Tampa Bankruptcy Court Decision Relating To Tax Refunds

A Bankruptcy Judge in Tampa delivered an important decision regarding tax refunds in Bankruptcy. On July 20, 2022, Bankruptcy Judge CJ Delano rendered a decision regarding whether a debtor may retain a portion of a tax refund received in the amount of $5,500. The debtor claimed $3,750 of such refund as exempt. The debtor’s argument was that portion of the refund should be exempt because it represented monies that the debtor withheld from his social security benefits. Social security benefits are exempt from levy, attachment, Read More +

Tax Refunds In Bankruptcy

The treatment of tax refunds is a popular issue in bankruptcy.  Income tax refunds are commonly considered to be part of the bankruptcy estate.  Therefore, if a debtor files Chapter 7 bankruptcy, the trustee may attempt to seize all or a portion of the debtor’s tax refund.  In a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, the trustee may seek to have the debtor turn over all or a portion of the debtor’s tax refund, to be applied towards the funding of the Chapter 13 plan. However, a tax Read More +