Will I Still Get My Tax Refund If I File For Chapter 7?
March 15th, 2010
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In cases where you may be expecting a tax refund, that revenue could quite possibly be converted into property belonging to the bankruptcy estate. On the other hand, there are many ways to shield a person’s refund if you are anticipating one.
Firstly, money which the federal government owes you for one’s tax refund may perhaps be claimed as exempt property. Illinois has opted out of the national bankruptcy exemptions and makes use of as an alternative its own exemptions. The Illinois law allows a “wildcard” exemption of up to $4,000 total for any personal assets apart from wages. In cases where you lack any other personal property that you really may prefer to claim as exempt, or perhaps in the event that that property’s true worth is actually below $4,000, your refund could possibly be exempted according to the “wildcard” exemption.
Secondly, one may apply the repayment toward next year’s taxes. When you file your return, one might opt to use tax overpayments to your tax liability for the year after. In case you make this particular selection, you can not change your mind – it is deemed an irrevocable election. Because you aren’t able to revoke the election to use your reimbursement towards the next year’s taxes, then you don’t possess any kind of right to a refund. Because you would no longer receive a right to a refund, there is absolutely no property interest to end up as a part of the bankruptcy estate.
You can even keep the refund from becoming property connected with the bankruptcy estate by waiting to file until after you receive your refund. After you have received your tax refund, you likely will be able to spend this money on your attorney’s fees or consumable necessities. These are legitimate purchases to devote your tax refund money to.
It’s significant to note that tax credits could be kept out of the bankruptcy estate for various good reasons as well. One argument is that the right to a tax credit cannot be determined before the end of the tax year. If your right to a credit has not established, there isn’t any interest in the credit that could become the property of the bankruptcy estate. Assuming you have not filed your tax return yet, an argument might be made that there is no interest in the credit as well. Furthermore, the earned income tax credit could very well be eligible for exemption as a public assistance benefit.
Chicago bankruptcy attorney John Kunes is on a mission to be the bankruptcy lawyer Chicago can depend on. Find answers to all of your questions about bankruptcy in Chicago at John’s bankruptcy blog, ChicagolandBankruptcyHelp.com.
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