Last Updated September 19, 2026
Debt-to-income (DTI) is a lender phrase. Mortgage underwriters care about it. The Bankruptcy Code does not. There is no official “if DTI is over X, you must file Chapter 13” rule.
The number can still help you see strain: minimum credit-card payments, a car, student loans, and a personal loan stacked against take-home-before-tax income. If the percentage is high and a creditor is already in court, look at Chapter 7, Chapter 13, and the income screening tool rather than treating DTI as the test.
Interactive tool
Data last verified: 2026-09-19. Calculation version 2026.09.1.
How the calculation works
Monthly debt payments ÷ gross monthly income. The result is a percentage rounded to one decimal place.
What this result does not tell you
It does not count groceries, rent (unless you entered rent as a debt), or medical bills you are not paying yet. It does not measure equity in a house. It is not the means test.
Relevant legal rules
No Bankruptcy Code section sets a universal DTI limit for eligibility. Ability to fund a Chapter 13 plan is a practical and confirmation question, not this ratio.
Example
$1,500 in monthly debt payments on $5,000 gross income is 30%. That is a snapshot, not a filing threshold.
What you may want to do next
If the ratio is high and collection has started, talk with a bankruptcy attorney. If you are only curious, the Knowledge Center’s debts pages explain what bankruptcy can and cannot reach.
How Brock & Stout can help
We look at the actual debts, not a single percentage, and explain Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 options that may be available. We cannot promise a particular result.
Related resources
- Debts bankruptcy may address — Debts bankruptcy may address
Credit cards, medical bills, taxes, and more.
- Chapter 7 — Chapter 7
Discharge without a repayment plan if the rest of the case fits.
- Means-test screening — Means-test screening
The income comparison bankruptcy actually uses.
FAQs
If you are measuring overall payment strain, yes. If you are trying to mimic a credit-card DTI some sites publish, they sometimes omit the mortgage. Say which number you want when you talk with us.
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.