Tax-Free Distributions for Public Safety Officer Insurance Premiums
Joint Committee on Taxation Technical Explanation of the PPA Subtitle D, Explanation 5
5. Permit tax-free distributions from governmental retirement plans for premiums for health and long-term care insurance for public safety officers (sec. 402 of the Code)
Present Law
Under present law, a distribution from a qualified retirement plan under section 401(a), a qualified annuity plan under section 403(a), a tax-sheltered annuity under section 403(b) (a "403(b) annuity"), an eligible deferred compensation plan maintained by a State or local government under section 457 (a "governmental 457 plan"), or an individual retirement arrangement under section 408 (an "IRA") generally is included in income for the year distributed (except to the extent the amount received constitutes a return of after-tax contributions or a qualified distribution from a Roth IRA).197 In addition, a distribution from a qualified retirement or annuity plan, a 403(b) annuity, or an IRA received before age 59½, death, or disability generally is subject to a 10-percent early withdrawal tax on the amount includible in income, unless an exception applies.198
Explanation of Provision
The bill provides that certain pension distributions from an eligible retirement plan used to pay for qualified health insurance premiums are excludible from income, up to a maximum exclusion of $3,000 annually. An eligible retirement plan includes a governmental qualified retirement or annuity plan, 403(b) annuity, or 457 plan. The exclusion applies with respect to eligible retired public safety officers who make an election to have qualified health insurance premiums deducted from amounts distributed from an eligible retirement plan and paid directly to the insurer. An eligible retired public safety officer is an individual who, by reason of disability or attainment of normal retirement age, is separated from service as a public safety officer199 with the employer who maintains the eligible retirement plan from which pension distributions are made.
Qualified health insurance premiums include premiums for accident or health insurance or qualified long-term care insurance contracts covering the taxpayer, the taxpayer's spouse, and the taxpayer's dependents. The qualified health insurance premiums do not have to be for a plan sponsored by the employer; however, the exclusion does not apply to premiums paid by the employee and reimbursed with pension distributions. Amounts excluded from income under the provision are not taken into account in determining the itemized deduction for medical expenses under section 213 or the deduction for health insurance of self-employed individuals under section 162.
Effective Date
The provision is effective for distributions in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2006.
In addition see IRS Notice 2007-7 Miscellaneous PPA Changes
197 Secs. 402(a), 403(a), 403(b), 408(d), and 457(a).
198 Sec. 72(t).
199 The term "public safety officer" has the same meaning as under section 1204(8)(A) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1986.