Do My Taxes Have To Be Filed Before Filing for Bankruptcy?

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Filing Taxes Before BankruptcyYou will notice when you are filling out your paperwork that the court asks you for what seems to be a billion pieces of documentation ranging from copies of bills, papers from purchases, income advices and federal and state taxes.  These documents are asked for to verify information you are providing is true and accurate.

However, what happens if you haven’t filed your taxes?  Can you still go through the bankruptcy process or must your taxes be done beforehand?  The answer is you must have all prior tax years filed and received by the IRS and state in order to file the bankruptcy. There are several reasons why taxes are required to be filed and received before filing your bankruptcy.

The Bankruptcy Trustee, Bankruptcy Court and Bankruptcy Administrator Require It

As your attorney, are required to send a copy of your most recent tax year to the bankruptcy Trustee.  If they do not get the taxes before the 341 creditor’s meeting then they technically has the right to dismiss your case.  When April 15th (or the appropriate deadline depending on the year) hits, the bankruptcy Trustee will expect taxes to be filed as completed. What if you’ve received an extension?  Even if you have received an extension, if you are filing bankruptcy you need to file the taxes before filing for bankruptcy. This does not mean you have to pay on taxes owed but they at least need to be filed.

The Bankruptcy Administrator’s office randomly elects cases to audit. They do this to ensure bankruptcy lawyers are performing their duties but also to ensure clients are providing accurate information. It is similar to being audited by a taxing agency. If your case is randomly selected to be audited then we are required to provide those documents.

Taxing Agencies Want to Ensure Taxes Are Completed

In addition to the bankruptcy Trustee and bankruptcy court needing to see evidence of your tax filings – the taxing agencies, the Internal Revenue Service and the North Carolina Department of Revenue, also will receive notice of your bankruptcy filing and want to make sure information you are reporting is accurate.  Once they have word that you have filed a bankruptcy they will reassess your prior year’s taxes to make sure they are completed.  If they are not, they can object to your discharge until they have been completed.  If a creditor, such as a taxing agency, objects to your discharge it means your case will be held open longer.  The longer your case is open, the longer it takes to get your financial freedom.

Filing Taxes Allows You to Accurately Budget Repayments

Just like any other debt you have in your bankruptcy – the amount owed for taxes has an impact on your bankruptcy filing.  If you have not filed your taxes, and you are filing a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, then you have no way of knowing what you owe, and cannot go ahead and budget a repayment plan going forward.  If you file a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, and you have not filed taxes yet, then the IRS or NCDOR is going to estimate what you will owe them and file a Proof of Claim for un-assessed returns.  Oftentimes, the taxing agencies file the proof of claim as a worst-case scenario on your taxes, which typically, means the amount is overstated which can cause an increase in your Chapter 13 plan payment. If you file your taxes then the IRS can use the amount of taxes owed to file a more accurate proof of claim, which may increase your chances of success in a Chapter 13 bankruptcy.

The bottom line is, yes you have to file your taxes before filing your bankruptcy. We understand that it’s a pain to have to dig through your paperwork, retrieve the documents, make copies and bring them to us, but the government requires it as part of your bankruptcy documentation.

What Is Abandonment In Bankruptcy?

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Foreclosure Sign in Front of HouseProperty that is surrendered or was not protected under the bankruptcy code exemptions is fair game for the bankruptcy Trustee.  Once a debtor has filed bankruptcy, his estate becomes that of the bankruptcy court and the bankruptcy Trustee.

At that time, the Trustee determines if there is any value or potential value in any of the assets of a bankruptcy case.  If the property proves to be worthless, with no beneficial value, or the value is not worth the hassle of selling the property, the Trustee will submit a motion to abandon the property.  Once an asset is abandoned in bankruptcy, it is released from the protection of the bankruptcy automatic stay.  At this point, the property may be sold, transferred, or used by the debtor or other parties of interest, such as the mortgage company.  Abandonment can be automatic if a Final Decree is issued on a case which officially closes a bankruptcy (this is after the discharge is issued.)  A final decree labels the property for abandonment because the case has been closed and the Trustee has issued a non-distribution of assets.

To better illustrate, lets take a look at a common example. A debtor surrenders a home in bankruptcy and must forfeit a piece of land that he was not able to protect with his exemptions.  The Trustee reviews the estate and decides to hire a real estate agent.  The real estate agent explains that due to the market’s condition, the land would take over a year to sell, but the house may sell in 6 months.  The Trustee decides to put both on the market for 6 months.  Debtor receives a discharge but not a Final Decree.  The time passes and the Trustee has not even received an offer on the land or house.  To cut his losses, he decides to file a Motion to Abandon on the land and notifies the creditors there are no assets to be disbursed.  The debtor receives a Final Decree a month later.  The house is considered abandoned by the receipt of the Final Decree and the land becomes the debtor’s once again.  The mortgage company sets up foreclosing proceedings on the home and months later, the home forecloses and the debtor’s name is removed from the deed.

The bottom line is, when a Trustee abandons property they are notifying the bankruptcy court, creditors and the bankruptcy debtors that they no longer have an interest in the property.

What Does “Bad Faith” Mean in Bankruptcy?

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Bankruptcy QuestionsAs it sounds, this is not a term you care to associate yourself with if you can help it.  Bad faith refers to certain actions and circumstances that cover fraudulent bankruptcy filings.  In 2005, the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act was legislated to define and outline situations associated with bad faith bankruptcy filing.

One of the roles of the bankruptcy court and bankruptcy Trustee is to protect creditors from debtors who are maliciously trying to defraud the system.  Most debtors are really struggling under the weight of their debt without much hope of ever breaking even, but unfortunately, there are people who are just trying to stall or manipulate creditors.  There are 5 situations in which a debtor is considered to act in bad faith.

First, if there is evidence that a debtor is trying to unfairly thwart a creditor’s efforts to collect on a debt, this is considered a bad faith filing.  For example, a client files bankruptcy in order to stall a foreclosure with no intention of ever completing the bankruptcy.  Bad faith is relevant when a client files bankruptcy to save a home, then does not make any of the required plan payments and is dismissed.  This of course can be a very fine line and cannot always be proved; especially if a client has a very tight budget and unforeseen circumstances arise.  Most Chapter 13 bankruptcy clients are in this position and have every intention of completing their bankruptcy.  This is why bankruptcy is a very involved process and should be taken seriously by all potential debtors.

Another bad faith filing revolves around a debtor filing a bankruptcy while already in an active one.  How does this happen?  Most commonly, a debtor is dismissed from a bankruptcy and files before they have received a Final Decree that officially releases them from the first bankruptcy.  Or, a Chapter 13 client cares to convert to a Chapter 7 bankruptcy and files a Chapter 7 while still in the Chapter 13 without permission from the court.  Or a debtor tries to file bankruptcy within the time limitations, such as with 8 years of previously filing a Chapter 7 bankruptcy or 4 years for a Chapter 13 bankruptcy.

The third example would be prevalent among the debtors who care to file pro se or without an attorney.  There are certain documents and motions that must be filed with the court.  Two very important documents are the financial management certification and the motion for discharge.  Don’t know what these are?  That is why an attorney comes in handy!  A bankruptcy case may be dismissed under bad faith if required documents are not filed or presented to the bankruptcy court or bankruptcy Trustee.

Fourth, if a debtor is continually filing and being dismissed from a Chapter 13 due to non-payment, the bankruptcy Trustee may reject the case due to bad faith.  If you are dismissed from a Chapter 13 you may turn around after the final decree and file again as long as the court has not placed some limitation on your ability to file again like dismissing your case with prejudice. The big question to determine bad faith is “why do you keep being dismissed?  And what is different about your situation from your previous filings?”  Usually, this is just a due diligence question, but it is very important.

Lastly, if you fail to make adequate protection payments, your bankruptcy is automatically noted as being filed in bad faith.  Adequate protection is rather loosely defined as the initial payments in a Chapter 13 bankruptcy.  On the other hand, in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, unprotected equity must be compensated to the Trustee in order for the debtor to keep the non-exempted asset.  If this adequate protection payment is not made to the Trustee in the mandated time frame, your case can be dismissed.

Be sure to avoid a situation in which your case may be dismissed for “bad faith.” Contact an experienced bankruptcy lawyer who can help you navigate the, often times, tricky path through bankruptcy.

Are My Tools Protected in A Bankruptcy?

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Due to the recession our economy has faced, many small business owners find themselves sitting in our office discussing the possibility of filing for bankruptcy.  Legitimately, one of their main questions is how to protect their assets. One of the major assets of most small business owners is their “tools”. Tools can range from hand tools of a construction worker to the painting supplies of a painter. So, can they take your tools?

Construction Worker Carrying Lumber With Tools

The answer is not simple; this is where an attorney can be helpful.  If you are a sole proprietor then the tools are seen as your personal property and protected as any other property you have.  By default, an business is a sole proprietorship if it is owned by one person and has not been incorporated in one way or another. An example of a sole proprietor is Joe Blow’s Lawn Care; one person owns the company, owns the tools, works for himself, and files a self employment tax (Schedule C) on his taxes.  The lawn mower, rakes, blower, hedgers, etc. all belong to Joe.  If he decided to no longer run the company next week, the only difference would be that the tools would move from his truck to the garage.  If Joe were to be sued, he would need to protect those tools as he would any other asset he has from seizure.

Now, if Joe had gone to the Secretary of State and registered his company, it’s a bit of a different story.  If that were the case, Joe Blow’s Lawn Care, LLC owns the tools.  They would be included in the balance sheet (what tells other people what your company is worth) as a business asset.  The lawn mower, rakes, blower, hedgers, etc all belong to Joe Blow’s Lawn Care, LLC. If he decided to no longer run the company next week, the company still holds the assets until it is closed down with the Secretary of State (then in most cases ownership reverts back to the owner of the company).  If Joe was to be sued and he was protecting his property, until he closed the company down, those tools belong to the company in which he owns, not him personally.

The bottom line is, you can protect your tools using the “tools of the trade” exemption in North Carolina. An experienced attorney would need to look at your unique situation to determine if using that exemption is proper or not. If you own a business, whether it is large or small, we strongly suggest that you discuss all of your assets and liabilities with your attorney.  Businesses can be a tricky subject, whether owned directly by you or an entity you own, and protecting your assets are important to your success in a bankruptcy.

What is A Collection Agency?

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When the original creditor goes unpaid for a significant amount of time, the debt goes into what is called “collections.”  Many of us have heard of these agencies but are somewhat confused as to what exactly constitutes a collection agency.  A collection agency is an outside organization helping original creditors to collect on unpaid debts. Both the original creditor and the collection agency only have one thing in mind and that is to get the money that’s owed from the Debtor.  An original creditor such as a hospital, understand that the longer the bill goes unpaid, the less likely it is that they will actually recover the debt.  This is why it is important to original creditors to send the debt into collections as soon as a significant amount of time has gone by.  This is truly the primary purpose of a collection agency which is to contact the Debtor with letters, phones calls, and other forms of communication in hopes of acquiring the debt.  Representatives of these agencies should immediately state their name and what creditor they are calling on behalf of.  If they do not, you have the right to ask where they are calling from and what debt they are trying to collect on.

Creditor & Collection Agency Phone Calls

There are at least three different types of collection agencies, all of those with the same goal, which is to recover the amount of money owed by the Debtor.  First party collection agencies are often representatives from the original creditor, therefore it is not considered an outside agency.  These first party agencies will try to collect on the debt for several months in hopes of maintaining a more constructive customer relationship, since they are working for the original creditor.  As previously mentioned, once a significant amount of time has gone by, the original creditor or first party agencies will eventually pass the debt along to a collection agency.

Third party agencies are those that are not representatives or associated with the original contract.  This is often where the term collection agency comes from, as these are representatives trying to collect on the debt for the original creditor.  The original creditor may assign specific accounts of various Debtors to the agencies.  It will most likely only cost the original creditor communication fees for the agencies to contact the Debtors, unless the debt is successfully recovered.  If the debt is recovered and the Debtor agrees to pay the balance, then it depends on the contract between the creditor and the collection agency.  The agreement between the two determines what percentage each will obtain.

The last type of collection agency can be referred to as a “Debt Buyer.”  These Debt Buyers basically purchase debts from original creditors for pennies on the dollar.  Their goal is to collect the full balance from the Debtor, which may include interest.  These debt buyers come in the form of regular companies or may be reorganized as law firms. They can try to collect the debt by reaching out to other collection agencies if necessary.  This is because the debt buyer has actually purchased the charged off or delinquent debt from the original creditor.   Unlike first party agencies, the debt buyers are not as concerned about the relationship they maintain with the Debtor. Therefore, they tend to be the ones who call at all ours of the day and night, use harassing techniques and are beyond rude on the phone.

Collection agencies are required to abide by the Fair Debt Collections Act, so be sure if you feel you are being harassed or abused by creditors in an unfair manner, you educate yourself on what you need to do or contact a bankruptcy lawyer to learn more about your rights. If you file a bankruptcy the the bankruptcy filing enacts the automatic stay which prevents form creditors and collection agencies form still trying to contact you.

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