11M Talcott Premium Tax Settlement, Check If You Qualify — Arbuckle Funding LLC v. Talcott Resolution Life & Annuity Insurance Company, No. 7:23-cv-07972-CS

If you own or owned a Talcott or Hartford universal life policy and your address changed after you bought it, or your policy was tied to one of 16 specific states — yes, you’re likely included. Talcott, Hartford’s successor, and Prudential agreed to pay $11,000,000 over premium tax overcharges. You don’t have to file anything. Checks go out automatically once the court signs off.

Quick Facts — Talcott Premium Tax Settlement

Settlement Amount	$11,000,000
Claim Deadline	No claim required — payment is automatic. Opt-out/objection deadline: August 26, 2026
Who Qualifies	Owners of Talcott/Hartford universal or variable universal life policies with a premium tax rate error, 2015 through early 2025
Estimated Payout	Varies by claim type and Plan of Allocation — no flat amount
Proof Required (Yes/No)	No
Settlement Status	Preliminary approval granted; final hearing pending
Court & Case Number	U.S. District Court, S.D.N.Y. — No. 7:23-cv-07972-CS
Law Alleged	Breach of contract — premium tax rate provisions
Administrator	JND Legal Administration
Official Claim Site	PremiumTaxSettlement.com
Last Updated	July 15, 2026

Who Is Talcott and Why Are They Being Sued for Premium Tax Overcharges?

Talcott Resolution, the successor to Hartford Life Insurance and Annuity, services older universal life and variable universal life policies where the premium tax charge is supposed to shift automatically with a policyholder’s state of residence. Prudential later took over as the outside administrator handling the billing on those same policies. Plaintiffs say the rate updates that were supposed to happen automatically just didn’t — and Talcott kept the difference.

What Did Talcott and Prudential Do to Policyholders Between 2015 and 2025?

Plaintiffs Arbuckle Funding, LLC and Brighton Trustees LLC, as trustee for Cook Street Master Trust III, allege Talcott and Prudential mishandled premium tax charges — the state-based deduction insurers take from every premium payment — in three separate ways. When a policyholder’s address changed, the tax rate on their bill allegedly didn’t follow. In 16 states, including New York, Illinois, and Ohio, the rate allegedly stayed frozen even after those states changed their own tax laws. And Talcott allegedly billed some policyholders using Connecticut’s higher “retaliatory tax” rate — the rate Connecticut charges insurers domiciled elsewhere — even though those policyholders lived in states with lower rates of their own.

If this sounds familiar, it should. Talcott isn’t the only insurer facing this kind of claim. Our coverage of the $57M Transamerica Life Insurance Settlement covers a similar rate-overcharge dispute that resolved earlier this year.

Talcott and Prudential deny doing anything wrong beyond a handful of errors they’ve already acknowledged and fixed. That’s still years of extra charges for anyone whose policy sat on the wrong rate.

Who Qualifies for the Talcott Premium Tax Settlement?

Here’s exactly how to know if this case includes you.

• You own or owned a universal life or variable universal life policy issued by Talcott or Hartford, including predecessor companies
• Your policy language ties the premium tax rate to your state or municipality of residence
• Your address changed after the policy was issued and the rate didn’t follow, or your policy was linked to Arizona, Connecticut, D.C., Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, or Wyoming
• Premiums were paid on the policy sometime between 2015 and early 2025

Not included: officers or directors of Talcott or Prudential, the presiding judge’s immediate family or staff, and anyone employed at Class Counsel’s firm.

Related article: $200M Sun/Taro Generic Drug Settlement, Check If You Qualify — In re Generic Pharmaceuticals Pricing Antitrust Litigation, No. 2:16-MD-02724

Talcott Policyholders Outside These 16 States — Are You Still Covered?

Possibly, yes. The 16-state list only applies to the Rate Update and Retaliatory Tax claims. If your address change wasn’t properly reflected in your billing, that claim isn’t limited by state at all — it applies nationwide.

Not sure if you qualify? A free consultation with a consumer rights attorney can help before the August 26 deadline.

How Much Can Talcott Premium Tax Settlement Class Members Get? Up to $11,000,000 Total

There’s no set number here — payment depends on which claims apply to your policy. Address Change and Rate Update claims are the ones Talcott partly acknowledged, so those are paid at 100% of the alleged overcharge, minus a proportional share of fees. The disputed Retaliatory Tax Rate claims get paid from what’s left of the fund after that, at a lower percentage of the alleged overcharge.

Before any of that gets distributed, the fund covers administration costs, Class Counsel’s fees (capped at one-third of the fund, or $3,666,666.67), and incentive awards of up to $25,000 each for the two named plaintiffs. Payments over $600 may show up on a 1099 next tax season.

You don’t submit anything to get paid. JND Legal Administration mails a check to your address on file once the settlement is final.

How to Get Your Talcott Premium Tax Settlement Payment

1. Do nothing — if you’re owed money, JND mails your check automatically after final approval
2. Confirm Talcott or Prudential has your current mailing address on file
3. Watch your mail after the September 24 hearing, plus any appeal period
4. Want to opt out or object instead? Mail your request to JND, postmarked by August 26, 2026
5. Cash your check when it arrives and hold onto the confirmation for your records
6. Call 1-888-337-0128 if you think you qualify but never received a notice

No filing required. Takes zero minutes if you’re already in the class.

Should Talcott Class Members Opt Out or Object Before August 26?

What Opting Out Actually Means

Opting out means giving up any payment from this $11,000,000 fund, but you keep the right to sue Talcott and Prudential separately over the same premium tax issues. Most people shouldn’t opt out without talking to a lawyer first — you’d be trading a guaranteed check for the cost and uncertainty of your own case.

How to Object

You can stay in the class and still tell the court you don’t like the deal. Objections must be filed with the Clerk of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in White Plains, and served on Class Counsel (Susman Godfrey LLP) and Talcott’s counsel (Dentons US LLP), by August 26, 2026, following the format spelled out in the settlement notice.

Talk to a class action lawsuit attorney before August 26 if you’re weighing either option.

Talcott Premium Tax Settlement — Key Dates, 2026

Milestone	Date
Preliminary Approval	TBD — exact date not listed in the public notice
Opt-Out / Objection Deadline	August 26, 2026
Final Approval Hearing	September 24, 2026, 3:00 p.m. ET
Expected Payment Date	After final approval and resolution of any appeals

Talcott Premium Tax Settlement — Frequently Asked Questions, No. 7:23-cv-07972-CS

Do I need to file a claim for the Talcott premium tax settlement?

 No. If you’re a Talcott or Hartford policyholder entitled to a payment, JND Legal Administration mails your check automatically — there’s no class action settlement eligibility form to submit.

How much will I get from the Talcott settlement?

 There’s no fixed figure. It depends on which claim type applies to your policy and how the $11,000,000 fund gets allocated once fees and awards are paid.

What if I live outside the 16 states listed for the Rate Update claim?

 You may still qualify. The state list only limits the Rate Update and Retaliatory Tax claims — the Address Change claim applies no matter where you live now.

Is there a lawsuit against Talcott and Hartford over premium taxes?

 Yes — Arbuckle Funding LLC, et al. v. Talcott Resolution Life & Annuity Insurance Company, et al., No. 7:23-cv-07972-CS, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. This settlement would resolve it.

Does settling mean Talcott admitted wrongdoing?

 No. Talcott and Prudential deny the allegations, aside from a few limited errors they’ve already corrected. Settling to avoid a trial is standard — it doesn’t mean the underlying claims weren’t real.

Can I still sue Talcott on my own?

 Only if you opt out of the settlement by August 26, 2026. Staying in means giving up that separate right in exchange for your share of the fund.

What happens at the September 24 hearing?

 A judge decides whether the $11,000,000 settlement is fair, rules on any objections, and considers Class Counsel’s requested fees and the incentive awards for the named plaintiffs.

Who is the settlement administrator and how do I reach them?

 JND Legal Administration handles the Talcott premium tax compensation process. Reach them at 1-888-337-0128 or through PremiumTaxSettlement.com.

Sources Used in This Talcott Premium Tax Article

Official Long Form Notice — PremiumTaxSettlement.com, accessed July 2026: https://assets-us-01.kc-usercontent.com/1eeb16db-4934-006e-40a6-38fa91285ebb/d368d6a0-4536-44e3-967a-b98cc4cb6c05/Long%20Form%20Notice.pdf Official Settlement Site — Key Dates page, PremiumTaxSettlement.com: https://www.premiumtaxsettlement.com/dates Stipulation of Settlement and Release — PremiumTaxSettlement.com: https://assets-us-01.kc-usercontent.com/1eeb16db-4934-006e-40a6-38fa91285ebb/29cfa4e2-5173-4c4f-83c6-c1f041727e32/Stipulation%20of%20Settlement%20and%20Release.pdf

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws vary by state and individual circumstances differ. For advice about your specific situation, consult a qualified attorney.