Is Life Insurance Taxable in Canada? No But There’s More!

Is life insurance taxable in Canada? This is a question I get all the time!

People purchase life insurance to provide financial protection in case of unforeseen events. It’s a necessary protection that may be uncomfortable to consider but is essential for everyone.

That’s why the tax implications are so important in life insurance planning. My clients want to know where their beneficiaries stand if and when they have to make a claim.

No one wants their loved ones to be hit with an unexpected tax bill. The good news is your beneficiaries receive their payout TAX-FREE. That’s right, all life insurance policy proceeds are paid out 100% tax-free in Canada.

….but that’s not the end of the story, it’s a little more involved than that.

There are considerations regarding life insurance and taxation in Canada.

Is Life Insurance Taxable In Canada & Other Considerations

So, let’s get back to the subject at hand. As mentioned above, life insurance payouts after death are not taxable, enabling you to leave your beneficiaries a substantial lump sum tax-free.

However, if you have a sizeable estate, owe taxes or want to leave real estate investments to your family,  a chunk of those tax-free proceeds will definitely go to the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA).

When you pass away, if you have these types of obligations to fulfill, tax planning becomes even more crucial.

If your beneficiary doesn’t have liquid funds, this could cause a serious cash flow issue that may result in unintended consequences. For example, if you want to leave the family cottage to your kids and they can’t afford to pay the capital gains tax, they may be forced to sell the property to satisfy that requirement. 

Fortunately, life insurance can be used so that an inheritance won’t cause financial distress to your family. 

When Life Gets Real

“The couple has decided to leave the cottage to their older son, since his children have also come to love it. The property, which the couple bought years ago for $200,000, is now worth four times that. Let’s assume that the couple’s other child, a younger daughter, doesn’t plan to use the property as she starts her life in New York. She will be given a comparable inheritance, say $800,000.”

“Now the unhappy truth: Second homes, cottages and other vacation properties are taxable assets. Unlike a primary residence, the increase in value of a second home is taxed, so the son will receive a major tax hit.”

Leaving the family cottage to children will cost you – or them, The Globe and Mail 

Is Term Life Insurance Taxable in Canada?

Remember, Term life insurance is temporary. You choose a time frame to cover (10, 20 or 30 years) and your premiums remain level through that period. When the term ends, your policy expires.

If God forbid, you die during the term, your beneficiary (family) receives a predetermined payout. In terms of tax consequences, it’s a no-brainer, the policy proceeds your family receives will be 100% non-taxable. This is probably the situation 90% of Canadians face as term coverage is the most popular.

Keep in mind, any interest earned by your beneficiaries after the payout, will of course be taxed. Let’s say, for example, you develop a life threatening illness and pass away while you have a $1,000,000 term policy in force. If your spouse invests the insurance proceeds and generates interest to live off of, that interest will count as taxable income. The $1,000,000 principal of course, will not.

Is Whole Life Insurance Taxable in Canada?

Permanent life insurance: is different from term coverage in that it is guaranteed coverage for life. It doesn’t expire or cancel based on any change to your age. It pays out whether you pass away at age 55 or age 93. This guarantees your beneficiary a payout as long as you stay current with your premiums. For policies with a cash value component (Universal or Whole Life), a portion of your premium is allocated to an investment portion you can access in various ways while you are still alive.

As we know, anytime there are investments with potential for growth, the CRA is interested. If you have a cash value in a life insurance policy that’s compounded in value, the CRA can potentially hit you with a capital gains tax. However, all tax penalties can be avoided provided you adhere to the best strategies when accessing the cash inside your policy.

The Tax Implications Of Borrowing Against Life Insurance

The most tax efficient way to access the equity in your whole life policy, while you’re alive, is to borrow against it. According to the CRA, loans are not considered as taxable income so if you borrow $50,000 against your whole life policy, you will not pay any taxes on that cash. Not to mention – this is important – your policy and investment component stays intact because technically speaking, you have not taken cash out of your policy, you’ve simply borrowed against it.

The difference between physically taking money out of your policy and borrowing against it is huge. More on this later…

If you don’t pay this loan back – most policyholders don’t – it will eventually be deducted from the death benefit when you die, and the balance will be paid to your beneficiaries 100% tax-free.

Policy Loan Example:

Arjun purchases a whole life policy in his late 30’s. When he’s 55, he borrows a $100,000 against the cash value of his policy to help his son, Sushen, make a downpayment on his first home.  At age 88, when Arjun passes away surrounded by his loving family, the total death benefit of his life insurance policy is $600,000. After the $100,000 loan balance is deducted, his family receives a $500,000 cheque from the insurance company tax-free.

The Tax Implications of Using Cash Value or Surrendering Your Policy

Unfortunately, emergencies happen, things comes up and you need some cash.

In this case, is life insurance taxable in Canada, it can be!

Especially when you access the money before you die. Surrendering your permanent policy or taking money directly out of your policy’s cash value can be very costly.

The CRA considers either of these sources taxable income to you as the policyholder. Therefore, gains are taxed like interest income (100% income inclusion).

Not to mention, if you draw money out in the early years, the insurance company imposes severe penalties as well. This means you could walk away with a lot less than what you started with.

The Devil’s in the Details

Bottom line, if considering a whole life policy, do your due diligence. Make sure it’s something you can afford and at all costs, avoid accessing the cash value directly or surrendering the policy prematurely.

*Quick Tip: And for goodness sake, if you’ve purchased a policy for your child, it may not be the best idea to transfer ownership while they’re still young and immature. I’ve heard stories about 20 year olds cashing in permanent policies that were gifted to them to buy a car. 

Is Life Insurance Taxable In Canada: Beware Of Changes to Tax Exempt Policies

“This is a changing area in life insurance, so keep your eye on this space. Restrictions were placed on the acceptable amount of cash accumulation within exempt policies in 2017. If you have a sizeable estate be sure to speak with an independent life insurance agent for clarification. We can help you go through all the details!”

So, the simple answer to the question, “Is life insurance taxable in Canada?”: NO, it’s not!

However, it’s a different story if you access the cash value built up in your permanent policy or surrender it during your lifetime.

Life insurance is an incredible tool; one of its most important uses is tax planning.

This is especially true for those who want to leave a property or a business to their loved ones. It’s crucial for you to think about the consequences of your death before a hefty tax bill hits your family.

Losing someone is challenging enough, and you don’t want to add financial distress to the mix. 

Call us at Policy Architects today. We can help you find the right solution!