Corporate policy ownership describes life insurance or annuity contracts that are owned by a business entity rather than an individual. The corporation appears as owner and often beneficiary, particularly in key-person protection, business-continuation, or nonqualified executive-benefit plans. Corporate ownership affects who can make changes, who receives death proceeds, and how policy values are accounted for on financial statements. It also interacts with tax rules such as Section 101(j) for employer-owned life insurance and may influence the treatment of premiums, death benefits, and cash values for income- and estate-tax purposes.

Advisors use corporate policy ownership for key-person insurance, buy-sell funding, and COLI-style benefit arrangements. They coordinate with attorneys and CPAs to ensure ownership aligns with plan documents and that employer-owned life insurance notice and consent rules are followed. Carrier applications and policy records clearly reflect the entity as owner, with authorized officers signing documents. Understanding corporate policy ownership helps advisors prevent mismatches between legal intent and policy records, support accurate accounting, and design business-focused insurance strategies that hold up under tax and legal scrutiny.