Form 16A

(Added Aug. 1, 1991; amended Mar. 14, 1995; Dec. 1, 2003; Oct. 17, 2005; Dec. 1, 2007.)

Notes of Advisory Committee on Rules—1991

This form has been transferred from former Official Form No. 1, which included the form of caption for the case. Rule 9004(b) requires a caption to set forth the title of the case. Rule 1005 provides that the title of the case shall include the debtor's name, all other names used by the debtor within six years before the commencement of the case, and the debtor's social security and tax identification numbers. This form of caption is prescribed for use on the petition, the notice of the meeting of creditors, the order of discharge, and the documents relating to a chapter 11 plan, (Official Forms 1, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 18). See Rule 2002(m). In the petition (Official Form 1), and the notice of the meeting of creditors, (Official Form 9), the information required by Rule 1005 appears in a block format. A notation of the chapter of the Bankruptcy Code under which the case is proceeding has been added to the form.

Notes of Advisory Committee on Rules—1995 Amendment

The form is amended to provide for the debtor's address to appear in the caption in furtherance of the duty of the debtor to include this information on every notice given by the debtor. The Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1994 amended section 342 of the Code to add this requirement.

Committee Notes on Rules—2003 Amendment

The form is amended to require disclosure of only the last four digits of the debtor's social security number to afford greater privacy to the individual debtor, whose bankruptcy case records may be available over the Internet.

Committee Notes on Rules—2005 Amendment

The form is amended to require that the title of the case include all names used by the debtor within the last eight years in conformity with §727(a)(8) as amended by the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005, Pub. L. No. 109–8, 119 Stat. 23 (April 20, 2005), extending from six years to eight years the period during which a debtor is barred from receiving successive discharges.

Committee Notes on Rules—2005–2007 Amendment

[The 2005–2007 Committee Note incorporates the Committee Note previously published in 2005.]

The form is amended to require that the title of the case include all names used by the debtor within the last eight years in conformity with §727(a)(8) as amended by the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005, Pub. L. No. 109–8, 119 Stat. 23 (April 20, 2005), extending from six years to eight years the period during which a debtor is barred from receiving successive discharges. In conformity with Rule 9037, the filer is directed to provide only the last four digits of any individual debtor's taxpayer-identification number.