One of my bankruptcy clients, Mr. White, was showing me a statement he had received from the Internal Revenue Service regarding the amount of taxes he owed. I had devised a plan for him to pay past due taxes through the bankruptcy court, but he was now concerned he was paying too much.

I really didn't want to examine the tax statement in detail, but he was so persistent, I had to look at it. He pointed out something he thought shouldn't be on there, and I agreed with him to a certain point. I told him the bankruptcy plan at present called for about $500 too much in payments. But I told him to go ahead now with his current payment plan, and we would change the plan when he got close to the end.

But he continued to want to challenge the tax statement. I was growing a bit exasperated, and finally I told him that changing the plan the way he wanted would show he didn't have any income in the years in questions. I pointed out there was a gross income of about $60,000 and deductions of about $40,000. That would leave him with net income of about $20,000. But he said he had only made about $2,000. I didn't think he was being completely forthcoming, and therefore I was feeling less inclined to help him.