R, a self-employed stockbroker, becomes totally disabled on January 1 and receives $1,500 a month...

The correct answer is D, $0. Disability income benefits generally are not taxable to the insured when the insured personally paid the premiums with after-tax dollars. R paid the premium for her own individual disability income policy, so the $1,500 monthly benefit is excluded from federal taxable income. The total annual benefit is $18,000, but the fact that it totals $18,000 does not make it taxable. Tax treatment changes when an employer pays the premium and does not include that premium amount in the employee’s taxable income; in that case, disability benefits are generally taxable. Similarly, benefits can be taxable when premiums were paid through certain pre-tax arrangements. The central exam rule is: personally paid, after-tax disability premiums normally produce income-tax-free disability benefits. The Internal Revenue Service confirms that benefits from an accident or health policy are not taxable when the taxpayer paid the premiums. See IRS Publication 525 . Study Guide References/Topics: Taxation and Business Uses of Health Insurance; Disability Income Insurance; Tax Treatment of Disability Benefits.

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