Title 11BankruptcyRelease 119-73

§1116 Duties of trustee or debtor in possession in small business cases

Title 11 › Chapter CHAPTER 11— - REORGANIZATION › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - OFFICERS AND ADMINISTRATION › § 1116

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Require the trustee or the person running a small business bankruptcy case to provide papers, go to court and trustee meetings, file reports, keep insurance, pay certain taxes, and let the U.S. trustee inspect the business. They must attach to a voluntary petition — or, in an involuntary case, file within 7 days after the court’s order that starts the case — their latest balance sheet, profit-and-loss and cash-flow statements, and federal income tax return, or a sworn statement saying none exist. Senior managers and lawyers must attend court or U.S. trustee meetings unless the court excuses them for very unusual reasons. They must file required schedules and financial statements on time (any court extension cannot go past 30 days after the court’s order except for very unusual reasons), file post-filing reports the rules require, keep normal industry insurance as allowed by section 363(c)(2), timely file tax and government returns and pay taxes that have administrative priority unless those taxes are being properly challenged and actively defended, and allow the U.S. trustee to inspect the business, books, and records with reasonable written notice unless notice is waived.

Full Legal Text

Title 11, §1116

Bankruptcy — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

In a small business case, a trustee or the debtor in possession, in addition to the duties provided in this title and as otherwise required by law, shall—
(1)append to the voluntary petition or, in an involuntary case, file not later than 7 days after the date of the order for relief—
(A)its most recent balance sheet, statement of operations, cash-flow statement, and Federal income tax return; or
(B)a statement made under penalty of perjury that no balance sheet, statement of operations, or cash-flow statement has been prepared and no Federal tax return has been filed;
(2)attend, through its senior management personnel and counsel, meetings scheduled by the court or the United States trustee, including initial debtor interviews, scheduling conferences, and meetings of creditors convened under section 341 unless the court, after notice and a hearing, waives that requirement upon a finding of extraordinary and compelling circumstances;
(3)timely file all schedules and statements of financial affairs, unless the court, after notice and a hearing, grants an extension, which shall not extend such time period to a date later than 30 days after the date of the order for relief, absent extraordinary and compelling circumstances;
(4)file all postpetition financial and other reports required by the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure or by local rule of the district court;
(5)subject to section 363(c)(2), maintain insurance customary and appropriate to the industry;
(6)(A)timely file tax returns and other required government filings; and
(B)subject to section 363(c)(2), timely pay all taxes entitled to administrative expense priority except those being contested by appropriate proceedings being diligently prosecuted; and
(7)allow the United States trustee, or a designated representative of the United States trustee, to inspect the debtor’s business premises, books, and records at reasonable times, after reasonable prior written notice, unless notice is waived by the debtor.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, referred to in par. (4), are set out in the Appendix to this title.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective 180 days after Apr. 20, 2005, and not applicable with respect to cases commenced under this title before such

Effective Date

, except as otherwise provided, see section 1501 of Pub. L. 109–8, set out as an

Effective Date

of 2005 Amendment note under section 101 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

11 U.S.C. § 1116

Title 11Bankruptcy

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73