.79-0 (taking into account the Table I in effect on that date), until January 1, 2003, an employer may use either the table in paragraph (d)(2) of this section or the table in effect prior to July 1, 1999 (as described in paragraph (d)(2) of this section) for determining if the policy is carried directly or indirectly by the employer.

Except as otherwise provided in subparagraph (2) of this paragraph, if an employee pays any amount toward the purchase of group-term life insurance provided for a taxable year which is subject to the rule of inclusion set forth in paragraph (a)(2) of § 1.79-1, the sum of all such amounts is the amount referred to in section 79(a)(2) and paragraph (a)(2) of this section. The rule of the preceding sentence applies even though the payments made by the employee are made with respect to a period of coverage during which no portion of the group-term life insurance on his life is taken into account under paragraph (b)(1) of this section.

In determining the amount paid by the employee for purposes of section 79(a)(2) and paragraph (a)(2) of this section, there is not taken into account any amounts paid by the employee for group-term life insurance provided (or to be provided) for a different taxable year (other than amounts applicable to regular pay periods extending into the next taxable year). Thus, for example, if part of an employee's payment during a taxable year represents a prepayment for insurance to be provided after his retirement, such part does not reduce the amount includible in his gross income for the current taxable year. Furthermore, in determining such amount, there is not taken into account any amount paid by an employee toward the purchase of group-term life insurance which qualifies for one of the exceptions described in section 79(b). The amount paid by an employee toward the purchase of group-term life insurance which qualifies for one of the exceptions described in section 79(b) is determined under the rules of paragraph (a)(2) of § 1.79-2.

If payments are made by the employer and his employees to provide group-term life insurance which is subject to the rule of inclusion set forth in section 79(a) as well as to provide other benefits for the employees, and if the amount paid by the employee toward the purchase of such insurance cannot be determined by the provisions of the policy or plan under which such benefits are provided, then the determination of the portion of the cost of group-term life insurance (computed in accordance with the provisions of this section) which is attributable to the contributions of the employee shall be made in accordance with the provisions of this subparagraph. The amount paid by the employee toward the purchase of all the group-term life insurance on his life for his taxable year (or for the portion of his taxable year if such portion is the basis of the computation) under such group policy shall be an amount determined first by ascertaining the total amount paid by all employees who are covered for multiple benefits which is allocable toward the purchase of group-term life insurance on their lives for the year, and then by ascertaining the pro rata portion of such total amount attributable to the individual employee. The total amount paid by all employees who are covered for multiple benefits which is allocable toward the purchase of group-term life insurance on their lives with respect to such year shall be an amount which bears the same ratio to the total amount paid by all employees for multiple benefits with respect to such year as the aggregate premiums paid to the insurer for group-term life insurance on such employees' lives with respect to such year bears to the aggregate premiums paid to the insurer for such multiple benefits with respect to such year. The pro rata portion of such total amount attributable to the individual employee for the cost of group-term life insurance on his life shall be an amount which bears the same ratio to the total amount paid by all employees which is allocable toward the purchase of group-term insurance on their lives with respect to such year as the amount of group-term life insurance on the life of the employee at a specified time during the year, as determined by the employer, bears to the total amount of group-term life insurance on the lives of all employees insured for such multiple benefits at such time.

In general. This paragraph discusses the effect of the provision of certain benefits other than group-term life insurance on the life of the employee if the provision of such benefits is contingent upon the underwriting of group-term life insurance on the employee's life to which the rule of inclusion set forth in section 79(a) applies.

Dependent coverage. An amount equal to the cost of group-term life insurance on the life of the spouse or other family member of the employee which is provided under a policy of group-term life insurance carried directly or indirectly by his employer is not subject to the provisions of section 79 since it is not on the life of the employee. See paragraph (d)(2)(ii)(b) of § 1.61-2 for rules regarding the tax treatment of such insurance.

Disability provisions. Payments made for disability benefits provided under a group-term life insurance contract are considered to constitute payments made for accident and health insurance. Thus, employer contributions to provide such benefits are excluded from gross income by reason of the provisions of section 106.

Cost of other benefits. If a benefit described in this paragraph is provided under a policy under which both the employer and his employees contribute, then, except as otherwise provided in this subparagraph, the employer and the employees will be treated as contributing toward the payment of such benefit at the same rate as they contribute toward the cost of group-term life insurance on the employees' lives. A separate allocation of employer and employee contributions for such benefits is permissible only if—