Last Updated September 19, 2026
The Chapter 7 means test starts with a simple comparison. Take about six months of household income, annualize it, and set it next to the Census median for your state and household size. Those medians live on the U.S. Trustee Program means-testing site and change during the year. This tool uses the table for cases filed on or after July 15, 2026.
If you are under the line, consumer Chapter 7 usually does not start with a presumption that the filing is abusive. If you are over the line, a second form looks at allowed expenses. Either way, assets, debts, recent transfers, and prior cases still matter. Read the means test guide for the legal structure. Use this page only for the income comparison.
Interactive tool
Data last verified: 2026-09-19. Calculation version 2026.09.1.
How the calculation works
Enter the state whose median applies, household size, and total household income for the last six months (or a typical month times six). The tool doubles that six-month total to annualize it, then compares the result with the official median. It does not complete Official Form 122A-2 and does not decide who counts in the household.
What this result does not tell you
It does not say you qualify for Chapter 7. It does not say you cannot file Chapter 7. It does not apply IRS expense standards, secured-debt payments, or special-circumstances arguments. Social Security and some other benefits can be treated differently on the official form — tell a lawyer about every source. Business-debt cases can fall outside this consumer screen.
Relevant legal rules
11 U.S.C. § 707(b) is the consumer abuse provision. Current monthly income is defined in the Code and implemented on Forms 122A-1 and 122A-2. Chapter 13 uses related forms for plan length. Figures match the filing date, not the day you ran a calculator.
Example
A household of one in Alabama with $30,000 over the last six months annualizes to $60,000. The current Alabama median for one person is higher than that, so the screen would show below median. That still is not a filing recommendation.
What you may want to do next
If a garnishment, foreclosure, or lawsuit is already underway, call. If you are comparing options, gather six months of paystubs and a list of who lives in the household. Then request a free consultation.
How Brock & Stout can help
Brock & Stout’s bankruptcy attorneys complete the official forms with the table that matches your expected filing date. We look at property and prior cases in the same meeting. Call or request a free consultation. We cannot promise Chapter 7 eligibility.
Related resources
- What is the means test? — What is the means test?
How the official forms work, without reprinting a stale median on every paragraph.
- Chapter 7 bankruptcy — Chapter 7 bankruptcy
Discharge of qualifying unsecured debt.
- Chapter 13 bankruptcy — Chapter 13 bankruptcy
A repayment plan that may catch up a house or car.
- Chapter 7 vs Chapter 13 tool — Chapter 7 vs Chapter 13 tool
An educational comparison based on what you are trying to protect.
FAQs
The U.S. Trustee Program republishes Census Bureau median family income for Official Forms 122A-1 and 122C-1. We transcribed the table for cases filed on or after July 15, 2026. When that table is replaced, this tool has to be updated. The USTP site is always the authority.
It usually means the presumption of abuse does not arise from the income comparison. Trustees and the court can still look at the rest of the case. Passing a screen on this website is not a discharge.
No. The second form deducts allowed expenses. Some people still file Chapter 7. Others file Chapter 13 because they need to catch up a house or car. See the [Chapter 7 vs Chapter 13 comparison](/tools/chapter-7-vs-chapter-13).
Not sure which option fits your situation?
We can review your debts, income, assets, and goals with you. A screening result is not a filing recommendation.