If a co-owner died tomorrow, who would own their share of your business?
Key person and shareholder protection makes sure the answer is the people you'd choose — not whoever inherits the shares.
- Central Bank regulated
- 37 years · since 1989
- Three offices — Limerick, Dublin & Galway
- Trusted financial advisors
- Named, qualified advisers (LIA · IOB · III)
Our advisers work day to day with owner-managers. We set the cover at the right level, make sure it lines up with your shareholders' agreement, and work with your other advisers so the insurance and the legal side actually match. Book a 30-minute consultation and we will walk you through it against your own company.
Two kinds of business protection
Key person cover
Shareholder & partnership protection
Tax treatment, in plain English
Tax treatment depends on how the cover is set up, so this is general rather than advice. Key person cover taken to protect the company against the loss of profits from a key employee's death can, in limited circumstances, have its premiums treated as a deductible expense, with any proceeds then taxable, following long-standing Revenue principles.
Shareholder and partnership protection is usually arranged the other way: premiums are not deductible and the proceeds are received tax-free, with a cross-option agreement letting the surviving owners buy the shares at a fair value. Reliefs such as business relief can affect the inheritance-tax position on the shares themselves.
The right structure needs advice from us alongside your accountant and solicitor, which is exactly the coordination we handle.
Business protection questions, answered
Cover that pays the business a lump sum if a critical individual — a founder, top salesperson or technical lead — dies or becomes seriously ill, giving the company time to recover.
An arrangement that funds the surviving owners to buy a deceased shareholder’s shares, so the family gets fair value and the survivors keep control.
A legal agreement giving the survivors the option to buy, and the deceased’s estate the option to sell, the shares — backed by life cover so the money is there.
For key person, on the financial impact of losing that individual. For shareholder protection, on a fair valuation of each shareholding. We help you arrive at both.
Treatment varies by policy type and ownership structure. We explain the implications in plain English and structure it appropriately.
Yes — the protection and the legal agreement must align to work. We coordinate with your solicitor to make sure they do.
Often even more so. Without it, shares can pass to family members who aren’t involved in the business, creating conflict. Planning avoids that.
Book a 30-minute shareholder protection consultation.
A short conversation now can prevent a very difficult one later.