In short
The filing fee is due when the petition is filed. Form 103A asks the court for permission to spread it out instead.
The applicant proposes up to four payments and their dates, with the whole fee paid no later than 120 days after filing. The court approves the application, changes the timetable, or denies it, on the order that makes up the form’s second page.
Who files it
An individual, under any chapter, who can’t pay the full filing fee at once. It’s optional.
What it asks
Part 1: Specify Your Proposed Payment Timetable
The chapter, and the amount and date of each proposed payment. The amounts have to add up to the full fee for that chapter.
Part 2: Sign Below
A signature under a statement of what the applicant understands: the whole fee comes before any further payment to an attorney or petition preparer for the case, debts aren’t discharged until the fee is paid, and a missed installment can get the case dismissed.
When it’s filed
With the petition.
Related forms
- Application to Have the Chapter 7 Filing Fee Waived (Official Form 103B)
- Voluntary Petition for Individuals Filing for Bankruptcy (Official Form 101)
The official form
Official Form 103A is 2 pages long and is used in Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 cases. This guide describes the 12/15 revision, the date printed beside the form’s title. The federal courts publish the form and replace it when it changes, so their page always has the current one.
BK Prepare’s questionnaire builds the list of forms for a case from your answers, and includes this one when it applies.