Who is eligible for the Chapter 7 filing fee waiver?

A debtor whose household income is less than 150% of the official poverty line and who cannot pay the fee in installments. 28 U.S.C. § 1930(f)(1). The court has discretion — eligibility based on income is necessary but not sufficient.

What if I make above 150% of the poverty line?

Above 150%, the income basis Form 103B asks about under 28 U.S.C. § 1930(f)(1) is not met. Form 103A (installments) is the other fee-relief form — up to 4 installments under FRBP 1006(b)(2), all due within 120 days of filing. Which form to file is your decision.

Can the waiver be denied even if my income is below the 150% figure?

Yes. The waiver is discretionary with the court. Denial grounds courts cite include (a) the debtor paid an attorney in connection with the case before filing the application (28 U.S.C. § 1930(f)(1)(B)) and (b) a generic statement of need. The application asks for a specific, fact-based statement of need; this wizard prompts for one.

What if the waiver is denied — can I still file?

Yes. Denying the waiver does not remove the petition — the case stays on file, and the fee question is resolved separately. The court’s order on the application states how the fee is to be handled; installment payment (the mechanism Form 103A covers) and a payment deadline are the common forms that order takes.

Is Chapter 13 eligible?

No. 28 U.S.C. § 1930(f)(1) authorizes a waiver only in a Chapter 7 case. Chapter 13 debtors can use Form 103A to ask to pay in installments.

Bankruptcy hubForm 103B — fee waiver

Below 150% of poverty? Ask to waive the $338 fee.

Under 28 U.S.C. § 1930(f)(1) the court can waive the Chapter 7 filing fee for a debtor whose household income is less than 150% of the official poverty line and who cannot pay the fee in installments. You can read through the wizard now; it produces the document once its rules are reviewed by a licensed attorney.

This tool cannot produce a document yet

The Filing-fee waiver (Form 103B) template is waiting for a licensed attorney to review its rule data. Until then SynthCounsel does not produce this document, so answering the questions will not give you one.

You can still read through the questions to see what it asks and what to gather.

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Waiver vs. installments

Form 103B waives the Chapter 7 filing fee entirely and is available when household income is less than 150% of the official poverty line and the fee cannot be paid in installments. Form 103A (installments) splits the fee into up to 4 payments and is not income-capped. Both are discretionary with the court. Which one to file is your decision.

Pro tip

The most persuasive Form 103B applications are specific: exact months unemployed, exact medical bills owed, exact rent due this Friday. Generic “I am poor and need a waiver” statements get denied. Treat the statement of need like a sworn declaration to a stranger.