Monday, May 23, 2016

Bankruptcy in Darwin - Will my income be altered if I go bankrupt?


Bankruptcy Darwin is a intricate process, and you have to be sure you get the right insight. And when it comes to your income being affected, the answer to the question is maybe. The very first thing you need to know about going bankrupt is there is no limit on how much you can earn. However, I will point out that your income is a considerable consideration when working through when it comes to Bankruptcy.

The very first thing you need to learn about this area of Bankruptcy is just how much you can earn before you start paying back money to your creditors via your trustee (see table below).

Net income is the pre-tax/ in the hand quantity you earn per year. A dependant is someone who lives with you and earns less than $3,124 per year (regardless of their age).

You can request a hardship variation that raises the threshold amount, if you have costs in Darwin such as medical, child care, substantial travel to and from your job, or a scenario where your partner used to work but is not able to support the household income.

Some of the interesting parts of Bankruptcy is that your employer will not be notified when you file for bankruptcy. Also, Child support is always looked at in bankruptcy, if you receive child support that is not factored in as income. If you pay child support this will be also thought about, for example if you provide $5,000 child support each year and you have no dependents living with you then your revised net income limit will be $55,332.10.

There are much more issues surrounding income and what is or isn't thought of as income - if you're uncertain, it's a good idea to get professional advice. The reason you need to consider your income as a part of the Big 5 questions here is that bankruptcy is in some instances not an economically sensible option.

If one of your creditors is the ATO (for unpaid taxes), then your tax refund will likely be taken by the ATO while you are bankrupt to add toward your tax bill. If you don't have a tax bill then you will keep your tax refund provided that doesn't take you over your threshold income restrictions.

If you believe that when it comes to Bankruptcy, your situation is more challenging, then please get specialist advice in Darwin. I may sound like a broken record, but bear in mind that it's always a smart idea to work through these options prior to declaring bankruptcy, due to the fact that once you have filed the paperwork it's too late to change your mind.


If you intend to learn more about what to do, where to turn and what questions to ask about Bankruptcy, then feel free to contact Bankruptcy Experts Darwin on 1300 795 575, or check out our website: bankruptcyexpertsDarwin.com.au.

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Bankruptcy in Darwin - Choices, Choice, Choices



When it comes down to Bankruptcy Darwin, there are a bunch of choices that we get given depending on who we are, who we approach, and exactly what has happened. The most common trouble I see with Bankruptcy is when it comes to choosing between Debt Consolidation, Personal Insolvency Agreements, and Bankruptcy itself.

Should I consolidate my debts?

When it comes to Bankruptcy in Darwin, most of the information and facts you receive on this matter will reflect the interests of the advice giver. That is why, if you call a debt consolidation company, I can promise you they will tell you to consolidate your debts. The debt consolidation business is a multi-billion dollar industry making money in one very straightforward way: charging you a fee for assisting you wrap all of your credit card and personal loans into just one neat and tidy package.

I hate to tell you this but these people aren't doing it for free. Please do not misunderstand me: if you consider your financial issues in Darwin might be solved by paying less interest, then go on and check out the choices. Even a tiny amount of interest saved over years easily adds up.

Typically I find if you are reading this blog you've most likely attempted to consolidate your debts already and come to the following realisations like these:

  • Your credit rating is not good, and your credit file definitely has nonpayments on it so nobody will offer you a loan, consolidated or otherwise,.
  • By the time you work all of it out, you're so far down a hole that saving on a small amount of interest simply won't make a great deal of difference,.
  • You've most probably reached the point where you've had more than enough, you're emotionally worn down, you can't go on another day ignoring blocked calls on your phone, ignoring the demands in the mail and so on.


Personal Insolvency Agreements

So when it relates to Bankruptcy in Darwin, what's the huge difference between a Debt Agreement and a Personal Insolvency Agreement?

Adaptability is the main point Personal Insolvency Agreements (PIA) have in their favour. They're also administered by a registered and - might I add - regulated trustee featuring the government trustee ITSA, and not a private firm that advertises on TV. Ultimately this process resembles Debt Agreements (DA): The trustee has a meeting with the people you owe money to and these guys negotiate a deal on your behalf. You can offer a lump sum settlement figure or take part in a payment plan, or you can offer them assets as an alternative to cash. This might sound fine when it comes to the problems with Bankruptcy - that is until you discover that one of the challenges with PIA's is that 75 % of the people you owe money to need to come to an understanding the deal. If they do not, your plan is rejected or has to be renegotiated.

Generally people you owe money prefer all their money back in addition to interest. Sometimes they'll settle for under the amount you owe them - it's generally a percentage of the debt - but allow me to stress this part: because of all the variables involved in the negotiation process to put together a PIA its difficult to put a figure on what the people you owe money to will actually settle for.

In most cases you'll have to pay back 100 % of the debt owed. This is not just because your creditors are greedy or have a mean streak, it's because the administrators take 20 % of whatever is decideded upon with the people you owe money to. That applies whether you use a private company for this process or ITSA, the government body setup to administer to these PIAs.

When it comes to Bankruptcy and insolvency I've come across creditors choosing less 80 % on rare occasions, but that usually only occurs with a public company going into receivership owing huge sums of money (the kind that makes the news). If you are were owed $10million and you know the people who owe you the money have a team of smart lawyers and some very clever frameworks in place and they offer 5 % of the debt, you might take it and be grateful. Sadly, ordinary punters like you and me in Darwin aren't going to get that lucky!

If you want to find out more about what to do, where to turn and what questions to ask about Bankruptcy, then feel free to contact Bankruptcy Experts Darwin on 1300 795 575, or visit our website:bankruptcyexpertsDarwin.com.au.