This tool walks through a few sorting questions and points you to the relief path that usually fits your situation. It is general orientation, not professional advice. Always confirm with a state-licensed attorney or qualified financial advisor before acting.
1. Roughly how much business debt do you carry?
Include all business loans, credit cards, MCAs, equipment financing, and tax debt — but not your mortgage.
Step 1 of 5
How this tool works
The assessment combines a few common decision points used in general business-debt education:
- Cash flow vs. payments: if you can still cover payments, refinancing or restructuring usually beats walking away from contracts. If you can't, settlement or bankruptcy moves higher on the list.
- Default status: creditors who already have a judgment have leverage that earlier-stage creditors don't. Some paths (like easy refinancing) effectively close once a judgment is filed.
- Personal guarantees: business bankruptcy doesn't discharge a personal guarantee. If most of your debt is personally guaranteed, personal Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 may matter more than the business filing.
- Dominant debt type: MCAs, payroll-tax debt, and secured equipment loans behave very differently. The recommended path adapts to which one is largest.
This is general orientation, not advice for your specific case. Confirm with a qualified bankruptcy attorney or CPA before you take any action that affects your contracts, your assets, or your taxes. See the disclaimer.
Last reviewed on 2026-04-27.