Tax returns and Social Security

[idamike]

Hello, my name is Mike and I live in Southern California. I've been browsing the forum for a few months and finally decided to file Chapter 7 hopefully within the next 6 months. I've learned a lot just from reading but still have a lot of questions.

The following question however is not for me, but for a neighbor who currently does not have internet access. She has also decided to file, her only income is from Social Security benefits. Shes been retired for about 5 years and has not been required to file a tax return. Will this present a problem?

She actually tried filing this year using TurboTax but was told she could not e-file because none of her income is taxable, and Adjusted Gross Income shows $0. Should she still file a paper form? Will the trustee still require Tax returns from someone who only receives a check from Social Security? Thanks in advance.

[despritfreya]

If your neighbor is not legally required to file tax returns then her not filing them is not a problem. She just needs to let the Trustee know that she's not required to file. If her only income is SS I am sure the Trustee will understand.

Des.

[idamike]

Thanks for your quick reply. I'll pass this information along to my neighbor, she'll really appreciated it.

[justbroke]

In some Districts, they have a "local" form which is an affidavit certifying that no tax was due and no tax return was filed. The person may also consider typing up a sworn affidavit and signing it in front of a notary and submitting that to the Trustee.

[idamike]

Thanks. She also gets her SS check directly deposited into her bank account. Her bank statements would show this as her only source of income, I'm guessing this would also help.