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Form 8925: Report of Employer-Owned Life Insurance Contracts
IRS Form 8925 is used to report employer-owned life insurance contracts issued after August 17, 2006. Policyholders must file this form for each tax year the contract(s) is owned.
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IRS Form 8925 - Report of Employer-Owned Life Insurance Contracts
IRS Form 8925 is used to report employer-owned life insurance contracts issued after August 17, 2006. Policyholders must file this form for each tax year the contract(s) is owned.
Risk Radar
Scan points- 1Ensure you only report contracts issued *after* August 17, 2006, unless an exception applies.
- 2Failing to report contracts issued before August 17, 2006, without an exception.
- 3Not reporting the total amount of insurance in force on Line 3 for covered employees.
- 4Incorrectly stating that valid consent exists on Line 4a when it does not.
- 5Omitting the count of employees lacking consent (Line 4b) when "No" is selected for Line 4a.
Plain English
This form allows an employer (policyholder) to tell the IRS how many employees are covered by their company-owned life insurance policies and what the total value of that coverage is. It also confirms whether each employee has given written permission for the insurance while reporting it.
Submission Date
- Filing date: 2017-09-21 18:00:21
- Preparation window: collect IDs, supporting records, and signatures in advance.
- Final review: verify names, dates, and required fields before submission.
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What this form is for
- Use this form when a policyholder owns an employer-owned life insurance contract issued after August 17, 2006, and needs to report the coverage details for that tax year.
- Do not use Form 8925 when the contract is part of a section 1035 exchange for a contract issued before August 18, 2006 (unless there is a material increase or other material change).
- Check Form 8925 instead when reporting employer-owned life insurance contracts that meet the criteria specified in the instructions.
Form selector
Use this form or another form?
Policyholder owned contract was issued before August 17, 2006
The policyholder is not required to complete Form 8925 unless a material increase or change occurs.
✓ Check Notice 2009-48
Not stated in the official source
Master contract addition of covered lives (under section 264(f)(4)(E))
The policyholder only needs to file for the additional covered lives, treating them as a new contract.
✓ Check Section 1035 and Notice 2009-48
Not stated in the official source
Contract has a material increase or other material change from an older contract
The change causes the existing contract to be treated as a new contract, requiring filing of Form 8925.
✓ Check Q&A-14 in Notice 2009-48
Deadline or filing window
Form 8925 must be attached to the policyholder’s income tax return for every year the contract is active. If a material change occurs (like increased death benefit), it requires filing even if not part of a section 1035 exchange. No specific extension window date is provided in the source.
Checklist
What you need before filling it out
Purpose
Report the number of employees covered, total amount in force, and consent status. · General Instructions
Who Must File
Every policyholder owning one or more contracts issued after August 17, 2006. · Page 2 / General Instructions
Type of Business
Enter the policyholder’s trade or business activity. · Line 3 (Page 2)
Valid Consent (Line 4a)
Indicate 'Yes' or 'No' for each covered employee. · Line 4a (Page 1)
Employee Count (Line 2)
Enter number of employees insured after August 17, 2006. · Line 2 (Page 1)
Total Amount (Line 3)
Enter the total amount of employer-owned life insurance in force at year-end for those specified in Line 2. · Line 3 (Page 1)
Before you submit
- 1Ensure the Name(s) shown on return and Identifying number are correctly listed.
- 2Verify that the Type of business accurately reflects the policyholder's activity.
- 3Confirm Line 1 shows the total number of employees the policyholder had at year-end.
- 4Check Line 2 to ensure only employees insured under contracts issued after August 17, 2006, are counted.
- 5Verify Line 3 accurately reflects the total amount of insurance in force for those employees.
- 6Determine and correctly mark Line 4a ('Yes' or 'No') regarding valid consent for each employee.
- 7If Line 4a is 'No,' confirm Line 4b lists the correct number of employees lacking valid consent.
How to file this form
- 1Complete Name(s) shown on return and provide the corresponding Identifying Number.
- 2Enter the policyholder’s Type of business activity onto Line 3 (Page 2).
- 3Fill in Lines 1, 2, and 3 to report employee count, insured employees, and total insurance amount.
- 4Determine if a valid consent exists for each covered employee and mark Line 4a accordingly.
- 5If necessary, enter the specific number of employees lacking valid consent on Line 4b.
- 6Attach Form 8925 to the policyholder’s income tax return for the relevant tax year.
Known limitations
- 1Policyholders are not required to complete Form 8925 for a life insurance contract issued after August 17, 2006, as part of a section 1035 exchange for a contract issued before August 18, 2006.
- 2For master contracts under section 264(f)(4)(E), the addition of covered lives is treated as a new contract only for the additional covered lives.
- 3A material increase in the death benefit or other material change to the contract causes it to be treated as a new contract, requiring filing of Form 8925.
Field map
Compact field-by-field guide
Entity Info
1 items
Name and taxpayer ID of the entity claiming the credit.
Credit Info
1 items
Type of credit or incentive being claimed.
Calculation
2 items
The base amount used to calculate the credit.
Calculated credit amount after applying formulas and limitations.
Certification
1 items
Detailed breakdown supporting the credit calculation.
Signatures
1 items
Sign and date the form.
Almost done reviewing the fields?
Fillable formOpen in Editor->The current edition of IRS Form 8925 is dated September 2017. The form directs users to www.irs.gov/Form8925 for the latest information regarding developments related to this form.
What changed or needs a fresh check
- Edition date — confirm the revision date reads September 2017.
- Filing requirement — confirm you are filing for every tax year the contract(s) is owned.
- Attachment — confirm Form 8925 attaches to the policyholder's income tax return.
- Consent status — confirm whether a valid consent has been received from each covered employee (Line 4a).
- Identifier type — confirm you are using an SSN for individuals or EIN for other taxpayers.
Quick Facts
Downloads
After you file
- 1Keep adequate records to support the information reported on Form 8925.
- 2Attach Form 8925 to the policyholder’s income tax return for each tax year during which the contract(s) was in force.
- 3The issue date of the employer-owned life insurance contract is the later of (1) the date of application of coverage, (2) the effective date of coverage, or (3) the formal issuance of the contract.
- 4If a valid consent is not received from an employee included on line 2, enter the number of employees for whom the policyholder lacks valid consent on line 4b.
Sources
- SRCForm 8925 (Rev. September 2017) is the official title and form number.
- SRCGeneral filing requirement: Every policyholder owning one or more employer-owned life insurance contracts issued after August 17, 2006, must file Form 8925 for each tax year the contract(s) is owned [Form p.2].
- SRCThe form reports the number of employees covered and the total amount of employer-owned life insurance in force on those employees at the end of the tax year [Form p.1, General Instructions].
- SRCFor validity, the employee must provide written consent before issuance, covering being insured and coverage continuation after employment termination [Form p.2].
- SRCThe issue date is the later of (1) application date, (2) effective date, or (3) formal issuance [Form p.1].
- SRCA policyholder is not required to complete Form 8925 for a life insurance contract issued after August 17, 2006, when it is part of a section 1035 exchange for a pre-August 18, 2006 contract [Form p.2].
Common confusion points
What defines 'employer-owned life insurance contract'?
The issue date must be the later of application, effective date, or formal issuance.
If I have a master contract, do I file Form 8925 for every single covered employee?
Does an increase in death benefit always mean it's a new contract requiring filing?
What is the difference between 'Name of policyholder' and 'Name of policyholder, if different from above'?
When must the written consent be provided by the employee?
Workflow map
Related forms and next steps
Before
Current
After
Often used with
⚠ If something goes wrong
- Section references are to the Internal Revenue Code unless otherwise noted.
Questions about IRS Form 8925
What is IRS Form 8925 used for?
This form allows an employer (policyholder) to tell the IRS how many employees are covered by their company-owned life insurance policies and what the total value of that coverage is. It also confirms whether each employee has given written permission for the insurance while reporting it.
Who must file IRS Form 8925?
Generally, every policyholder owning one or more employer-owned life insurance contracts issued after August 17, 2006, must file Form 8925 for each tax year the contract(s) is owned.
What information does IRS Form 8925 require?
The form collects details such as the name and identifying number of the policyholder, the type of business, the total number of employees covered (Line 1), the specific number insured under the contract(s) (Line 2), and whether a valid consent exists for those employees (Line 4a).
When is IRS Form 8925 due?
Policyholders must attach Form 8925 to their income tax return for each tax year during which they have employer-owned life insurance contract(s) in force. An exception applies if the contract is part of a section 1035 exchange.
Where do I file IRS Form 8925?
The form attaches to the policyholder’s income tax return, and users should visit www.irs.gov/Form8925 for general filing information. The instructions direct filers to see the form itself for specific routing details.
How do I complete IRS Form 8925?
First, complete the identifying information (Name/ID) and Type of Business. Next, enter the employee counts on Line 1 and Line 2, followed by the total insurance amount on Line 3. Finally, determine if valid consent is present (Line 4a) and enter the count for those lacking consent on Line 4b.
What happens if IRS Form 8925 is filed incorrectly?
Failure to report accurately means that the IRS may not correctly figure out and collect the right amount of tax owed by the policyholder.
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