Navigate the risk
Moreoften, sellers are using the product ahead of a transaction to take a negotiating point off the table – avoiding a price chip.
Overview
Tax liability insurance provides financial cover to the insured following the crystallization of an insured tax liability and can include interest and penalties.*
When it is used
Tax liability insurance can be used in many ways to cover local, state and federal tax liabilities. The policy offers a useful solution when:
- Buyers and sellers cannot agree to allocate identified tax risks between themselves
- It is not clear what line a tax authority will take on a given tax treatment or how a court would interpret a given tax law
- The likelihood of a liability crystalizing is low but the quantum is too high to comfortably account for
- There is a strong defense file in respect of a tax treatment but there is a risk nonetheless
Benefits
Tax liability insurance can be used to:
Take an identified risk off the deal table
Increase the indemnity cap through insurance whilst simultaneously reducing the indemnity cap for a seller
Negate the concerns about the creditworthiness of a seller using an A-rated insurer as a counterparty
Allow for a clean exit meaning the seller can distribute proceeds of a sale and liquidate immediately from closing, boosting IRR
Obtain more protection than a seller is willing to give
Transfer a contingent liability from a company's balance sheet to that of an insurer
Parameters
Scope
Tax liability insurance provides financial cover to the insured in the event of a crystallization of an insured tax liability including, where possible, defense costs, interests and penalties.
Policyholder
A tax liability insurance policy will be held by the company facing the specific tax liability in question or, where relevant, the buyer or the seller under a purchase agreement.
Policy period
The policy period will seek to match the statute of limitations in the relevant jurisdiction - typically up to six years.
Retention or excess
The retention, also known as the excess, is typically a nominal amount or nil. In certain circumstances, the retention will be used to prevent recovery for a certain amount of defense costs.
Policy limit
The policy limit is the estimate amount of the tax liability plus interest, penalties and defense costs.
Premium
The premium is calculated on a case-by-case basis and can range between 3% – 10% of the policy limit. Factors affecting the premium include the likelihood of the liability crystalizing, the activity of the tax authority in question, the robustness of the technical defense available and the complexity of the liability.
