Court Says Debtor Cannot Use 401k Loan Repayments As Means Test Expense

This week I read a decision from a south Florida bankruptcy court which dealt with a few issues I frequently see in my own bankruptcy practice. Many of my clients have borrowed money from their 401k to help pay their bills before bankruptcy.. The tell me they have to make a minimum amount of loan repayments each month to avoid having to declare the loan balance as a withdrawal subject to income tax. The clients state that their loan repayments are "required" and ask is the minimum monthly loan repayment is deductible as an expense in their means test.

The 401 k payments are not allowable bankruptcy expenses. This bankruptcy judge pointed out that most courts which have previously considered this issue have disallowed 401 k loan repayments as means test expenses. The court followed the majority of opinion and ruled that this debtor’s monthly loan repayments to his own 401 k plan is not permissible as an involuntary expense deduction for means test purposes.

The means test permits debtor to deduct on their means test the money they pay each month for transportation. The law provides for a standard transportation expense. The debtor deducts either the standard expense or proven actual expenses. What happens if a debtor owns a car free and clear? Should debtors with no car payments get the same deductions as other debtors with monthly car debt. This court reported that on this issue there is a heavily litigated split among different appellate courts and bankruptcy courts. Our appellate circuit, the 11^th Circuit, has not ruled on this issue. After reviewing arguments on either side of the issue this bankruptcy court held that the debtor with a car owned outright may deduct the applicable standard monthly allowance for vehicle ownership cost. The case is In re Michael Koch Case No. 08-29122 from the Souther District of Florida.