Publication 535 |
2001 Tax Year |
When To Deduct Premiums
You can usually deduct insurance premiums in the tax year to which
they apply.
Cash method.
If you use the cash method of accounting, you generally deduct
insurance premiums in the tax year you actually paid them, even if you
incurred them in an earlier year. However, see Prepayment,
later.
Accrual method.
If you use an accrual method of accounting, you cannot deduct
insurance premiums before the tax year in which you incur a liability
for them. In addition, you cannot deduct insurance premiums before the
tax year in which you actually pay them (unless the exception for
recurring items applies). For more information about accrual methods
of accounting, see chapter 1. For information about the exception for
recurring items, see Publication 538.
Prepayment.
You cannot deduct expenses in advance, even if you pay them in
advance. This rule applies to any expense paid far enough in advance
to, in effect, create an asset with a useful life extending
substantially beyond the end of the current tax year.
Example.
In 2001, you signed a 3-year insurance contract. Even though you
paid the premiums for 2001, 2002, and 2003 when you signed the
contract, you can only deduct the premium for 2001 on your 2001 tax
return. You can deduct in 2002 and 2003 the premium allocable to those
years.
Dividends received.
If you receive dividends from business insurance and you deducted
the premiums in prior years, at least part of the dividends generally
are income. For more information, see Recovery of amount
deducted in chapter 1.
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