How does life insurance work for business partners and key person insurance?

Business owners and partners in Australia commonly use life insurance for business protection purposes beyond personal family protection. Key person insurance provides a lump sum to a business if a critical employee or owner dies or becomes terminally ill, helping the business cover recruitment and training costs for a replacement, compensate for lost revenue during the transition period, cover debts and operational costs during recovery, and maintain confidence among clients, suppliers, and lenders. The business owns the policy, pays the premiums, and receives the payout. Premiums are generally not tax-deductible (as they're capital in nature), but payouts are typically tax-free. Business succession insurance (buy-sell agreements) ensures surviving business partners can buy out a deceased partner's share. Each partner takes out life insurance on their own life, with the other partners as beneficiaries (or the business as beneficiary with a formal agreement). When a partner dies, surviving partners receive funds to purchase the deceased partner's share from their estate, ensuring family members receive fair value for the business interest without being forced into ownership, and preventing outsiders from becoming unwanted business partners. The business continues operating smoothly without financial strain. These arrangements are typically governed by formal buy-sell agreements drafted by lawyers, specifying valuation methodology for the business, how insurance proceeds will be used, what happens if someone becomes disabled rather than dying, and process for updating coverage as business value changes. For business loan protection, life insurance ensures business debts are repaid if an owner dies, preventing the business or family from inheriting unmanageable debt. Business life insurance is often structured outside superannuation (despite higher premium costs) to provide maximum flexibility, faster payout without trustee involvement, and clearer beneficiary designation. Consult a financial adviser and solicitor specialising in business succession planning to structure appropriate business life insurance.