What does group term life mean on my paycheck?

Asked by: Brendan Zboncak  |  Last update: July 31, 2023
Score: 4.3/5 (57 votes)

Group term life insurance is essentially what it sounds like: a life insurance policy that covers a group of people. This type of life insurance is often offered as part of an employee benefits package. As with other types of life insurance, you can choose one or more beneficiaries.

What is group term life on Paystub?

If you see GTL which stands for Group Term Life on your paycheck, it means your employer has elected this organization-wide benefit that essentially pays your beneficiaries a portion or full amount of your annual salary.

How does group term life work?

Answer: Group life insurance is a type of life insurance in which a single contract covers an entire group of people. Typically, the policy owner is an employer or an entity such as a labor organization, and the policy covers the employees or members of the group.

Do you pay taxes on group term life insurance?

The IRS considers group-term life insurance provided by your employer to be a tax-free benefit so long as the policy's death benefit is less than $50,000. Therefore, there are no tax consequences if your group-term policy does not exceed $50,000 in coverage.

How is group term life insurance reported on w2?

Group Term Life Insurance. If your former employer provided more than $50,000 of group-term life insurance coverage during the year, the amount included in your income is reported as wages in box 1 of Form W-2.

Group Term Life Insurance Over $50,000

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What taxes is group term life subject to?

Total Amount of Coverage

The imputed cost of coverage in excess of $50,000 must be included in income, using the IRS Premium Table, and are subject to social security and Medicare taxes.

What is GTL on a W-2?

District Paid Group Term Life Insurance. The cost of district-provided group term life insurance (which includes cafeteria plans) in excess of $50,000 is reported as "other compensation" in Box 1, 3, 5, 16, and Box 12 Code C on the W-2 statement.

Who is the beneficiary in group life insurance?

GROUP LIFE INSURANCE FORM

1. The Primary Beneficiary(ies) you name, if living, will receive your insurance benefit at the time of your death. If the Primary Beneficiary(ies) are deceased at the time of your death, the Contingent Beneficiary(ies) you name will receive the benefit.

Can you opt out of group term life insurance?

If you have group term life insurance through your employer, it typically ends when you leave your job. But you may be able to convert it to an individual policy.

Can you cash in a group life insurance policy?

Group Term Life Insurance

You cannot cash out on a policy that carries no accrued savings, whether it is a group policy or an individual one.

What happens to my group life insurance when I retire?

If you are on a group life insurance plan with your employer, you will not continue to receive benefits once you retire. Essentially, life insurance plans through your employer are left behind if they are not needed. You may have the option to continue your coverage through an individual plan.

How is the cost of employer provided group life insurance above $50 000?

If an employee receives more than $50,000 of employer-provided group term life insurance, then the cost of the insurance in excess of $50,000 {minus any amounts paid post-tax by the employee) is included in the employee's gross income. This is referred to as "imputed income."

What happens to your life insurance if you don't have a beneficiary?

Without a named beneficiary, your life insurance proceeds become part of your estate. The life insurance proceeds get distributed accordingly, along with the rest of your assets. Your estate may need to go through probate, which often charges substantial fees and could take a long time before reaching your heirs.

How are life insurance beneficiaries paid out?

Life insurance payouts are sent to the beneficiaries listed on your policy when you pass away. But your loved ones don't have to receive the money all at once. They can choose to get the proceeds through a series of payments or put the funds in an interest-earning account.

What happens when the beneficiary of life insurance dies?

In case all beneficiaries have died, the proceeds will be paid to the insured individual's estate. It will pass through probate and will be subject to procedures and charges determined by court. Usually, distribution of the money will be in accordance to the insured individual's will.

How is the GTL calculated in my paycheck?

On your paycheck under Deductions, you will see “GTL” with a benefit amount. This amount is not the amount deducted from your paycheck, but instead is the value of the taxable benefit that is used to calculate a deduction for social security (6.20%) and Medicare (1.45%) taxes on your paycheck.

Is GTL considered gross wages?

For Federal Withholding – Taxable Wages, you can arrive at the number shown by adding your Gross Pay, your GTL amount, and then deducting your Pre- Tax Deductions. That amount is what is used to calculate the taxes withheld.

How long does it take for life insurance to pay out?

Life insurance providers usually pay out within 60 days of receiving a death claim filing. Beneficiaries must file a death claim and verify their identity before receiving payment. The benefit could be delayed or denied due to policy lapses, fraud, or certain causes of death.

Can my child be my life insurance beneficiary?

If minor children have been named as the beneficiary of your life insurance policy, then it can become legally complicated. Minor children cannot directly receive the proceeds of a life insurance policy. Instead, the state would appoint a legal guardian if you hadn't done so, which is a lengthy and costly process.

Is your spouse automatically your beneficiary on life insurance?

If you live in a community state and used money earned during your marriage to pay your life insurance premiums, your spouse may automatically be entitled to a percentage of the death benefit. To keep this from happening, your spouse must give written consent to the named beneficiary before you die.

How does a group life insurance policy work?

Group life insurance is a specific type of life insurance typically offered by a large organization to its members. Large companies often offer this coverage to their employees as part of its benefits package.

Do you lose your life insurance when you leave your job?

What happens to life insurance when you leave a job? In short, you lose your group life insurance when you leave your job.

How is group term life insurance calculated?

Example 1: Employer provides $100,000 of group term life coverage and pays 100% of the premium. There is $50,000 of excess coverage. To calculate a 40-year-old employee's imputed income, multiply 50 (the number of $1,000 units) by $0.10 (the rate from Table 1 for a 40-year-old).

Can you get money back from a term life insurance policy?

By law, if you cancel a term life insurance policy within 30 days of purchasing it, the company must refund any money you paid. In addition, if you pay some of your premiums ahead of schedule and then cancel your policy, the company should return those early pre-payments.

What is the difference between group life and term life insurance?

Individual policies are owned by an individual person and within this category, you can choose between permanent (or whole) and term policies. Group life insurance, on the other hand, typically comes in the form of an employer-sponsored life insurance policy you receive as a benefit through work.