Nirmala Sitharaman, the minister of finance, introduced on Wednesday that the federal government will begin taxing insurance policy with yearly premiums over Rs 5 lakh which can be issued on or after April 1, 2023. These insurance coverage insurance policies have beforehand been included within the class of investments which can be tax-free. Unit-linked insurance policy (ULIPs) is not going to, nonetheless, routinely fall beneath the brand new rules.

“(A) proposal…is to restrict earnings tax exemption from proceeds of insurance coverage insurance policies with very excessive worth,” Sitharaman stated. From the brand new fiscal yr 2023-24, earnings from insurance coverage insurance policies having an combination premium of greater than Rs 5 lakh is not going to be exempt from earnings tax.
Below the brand new proposal, the tax exemption supplied to the quantity obtained on the loss of life of an individual insured is not going to be affected, Sitharaman stated whereas studying out the Price range proposal.
She additional added, “It would additionally not have an effect on insurance coverage insurance policies issued until March 31, 2023.”
The FM talked about that top internet value people (HNIs) have been unfairly using this exemption when discussing the brand new proposal. It needs to be famous that the FM eliminated ULIP exemptions from the Price range final yr, stating that traders is not going to be eligible for any exemptions if the premium for any given yr exceeds Rs. 250,000.
Taxation of insurance coverage insurance policies:
From FY2024, the earnings from a financial savings life insurance coverage coverage that has a premium cost of greater than Rs 5 lakh shall be taxed when it matures.
The primary-year premium alone, not the primary yr + renewal, shall be topic to the Rs 5 lakh threshold. A person investor who owns a number of insurance policies is topic to this.
Market rout:
Following the announcement, insurance coverage corporations, together with HDFC Life, SBI Life Insurance coverage, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance coverage Co, Life Insurance coverage of India, Common Insurance coverage Corp, and Max Monetary, had been among the many most negatively impacted shares within the banking and monetary sectors.
When the markets closed, shares of the Life Insurance coverage Company (LIC), SBI Life Insurance coverage, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance coverage, and HDFC Life Insurance coverage all noticed declines of between 8.38% and 9.31%.
“We’re disenchanted with the current price range announcement concerning the taxation of insurance coverage premiums, as it is going to impression the high-value financial savings merchandise which were relied on by many shoppers. This, mixed with the shortage of enhance in tax exemptions for premiums paid beneath medical health insurance, will negatively impression the expansion of each financial savings and medical health insurance in India. Regardless of these setbacks, we stay dedicated to discovering options and offering inexpensive insurance coverage choices to our prospects whereas additionally adhering to rules. We may also proceed our efforts in selling the significance of insurance coverage and making it accessible to all,” stated Yagnesh Dosshi, Co-Founder & Director, Raghnall Insurance coverage Broking and Danger Administration.