What qualifies as a financial hardship?

Asked by: Abigail Dibbert  |  Last update: August 19, 2025
Score: 4.4/5 (26 votes)

The IRS may agree that you have a financial hardship (economic hardship) if you can show that you cannot pay or can barely pay your basic living expenses.

What is a qualifying financial hardship?

Income and necessary living expenses: The IRS compares your income against allowable living expenses, which include housing, utilities, food, clothing, transportation and healthcare. If your income barely covers or falls short of these basic expenses, you may qualify for hardship status.

What proof do you need for financial hardship?

bank notice, for example, overdraft call or mortgaged property repossession. overdue medical bills. letter from a doctor verifying the inability to earn an income due to illness or caring for a sick family member.

What is an example of financial hardships?

Financial hardship is a situation where a person cannot keep up with debt payments and bills because of unforeseen or unexpected circumstances. Examples of unforeseen or unexpected circumstances include: Changes in employment status (such as furlough, losing a job, or having hours reduced)

How do you prove you are in financial hardship?

Depending on your situation, you might submit documents such as an unemployment notice, medical bills, military orders or a divorce decree. It's also helpful to provide verification of all sources of income (paystubs, W-2s and 1099s) as well as account statements to show your current financial status.

Experiencing a FINANCIAL HARDSHIP? This is what you need to hear...

21 related questions found

Do you have to show proof of hardship?

As part of your request, you must show proof that you do not have the financial means to pay your fine. You may ask the court to consider your ability to pay at any point in the process, but you must enter a plea of guilty or no contest before the court can give you an answer.

How do I claim financial hardship?

Financial hardship
  1. Ask your lender for financial hardship assistance.
  2. Explain your situation.
  3. Consider financial hardship options.
  4. Make your financial hardship arrangement.
  5. Get more help if you need it.
  6. Up next in Managing debt.

What counts as financial difficulty?

There are often two main reasons for financial hardship : 1. You could afford the loan when it was obtained but a change of circumstances has meant you can no longer afford the repayments; or 2. You could not afford to repay the loan when it was obtained. If this is the case, get legal advice immediately.

What not to put in a hardship letter?

When you write the hardship letter, don't include anything that would hurt your situation. Here are some examples of things you shouldn't say in the letter: Don't say that your situation is your lender's fault or that their employees are jerks. Don't state that things will likely turn around for you.

How to get through financial hardship?

How to Prepare for and Survive Financial Hardship
  1. Build an emergency fund. ...
  2. Include savings in your spending plan. ...
  3. Maintain health care coverage. ...
  4. Use credit wisely. ...
  5. Act quickly to reduce spending. ...
  6. Assess your short-term situation. ...
  7. Ask about dislocated worker services. ...
  8. Look into unemployment insurance.

How do you get approved for a hardship?

How to get a hardship loan with bad credit
  1. Add a second person to your loan. Some lenders offer joint loans. ...
  2. Offer collateral. Offering collateral and getting a secured loan is another way you might be able to grease the lender's wheels. ...
  3. Ask for a small loan with a short loan term.

What counts as financial proof?

bank statements – these can be paper or electronic downloads. building society passbooks. certificates of deposit. letters from your bank or building society.

What to do if I can't pay my debt?

If you can't pay the full amount that you owe, even over time, you can talk about that with a debt recovery analyst. Call 888-826-3127. You may be eligible for a compromise agreement or other relief. With a compromise agreement, you satisfy your debt by paying less than the full amount of the debt.

What does the IRS consider a financial hardship?

Generally speaking, IRS hardship rules require: An annual income less than $84,000 per year. Little or no funds left over after paying for basic living expenses. Basic living expenses fall within the IRS guidelines.

How can I get money if I'm struggling?

Facing financial hardship
  1. Food assistance. ...
  2. Unemployment benefits. ...
  3. Welfare benefits or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) ...
  4. Emergency housing assistance. ...
  5. Rental assistance. ...
  6. Help with utility bills. ...
  7. Government home repair assistance programs.

What is the hardship rule?

For a distribution from a 401(k) plan to be on account of hardship, it must be made on account of an immediate and heavy financial need of the employee and the amount must be necessary to satisfy the financial need. The need of the employee includes the need of the employee's spouse or dependent. ( Reg.

What is proof of financial hardship?

Acceptable Documentation

Lost Employment. • Unemployment Compensation Statement. (Note: this satisfies the proof of income requirement as well.) • Termination/Furlough letter from Employer. • Pay stub from previous employer with.

What is considered a hardship reason?

In general, you may be considered to have an immediate financial need for any of the following reasons: Medical expenses. Purchase of a principal residence. Expenses for certain repairs due to damage to your home. Post-secondary education costs.

How do you prove undue hardship?

Factors relevant to undue hardship under Title VII include:
  1. The type of workplace.
  2. The nature of the employee's duties.
  3. The identifiable cost of the accommodation in relation to the size and operating costs of the employer.
  4. The number of employees who will need a particular accommodation.

How do you qualify for hardship relief?

Qualification Requirements For IRS Hardship Relief

To be eligible for the IRS Hardship Program, taxpayers must demonstrate that they are facing significant financial hardship and are unable to pay their tax debts. Taxpayers must provide documentation and evidence supporting their financial situation.

How to prove financial difficulty?

5 Tests for financial difficulty
  1. Overdue payments. The client has received a Statutory Demand or County Court Judgement. ...
  2. Wages day is a crisis day. ...
  3. Balance sheet test. ...
  4. Maximum borrowing. ...
  5. A lack of management information.

What is an example of a good hardship letter?

Dear Harry Jones: I am writing this letter to request assistance with my personal loan during a time of financial hardship. Approximately two weeks ago, I was let go from my job due to company-wide layoffs. As a result, I have been unable to continue making regular payments on my loan.

What do you need to qualify for a hardship?

Who is eligible to take a hardship withdrawal? To be eligible for a hardship withdrawal, you must have an immediate and heavy financial need that cannot be fulfilled by any other reasonably available assets.

Do you have to pay back hardship money?

A hardship distribution is a withdrawal from a participant's elective deferral account made because of an immediate and heavy financial need, and limited to the amount necessary to satisfy that financial need. The money is taxed to the participant and is not paid back to the borrower's account.

What are the examples of extreme hardship?

These factors include: economic disadvantage, loss of current employment, inability to maintain one's present standard of living, inability to pursue a chosen profession, separation from family members, severing community ties, cultural readjustment after living in the United States for many years, cultural adjustment ...