An annuitant dies during the accumulation period.

During the accumulation period of an annuity, the contract owner is building value through premium payments and interest/earnings. If the annuitant dies before annuitization begins , the annuity does not simply disappear and the insurer does not “keep” the funds. Instead, the contract’s value is paid out as a death benefit , which is generally based on the annuity’s cash value (account value) , subject to the contract’s terms (for example, adjustments for surrender charges may or may not apply depending on the product). The payment is made to the named beneficiary on the contract, which is why beneficiary designation is important for annuities just as it is for life insurance.

Option B would apply only if there is no living beneficiary (or no valid beneficiary designation), in which case proceeds may be paid to the owner’s estate. Option C is incorrect because the IRS is not the recipient of the cash value; taxes may be due on taxable gains, but proceeds are payable to beneficiaries/estate. Therefore, the correct answer is that the cash value is paid to the beneficiary.