Key person insurance solutions by Advice4Directors: Premium Equalisation: Shareholder Protection Premium Equalisation is an essential aspect of business trust policies. When a group of shareholders decides to take out an own life policy individually, they may need to equalize the premiums paid. This is done to prevent HMRC from considering unequal premiums as a “gift” or “wealth transfer” from those who are paying more to those who are paying less. If HMRC views this as a gift, there could be inheritance tax implications if there is ever a claim. Read even more details on relevant life insurance with critical illness cover.
When it comes to choosing the right amount of cover for a business, there are multiple types of insurance that need to be considered. Depending on the particular circumstances of the business, an effective cover plan could include multiple of profits insurance, allowing businesses to protect their profits if anything unexpected was to happen. Alternatively, multiple of salary would help to cover additional costs such as recruitment and replacement in the case of an employee leaving. Loan security is another key type of insurance which can ensure that any outstanding loan payments are managed and paid off should anything go wrong.
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.
It’s always important to consider the tax implications of any business decision and shareholder protection is no exception. By paying for shareholder protection through the business, corporations can save on their taxes by claiming it as an expense. However, it’s important to ensure that the agreement is correctly arranged in order to avoid any unexpected tax liabilities. One of the key considerations when arranging a shareholder protection agreement is whether or not the shares will go into the deceased shareholder’s estate before being purchased by surviving shareholders. If the agreement stipulates that the shares must be sold by the estate and purchased by surviving shareholders, then they may not qualify for business property tax exemption and could have significant inheritance implications. However, with careful wording, it is possible to structure the agreement in a way that allows for this exemption while still achieving the desired outcome. Ultimately, seeking advice from a specialist business protection adviser can provide invaluable support in navigating these complexities and ensuring that all parties are adequately protected while minimizing any potential tax liabilities.
Why have Business Loan Insurance? For businesses, protecting their investments is paramount. Taking out a loan to either begin or expand a business venture brings with it a heightened level of risk, because the ability to repay the loan often rests on the performance and health of only a few key staff members. To help manage this risk, it is essential that any significant loans taken out by businesses are protected with insurance.
Having key people in an organization can be beneficial in many ways. They offer valuable insight into operational decisions and can often times help problem solve difficult situations. Additionally, they can provide strategic guidance when it comes to reaching desired goals and objectives set out by the company. Key personnel are often seen as mentors across an organization that not only lead but inspire those around them. As such it’s important to identify and retain key personnel, otherwise costly mistakes may be made in the future if their absence is not adequately accounted for. Read even more information on Key person insurance.
Key Person Life Insurance: How would your business cope with the loss of a key person? We help protect your business from the death of its key people. Shareholder Protection Insurance: The death of illness of a minor or major shareholder can lead to massive business problems. Help give shareholder dependents a fair sale price of shares and help remaining shareholders retain the business shared with these important policies.