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Chapter 297I

Section 297I.05

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297I.05 Tax imposed.

Subdivision 1. Domestic and foreign companies. Except as otherwise provided in this section, a tax is imposed on every domestic and foreign insurance company. The rate of tax is equal to two percent of all gross premiums less return premiums on all direct business received by the insurer or agents of the insurer in Minnesota, in cash or otherwise, during the year.

Subd. 2. Town and farmers' mutual insurance. A tax is imposed on town and farmers' mutual insurance companies. The rate of tax is equal to one percent of gross premiums less return premiums on all direct business received by the insurer or agents of the insurer in Minnesota, in cash or otherwise, during the year.

Subd. 3. Mutual property and casualty companies with assets of $5,000,000 or less at the end of the calendar year. A tax is imposed on mutual property and casualty companies with assets of $5,000,000 or less at the end of the calendar year. The rate of tax is equal to one percent of gross premiums less return premiums on all direct business received by the insurer or agents of the insurer in Minnesota, in cash or otherwise, during the year.

Subd. 4. Mutual property and casualty companies with total assets less than $1,600,000,000 on December 31, 1989. A tax is imposed on:

(1) mutual insurance companies that sell both property and casualty insurance that had total assets greater than $5,000,000 at the end of the calendar year but that had total assets less than $1,600,000,000 on December 31, 1989; and

(2) a mutual insurance company created pursuant to Laws 1983, chapter 287, article 2, that sells only casualty insurance.

The rate of tax is equal to 1.26 percent of gross premiums less return premiums on all direct business received by the insurer or agents of the insurer in Minnesota, in cash or otherwise, during the year.

Subd. 5. Health maintenance organizations, nonprofit health service plan corporations, and community integrated service networks. (a) A tax is imposed on health maintenance organizations, community integrated service networks, and nonprofit health care service plan corporations. The rate of tax is equal to one percent of gross premiums less return premiums on all direct business received by the organization, network, or corporation or its agents in Minnesota, in cash or otherwise, in the calendar year.

(b) The commissioner shall deposit all revenues, including penalties and interest, collected under this chapter from health maintenance organizations, community integrated service networks, and nonprofit health service plan corporations in the health care access fund. Refunds of overpayments of tax imposed by this subdivision must be paid from the health care access fund. There is annually appropriated from the health care access fund to the commissioner the amount necessary to make any refunds of the tax imposed under this subdivision.

Subd. 6. Fire insurance tax. A tax is imposed on every licensed company, including reciprocals or interinsurance exchanges, doing business in this state, except farmers' mutual fire insurance companies and township fire insurance companies. The rate of tax is equal to one-half of one percent of the gross fire premiums and assessments, less return premiums, on all direct business received by the company in this state, or by its agents for it, in cash or otherwise, during the year. "Gross fire premiums and assessments" includes premiums on policies covering fire risks only on automobiles, whether written under floater form or otherwise.

Subd. 7. Surplus lines tax. (a) A tax is imposed on surplus lines licensees. The rate of tax is equal to three percent of the gross premiums less return premiums received by the licensee minus any licensee association operating assessments paid under section 60A.208.

(b) If surplus lines insurance placed by a surplus lines licensee and taxed under this subdivision covers a subject of insurance residing, located, or to be performed outside this state, a proper pro rata portion of the entire premium payable for all of that insurance must be allocated according to the subjects of insurance residing, located, or to be performed in this state.

Subd. 8. Repealed, 1Sp2001 c 5 art 13 s 15

Subd. 9. Tax on persons, firms, or corporations licensed to procure insurance from unlicensed foreign companies. (a) A tax is imposed on any person, firm, or corporation licensed under section 60A.19, subdivision 8. The rate of tax is equal to two percent of gross premiums paid in the year less return premiums received in the year.

(b)(1) Money collected under this subdivision must be paid to a municipality or a fire department relief association if:

(i) the money is attributable to fire, lightning, or sprinkler insurance premiums paid by an owner to insure property; and

(ii) the property is in a municipality that has an organized fire department, a partly paid fire department, or a volunteer fire department.

The money must be paid to the municipality where the insured property is located, or to the municipality's fire department relief association. The money to be paid includes penalties and interest collected because a property owner failed to pay on time the taxes due under this subdivision.

(2) This paragraph does not apply to taxes paid under this subdivision that are attributable to premiums paid on property if:

(i) the property is owned and occupied exclusively as a homestead, and the owner carries insurance on the property; or

(ii) the property is exempt under section 550.37 and the owner carries insurance on the property.

Subd. 10. Tax on persons, firms, or corporations procuring insurance from an ineligible company. (a) A tax is imposed on each insured in this state who procures, causes to be procured, or continues or renews insurance with an ineligible surplus lines insurer or any self-insurer in this state who procures or continues excess of loss, catastrophe, or other insurance upon a subject of insurance resident, located, or to be performed within this state, other than insurance procured pursuant to section 60A.201 or 60A.209, subdivision 1, equal to two percent of gross premiums less return premiums paid for such insurance.

(b) If the insurance described in paragraph (a) also covers a subject of insurance residing, located, or to be performed outside this state, for the purposes of this subdivision, a proper pro rata portion of the entire premium payable for all of that insurance must be allocated according to the subjects of insurance residing, located, or to be performed in this state.

(c) For the purposes of this subdivision, insurance placed with an ineligible surplus lines insurer is considered to be procured, continued, or renewed in this state if:

(1) it was procured through negotiations occurring in whole or in part within or from outside this state;

(2) it was procured by an application made in whole or in part within or from outside this state; or

(3) premiums for it are paid from within this state directly or indirectly, in whole or in part.

Subd. 11. Retaliatory provisions. (a) If any other state or country imposes any taxes, fines, deposits, penalties, licenses, or fees upon any insurance companies of this state and their agents doing business in another state or country that are in addition to or in excess of those imposed by the laws of this state upon foreign insurance companies and their agents doing business in this state, the same taxes, fines, deposits, penalties, licenses, and fees are imposed upon every similar insurance company of that state or country and their agents doing or applying to do business in this state.

(b) If any conditions precedent to the right to do business in any other state or country are imposed by the laws of that state or country, beyond those imposed upon foreign companies by the laws of this state, the same conditions precedent are imposed upon every similar insurance company of that state or country and their agents doing or applying to do business in that state.

(c) For purposes of this subdivision, "taxes, fines, deposits, penalties, licenses, or fees" means an amount of money that is deposited in the general revenue fund of the state or other similar fund in another state or country and is not dedicated to a special purpose or use or money deposited in the general revenue fund of the state or other similar fund in another state or country and appropriated to the commissioner of commerce or insurance for the operation of the Department of Commerce or other similar agency with jurisdiction over insurance. Taxes, fines, deposits, penalties, licenses, or fees do not include:

(1) special purpose obligations or assessments imposed in connection with particular kinds of insurance, including but not limited to assessments imposed in connection with residual market mechanisms; or

(2) assessments made by the insurance guaranty association, life and health guarantee association, or similar association.

(d) This subdivision applies to taxes imposed under subdivisions 1, 3, 4, 6, and 12, paragraph (a), clauses (1) and (2).

(e) This subdivision does not apply to insurance companies organized or domiciled in a state or country, the laws of which do not impose retaliatory taxes, fines, deposits, penalties, licenses, or fees or which grant, on a reciprocal basis, exemptions from retaliatory taxes, fines, deposits, penalties, licenses, or fees to insurance companies domiciled in this state.

Subd. 12. Other entities. (a) A tax is imposed equal to two percent of:

(1) gross premiums less return premiums written for risks resident or located in Minnesota by a risk retention group;

(2) gross premiums less return premiums received by an attorney in fact acting in accordance with chapter 71A;

(3) gross premiums less return premiums received pursuant to assigned risk policies and contracts of coverage under chapter 79;

(4) the direct funded premium received by the reinsurance association under section 79.34 from self-insurers approved under section 176.181 and political subdivisions that self-insure;

(5) gross premiums less return premiums received by a nonprofit health service plan corporation authorized under chapter 62C; and

(6) gross premiums less return premiums paid to an insurer other than a licensed insurance company or a surplus lines licensee for coverage of risks resident or located in Minnesota by a purchasing group or any members of the purchasing group to a broker or agent for the purchasing group.

(b) A tax is imposed on a joint self-insurance plan operating under chapter 60F. The rate of tax is equal to two percent of the total amount of claims paid during the fund year, with no deduction for claims wholly or partially reimbursed through stop-loss insurance.

(c) A tax is imposed on a joint self-insurance plan operating under chapter 62H. The rate of tax is equal to two percent of the total amount of claims paid during the fund's fiscal year, with no deduction for claims wholly or partially reimbursed through stop-loss insurance.

(d) A tax is imposed equal to the tax imposed under section 297I.05, subdivision 5, on the gross premiums less return premiums on all coverages received by an accountable provider network or agents of an accountable provider network in Minnesota, in cash or otherwise, during the year.

Subd. 13. Funds deposited into general fund. Unless otherwise specified in this chapter, all amounts collected by the commissioner under this chapter must be deposited in the general fund.

Subd. 14. Life insurance. A tax is imposed on life insurance. The rate of tax equals a percentage of gross premiums less return premiums on all direct business received by the insurer or agents of the insurer in Minnesota for life insurance, in cash or otherwise, during the year. For premiums received after December 31, 2005, but before January 1, 2007, the rate of tax is 1.875 percent. For premiums received after December 31, 2006, but before January 1, 2008, the rate of tax is 1.75 percent. For premiums received after December 31, 2007, but before January 1, 2009, the rate of tax is 1.625 percent. For premiums received after December 31, 2008, the rate of tax is 1.5 percent.

HIST: 2000 c 394 art 1 s 2; 2000 c 490 art 13 s 20; 1Sp2001 c 5 art 14 s 8; 2002 c 377 art 10 s 25; 2002 c 379 art 1 s 70; 2005 c 151 art 8 s 17; 1Sp2005 c 3 art 6 s 18,19

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Revisor of Statutes