The Chapter 7 means test in Virginia is a formula used to determine whether a debtor's income is high enough to make them ineligible to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. If your income is below the median for your family size and state, you will automatically pass the means test. If your income is above the median, you will need to complete the means test calculation to see if you have enough disposable income to pay back your creditors in a Chapter 13 bankruptcy plan.

Here are the steps involved in the Chapter 7 means test in Virginia:
Determine your median income. The median income for your family size and state is published by the United States Trustee Program. You can find the median income for Virginia on the USTP website.
Calculate your current monthly income. This includes your gross income from all sources, such as wages, salary, self-employment income, and Social Security benefits.

Calculate your allowable expenses. Allowable expenses are the expenses that you are permitted to deduct from your income under the means test. The allowable expenses in Virginia include:

Housing costs, such as rent or mortgage payments, property taxes, and homeowner's insurance
Utilities, such as electricity, gas, water, and garbage collection
Food and clothing
Transportation costs, such as car payments, gasoline, and public transportation fares
Health insurance premiums
Child support and alimony payments
Mandatory retirement contributions
Certain taxes, such as income taxes and property taxes
Subtract your allowable expenses from your current monthly income. This will give you your disposable income.

Compare your disposable income to the applicable presumption amount. The presumption amount is a set amount of money that is presumed to be sufficient to pay back your creditors in a Chapter 13 bankruptcy plan. The presumption amount for Virginia is $7,475 per month.

If your disposable income is less than the presumption amount, you pass the means test. This means that you are presumed to be unable to afford to repay your debts in a Chapter 13 bankruptcy plan and you are eligible to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

If your disposable income is equal to or greater than the presumption amount, you fail the means test. This means that you are not presumed to be unable to afford to repay your debts in a Chapter 13 bankruptcy plan. However, you may still be able to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy if you can pass the presumption rebuttable test.