Completing your Bankruptcy Form online

This page has information about how to complete the Bankruptcy Form once you’ve created your Online Services account.

You can complete a Bankruptcy Form online if you wish to apply for bankruptcy or if you’ve been made bankrupt by a creditor.

If you are applying for bankruptcy with someone else, you must each complete a Bankruptcy Form online from your own online accounts. At question 16, you must both confirm that you are applying jointly with someone else or as part of a partnership and provide each other’s names. Everyone must also submit their Bankruptcy Form on the same day

Do not use the online Bankruptcy Form if you have been made bankrupt by a court order (sequestration order). Please contact us at info@afsa.gov.au or on 1300 364 785 to request a copy of the Statement of Affairs form, or you can obtain a copy from your trustee.

Understanding the Bankruptcy Form

The Bankruptcy Form has the following sections that you must complete

• Prescribed information
• Personal details, employment and income
• Money you owe
• General personal assets, real estate, other financial assets and asset transfers
• Businesses, companies and trusts
• Legal actions
• Declaration about the information you have entered in the Bankruptcy Form

You must answer each question before you can submit your form. You can save your answers at any time and return later to complete it.

Application to suppress certain information from the NPII

If you believe your safety is at risk by publishing your address or other information on the National Personal Insolvency Index (NPII), you may apply to have your address or other information hidden.

To do this, on the bankruptcy form at question 6 – Home Address, you must select the “Yes” checkbox that your safety is likely to be at risk if your address and/or occupation is published on the National Personal Insolvency Index and you will need to provide a reason in the free text field for the suppression.

For more information on how to make a request see Can I hide my details that appear on the National Personal Insolvency Index?

Getting help to complete the Bankruptcy Form

If you need help with your bankruptcy application, you can talk to a financial counsellor, registered trustee or other service provider. You must disclose the name of the person/organisation that helped you and any fees you paid for that assistance at question 17 of the Bankruptcy Form.

Financial counsellors are available nation-wide and provide an independent, free and confidential service. To speak with a free financial counsellor contact the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007. For more information on financial counsellors and other support services see Where to find help. You must disclose the name of the person/organisation that helped you and any fees you paid for that assistance at question 17 of the Bankruptcy Form.

You can also contact us if you have any questions or issues completing the Bankruptcy Form.

Using a registered trustee

Registered trustees won’t be able to lodge a Bankruptcy application online on behalf of their client, however a registered trustee can continue sending us their client’s completed application form to registry@afsa.gov.au.

Future enhancements to AFSA’s online services may include provision for registered trustees to lodge a bankruptcy application online on behalf of their clients. AFSA will consult with registered trustees and professional bodies about this provision.

Uploading supporting documents

You must attach documents to support your bankruptcy application if any of the below circumstances apply to you:

• You have consent from a registered trustee to manage your bankruptcy. You must attach a signed copy of the Trustee Consent to Act Declaration.
• You have stated at question 6 that your safety is likely to be at risk if your address and/or occupation appears on the National Personal Insolvency Index and you wish to provide evidence to support your request.
• You currently do not reside in Australia and need to attach evidence of your connection to Australia. This may include:
  • travel itinerary showing travels to and from Australia
  • evidence of overseas employment
  • most recent Australian tax return.
• You are applying for bankruptcy as part of business partnership. You must attach documents relating to the financial affairs of the partnership such as:
  • profit and loss statements
  • balance sheet
  • taxation documents.

Do not attach any documents if the above circumstances do not apply to you.

If you receive an error uploading a document, see the below troubleshooting for help.

Check the status of your bankruptcy application

You can log in to your Online Services account at any time to check the status of your bankruptcy application.

Status options that you may see include: