Do I need to file Schedule I and Schedule J both?

Yes. Schedule I (income) and Schedule J (expenses) are paired filings in every Chapter 7 voluntary petition. The trustee compares them — the difference is your monthly disposable income, which the trustee tests for abuse under § 707(b)(2)(A). File both with the same filing-date numbers.

What 6-month period should I average?

The 6 calendar months immediately preceding the month you file the petition. The means test uses the same period — keep the two consistent. Use gross wages from your paystubs, not bank deposits (deposits already reflect deductions).

Do I include my spouse's income if we are filing separately?

Schedule I asks for your spouse's income only on a joint petition. On a non-joint married case you do not list spouse income on Schedule I, but the means test (Form 122A-1) does require spouse's income for the household calculation. Line 11 of 122A-1 lets you back out the portion not paid for household expenses.

What if my income changes the month I file?

Schedule I asks for "current monthly income" at the moment of filing — not the 6-month average. If the most recent month is materially different, use the most recent month and disclose the change on Line 9 (anticipated increase or decrease).

Where do I get the official Form 106I?

The official PDF is on uscourts.gov/forms/individual-debtors. This wizard's output is text-equivalent and acceptable as a draft, but most pro-se filers fill the official PDF directly with the wizard's numbers. The means test (Form 122A-1) is the qualifier; Schedule I + Schedule J are the household-budget proof.

Bankruptcy hubSchedule I — Form 106I

Document every dollar of monthly income.

Schedule I is the income half of the Chapter 7 budget proof. Pair it with Schedule J (monthly expenses) and verify against the means test. Trustees scrutinize the gap.

1Caption
2Employment
3Wages & deductions
4Other income
5Future change
6Review

Debtor name (as on the petition) *

Bankruptcy case number (if assigned)

Federal district

Marital status *

Why the I+J pair matters

Trustees in every district treat Schedules I and J as a unit. If Schedule J’s monthly expenses exceed Schedule I’s take-home plus other income by more than petty rounding, the trustee will ask how. If the gap runs the other way (income materially exceeds expenses), the trustee will ask whether you can fund a Chapter 13 plan and whether the case is presumptively abusive under § 707(b)(2)(A).

Pro tip

Run the means test first. If you fail Form 122A-1 (above-median income), you may still pass Form 122A-2 by deducting allowed expenses. The numbers you use on the means test should match Schedule I exactly — different numbers across the same case is a trustee red flag.