Submission of Proof of Debt

Proof of debt is a prescribed document by which a creditor seeks to establish his/her claim against a bankrupt / a wound-up company. A proof of debt may be made by the creditor or by a person authorized by or on behalf of the creditor and having knowledge of the facts.

A creditor shall prove his/her debt as soon as possible after the making of a bankruptcy order / winding-up order by submitting a proof of debt together with the prescribed fee (see below) to the trustee / liquidator. Otherwise, the creditor may not be entitled to vote at the meeting of creditors or to receive a dividend.

For bankruptcy / winding-up cases in which the Official Receiver acts as the trustee / liquidator, creditors can use this online service to submit proof of debt to the Official Receiver by completing the proof of debt form, uploading documents to substantiate the debt, signing the proof of debt form by “iAM Smart” or recognized digital certificates, and settling the prescribed fee by credit cards or PPS online through the GovHK Portal.

Information /Documents Required

The following information / documents are required for completing a proof of debt:-

  1. Bankruptcy /Winding-up case no., case year and case name
  2. Bankruptcy / Winding-up order date
  3. Name of creditor
  4. Address and telephone no. of creditor
  5. Amount of claim as at the date of bankruptcy order / winding-up order (including amount of debt and uncapitalised interest) and supporting documents
  6. Particulars of how and when debt incurred
  7. Particulars of security held
  8. Position with or relation to creditors and means of knowledge of the matters declared (Applicable to a person authorized to act on the creditor’s behalf only)

File Formats Acceptable as Attachments

The following file formats are acceptable for uploading as attachments to the proof of debt submitted online:-

  1. Portable Document Format (.pdf)
  2. Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx)
  3. Microsoft Excel (.xls, .xlsx)
  4. Image (.jpeg, .png)

The total size of the files uploaded must not exceed 20MB and the number of files uploaded must not exceed 20.

Digital Signing

Registered users of “iAM Smart” could sign the proof of debt form online by the “iAM Smart” Mobile App following the on-screen instructions.

Digital certificates for personal and organization use recognized in Hong Kong are also accepted for digital signing of the proof of debt form. To sign the form, the user must upload the digital certificate and enter the password to proceed.

Prescribed Fee

Except for claims not exceeding the amount of HK$250 or employees’ claim for wages / salary, a prescribed fee of HK$35 must be paid upon filing of a proof of debt. Online payment by Credit Cards (including VISA, MasterCard, JCB and UnionPay), PPS or FPS are accepted.

After a proof of debt is submitted online through the GovHK Portal, it would be further processed by the Official Receiver’s Office according to the usual procedures. In case the online submission of the proof of debt is not accepted subsequently, the creditor or person making the submission will be notified but in any event, the fee paid will not be refunded.

Submission of Proof of Debt by Creditors in a Bankruptcy Case

Submission of Proof of Debt by Creditors in a Compuslory Winding-up Case

Frequently Asked Questions about Online Submission of Proof of Debt