Description: A detailed discussion on Private Letter Ruling 20123009 which states that owners of life insurance contracts in some circumstances want to decrease their death benefits and that the decreases contemplated are not ones resulting from application of a formula or other provision set forth in the contracts.

Description: Changes to AG 43 and what that might mean for tax purposes. Also, summary of IRS Notice 2016-63 (provides safe harbor tax guidance on use of 2017 CSO tables).

Description: An extensive look at Actuarial Guideline 38, "The Application of the Valuation of Life Insurance Policies Model Regulation."

Description: The article provides a summary of the 2017 Tax CUts and Jobs Act provisions that are most important to life insurance companies.

Description: The article deals with the critique of a technical advice memorandum issued by the IRS. It basically states the author's opinion that, although the conclusion was correct, the reasoning given was inappropriate.

Description: The different broad purposes served by the material change concept under federal tax law are outlined. More specific material change and similar issues that are pertinent to particular Code provisions and guidance from the IRS that has addressed those issues are also addressed. In the final part of this article, authors comment on whether any overarching principles can be gleaned that can assist insurers and policy owners in making decisions about whether particular changes can safely be made, and thoughts are offered with respect to future potential IRS guidance that would be helpful as taxpayers navigate these often uncertain waters.

Description: A discussion of, first, the three-year transition period for adopting principle-based reserves and how it might not apply to tax reserves, and second, the tax impact of adding investment options to in-force contracts.

Description: This article is a companion to “They Go Bump in the Night: Life Insurance Policies and the Law of Material Change,” an article written by John T. Adney and Craig R. Springfield (May 2012 Taxing Times Supplement) that describes the various material change rules found in the Code, highlighting the complexities insurers face in navigating through these rules when a life insurance contract is materially changed. The Adney and Springfield article also addresses the difficulties in interpreting the tax law requirements under the various effective date rules contained in the Code sections affecting life insurance contracts.

Description: Update on accounting and capital/RBC issues subsequent to tax reform.

Description: This article discusses the important lessons for insurance companies that participate in drafting settlement agreements designed to achieve favorable tax treatment of the settlement payments.