Tax Consequences to the Annuity Beneficiary

Annuities are especially attractive to retirees because they assure an income for life. They’re often held as deferred annuities as a back up for those later retirement years as a supplement to other retirement income or when savings become depleted. But many retirees will die before tapping their deferred annuity. What are the tax consequences to the annuity beneficiary and should other options be arranged? A deferred annuity offers a distinct tax-benefit. It’s earning grow tax-deferred. For the same annual return as a taxable investment, a tax-deferred investment compounds faster because none of the earnings are taxed away each year. However those tax-deferred earnings will eventually be taxed upon withdrawal, whether by you or the annuity beneficiary. Your contributions to the annuity, though, will not be taxed. This is the case in ‘nonqualified’ annuities which are funded with after tax contributions. Annuitant’s taxation If a partial withdrawal is made, the IRS presumes that earnings come out first – so that these are completely taxable. But under regular monthly payments – a portion of each payment is not taxed but treated as a return of your nontaxable contributions. An exclusion ratio calculated by the insurance company designates that untaxed portion. When, [...]

Read more...