what to put on schedule j if I have no car payment

[doingpoorly]

Ok, so I have a $600 suv payment that I don't really want to keep and the TT may think is a luxury, so I may just need to let it go. I may not be able to keep up payments until filing anyway and then I have a $200 car lease payment that will end the day I plan to file. This will leave me without a car until I purchase one after the 341 or discharge. I can't purchase it now as the exemptions in Fl are only $1000 and I need a tad bit better car than that. I will borrow until I get one, but the problem is I wanted to have the payment and expenses to put on the schedule J so that it won't look like I have disposable income. After all I will have vehicle expenses after discharge, but they don't allow you to claim things that will happen in the future. If I have no car and gas expenses what can I put down for transportation expenses? I will have to take public transit, taxis, borrow cars and put gas in them. How do I account for this on my expenses schedule?

[justbroke]

If you look at the allowances, there is a $163 monthly allowance (South Region, may be different in other Regions), for public transportation.

[doingpoorly]

If you look at the allowances, there is a $163 monthly allowance (South Region, may be different in other Regions), for public transportation.

Where can I find that and is it per person? We are a married couple filing jointly.
thanks

[justbroke]

http://www.usdoj.gov/ust/eo/bapcpa/meanstesting.htm

Look under Local Transportation Expense Standards for your Region.

[doingpoorly]

http://www.usdoj.gov/ust/eo/bapcpa/meanstesting.htm

Look under Local Transportation Expense Standards for your Region.

Found that info before I asked the question but, it was $173 for the South Region and that is for the means test. I didn't know if you can use the same amounts from the means test on the schedule J. I have seem some posts where people can't use the amounts used on a means test form 22a on a current expense schedule J.

Do you know where I can find out if it is per person or if it is the same amount even if there are two people that need to get around. That wouldn't be very fair if one person got the same as two people. That would mean I will have to ride the train on hubby's lap so we can just buy one ticket. LOL

[justbroke]

As for using the amount on Schedule J, you use what your actual expense in, for that category on Schedule J. The "allowances" that you look at are guidelines (and limits when you're dealing with the IRS) for what is an upper limit on what the expense category is.

In other words, you put what you spend, on Schedule J. I showed you the guideline, just to make sure you know that getting close to and/or exceeding it, will cause the Trustee to gripe.

As for doubling, I don't know, but I would suspect that if you are joint debtors (both on the petition), then yes, you could double it.

[doingpoorly]

As for using the amount on Schedule J, you use what your actual expense in, for that category on Schedule J. The "allowances" that you look at are guidelines (and limits when you're dealing with the IRS) for what is an upper limit on what the expense category is.

In other words, you put what you spend, on Schedule J. I showed you the guideline, just to make sure you know that getting close to and/or exceeding it, will cause the Trustee to gripe.

As for doubling, I don't know, but I would suspect that if you are joint debtors (both on the petition), then yes, you could double it.

thanks bunches...I will be very curious to see if the attorney says I can double it or not.
Now the problem will be figuring out what my public transportation costs will be since the day I file will be the last day for my car lease. I know how much the lease is but since I will have had a car up until then I won't know how much I will be spending for public transportation and won't have any receipts to document my expense.......now that I am writing this out, it seems to me that I should be able to use the lease payment in my expenses because that is what I had at the moment I will be doing the schedules. They shouldn't make me predict the future. LOL