Learn which debts you must pay back when you file for Chapter 13 bankruptcy.

To begin a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, you fill out a packet of forms -- mostly the same forms as you would use in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy -- listing your income, property, expenses, and debts. You must also file a certificate showing that you've completed credit counseling with an agency approved by the United States Trustee (go to http://www.usdoj.gov/ust, then click "Credit Counseling and Debtor Education" for a list of approved agencies), your tax return for the previous year, and proof that you've filed your tax returns for the last four years.

You file these forms and paperwork with a nearby bankruptcy court. At the time you file these papers, you must also file a workable plan proposing how you plan to handle your debts over the plan period.

Under the Chapter 13 plan, you make payments, usually monthly, to the bankruptcy trustee, an official appointed by the bankruptcy court to oversee your case. The trustee in turn pays your creditors and collects a statutory commission based on the amounts paid out under your plan. You must make every payment, on time.

How Much You'll Have to Pay

Some creditors are entitled to receive 100% of what you owe them, while others may receive a much smaller percentage (or nothing at all). Typically, Chapter 13 bankruptcy plans must provide that:

Administrative claims will be paid 100%. These include:

• your filing fee ($274)
• the trustee's commission (3% to 10% of each monthly payment), and
• attorney's fees, if you hire an attorney for help with your Chapter 13 bankruptcy.

Priority debts will be paid 100%. These include:

• back alimony and child support
• most tax debts (including state and federal income taxes)
• wages, salaries, or commissions you owe to employees, and
• contributions you owe to an employee benefit fund.