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INSTRUCTIONS FOR FEC FORM 8

 Federal Election Commission (Revised 01/2018)

Political committees that settle their 

debts for less than the full value are 

required to file a debt settlement plan 

for Commission review. Only terminating committees are eligible to file 

debt settlement plans. A terminating 

committee is one that is winding down 

its political activities in preparation of 

filing a termination report and would 

be able to terminate except that it has 

outstanding debts and obligations. A 

political committee will be considered 

to be winding down its political activities if it has ceased to make or accept 

contributions and expenditures, other 

than contributions accepted for debt 

retirement purposes and expenditures 

representing payments of debts or 

obligations previously incurred or 

payments for the costs associated with 

the termination of political activity. 11 

CFR 116.1(a).

Every terminating committee that 

settles a debt for less than full value 

shall file at least one debt settlement 

plan for the Commission to review, 

prior to filing its termination report. 

The plan should be filed after the creditors have agreed to the settlement. 

Payments should not be made until 

completion of Commission review.

Debts and obligations subject to 

debt settlement and Commission 

review include amounts owed to commercial vendors, debts arising from 

advances by committee staff and other 

individuals, salary owed to committee 

employees and debts arising from 

loans from political committees or 

individuals, including candidates, to 

the extent permitted under 11 CFR 

Part 110. For purposes of this form, 

commercial vendor means any persons 

providing goods or services to a candidate or political committee whose 

usual and normal business involves 

the sale, rental, lease or provision of 

those goods or services.

Debts and obligations that shall not 

be forgiven or settled for less than the 

amount due include repayment obligations pursuant to 11 CFR 9007.2, 

9008.10, 9008.11, 9038.2 or 9038.3 of 

funds received from the Presidential 

Election Campaign Fund or the Presidential Primary Matching Payment 

Account. Debts that are disputed 

are not subject to the debt settlement 

and Commission review requirements 

and procedures. For purposes of this 

form, disputed debt means an actual 

or potential debt or obligation owed 

by a political committee, including an 

obligation arising from a written contract, promise or agreement to make 

an expenditure, where there is a bona 

fide disagreement between the creditor 

and the political committee as to the 

existence or amount of the obligation 

owed by the political committee.

Committees that file or who have 

filed a debt settlement plan should 

continue to report each outstanding debt or obligation included in a 

debt settlement plan on its report of 

receipts and disbursements until the 

Commission has informed the committee that it has completed its review 

of the plan.

Treasurer’s Responsibilities

A copy of this Plan must be preserved by the treasurer of the political 

committee for a period of not less 

than three years from the date of 

filing. The treasurer of the political 

committee is personally responsible 

for the information submitted in the 

plan and for responding to any Commission request regarding the plan or 

any information contained in it.

Where to File

An original must be filed as follows:

• All political committees must file 

with the Federal Election Commission, 1050 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20463. Reports shipped 

via FedEx, UPS or DHL should use 

the ZIP code 20002.

Political committees are no longer 

required to file copies of this form in 

states and territories that have qualified for a filing waiver. Currently, 

only political committees based in 

Guam, Northern Mariana Islands 

or Puerto Rico must routinely file 

copies with the appropriate office in 

those territories. Other committees 

must file a copy of any portion of 

their report applicable to candidates 

who seek or sought election in those 

territories. 

Line-by-Line Instructions for 

Part I

Fill out the committee’s full name, 

address and the FEC identification 

number assigned to your committee.

LINE 1. Enter the complete name and 

mailing address of your committee.

LINE 2. Enter the FEC Identification 

Number assigned to the committee.

LINE 3. Check the box if the committee qualifies as a “terminating committee” as defined in 11 CFR 116.1(a), 

plans to terminate, and does not 

intend to raise contributions or make 

expenditures except for the purpose 

of paying winding-down costs and 

retiring its debts. (Only a terminating 

committee may file a debt settlement 

plan.)

LINE 4. Enter the committee’s cash 

on hand and the date.

LINE 5. Calculate the value of any 

of the committee’s assets that can be 

liquidated, and enter the total amount 

on Line 5.

LINE 6. Add Lines 4 and 5.

LINE 7. Enter the year to date receipts 

for the calendar year.

LINE 8. Enter the year to date disbursements for the calendar year.

FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION

 INSTRUCTIONS FOR DEBT SETTLEMENT PLAN, PART I

(FEC FORM 8)
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INSTRUCTIONS FOR FEC FORM 8

 Federal Election Commission (Revised 01/2018) 

LINE 9. Enter the total amount of 

debts and obligations owed by the 

committee, including loans.

LINE 10. Enter the total number of 

creditors owed by the committee.

LINE 11. Enter the number of creditors that are in Part II of this plan.

LINE 12. Total the debts owed to the 

creditors in Part II of this plan, and 

enter the amount on this line.

LINE 13. Add the amounts to be paid 

to the creditors in Part II of this plan, 

and enter the amount on this line.

LINE 14. Check yes if the candidate 

has authorized any other political 

committee(s) to support his/her candidacy for election to federal office, 

and provide the name(s) and FEC 

Identification Number(s). (Use DSP 

Supplemental Page for additional 

entries.) Otherwise, check no.

LINE 15. Indicate whether the committee has sufficient funds to pay the 

total amount indicated in this plan. If 

no, explain how the committee expects 

to obtain the additional funds.

LINE 16. Indicate whether the committee will have residual funds after 

it has paid or settled all debts and 

obligations. If yes, state how they will 

be spent.

LINE 17. Indicate whether the committee has been released from any 

debts included in the plan pursuant to 

a discharge under 11 USC Chapter 7 

by a Bankruptcy Court. If yes, attach 

a copy of the order(s) and a list of 

debts from which the committee has 

been released. Do not include a Part 

II for any such debt.

After completing the entire plan, 

the treasurer should sign and date 

the plan.
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INSTRUCTIONS FOR FEC FORM 8

 Federal Election Commission (Revised 01/2018)

For each creditor in the plan with 

whom the committee is settling a debt, 

a separate Part II should be filled out. 

Enter the committee’s full name and 

FEC identification number in the 

appropriate boxes. In the top right 

corner of Part II, put in the page 

number as well as the number of pages 

included in the plan for this part. 

For each creditor in the plan, the 

committee must fill out Part II – 

Creditor Summary Information. The 

creditor must fill out Part II – Creditor 

Section.

PART II – CREDITOR SUMMARY 

INFORMATION (FILL OUT FOR 

EACH CREDITOR)

A. Full name and mailing address 

of creditor. Enter the creditor’s 

name and address as reported on 

the debt schedules filed with the 

committee’s reports of receipts 

and disbursements (FEC FORM 

3, 3P or 3X).

B. Date(s) incurred. Enter the date 

the committee incurred the debt. 

If it is a debt that accumulated 

over a period of time, enter the 

time frame in which the debt was 

incurred.

C. Amount owed to creditor. Enter 

the amount owed to the creditor. 

If this is different than what the 

committee has disclosed on its 

reports, include an explanation.

D. Amount offered in the settlement. 

Enter the amount the creditor is 

being offered to settle the debt.

E. Type of creditor. Check the 

appropriate box.

F. Efforts made by the committee to 

pay the debt. Briefly describe the 

committee’s efforts to pay the 

debt in full.

PART II – CREDITOR SECTION 

(TO BE FILLED OUT BY 

CREDITOR)

Full name and mailing address of 

creditor. Enter the creditor’s full name 

and address.

A. List terms of the initial extension of credit/nature of the debt. 

Describe the initial terms of the 

debt and give a brief description 

of the nature of the debt. Terms 

include any time requirements 

for payment such as monthly, 30 

day, etc., as well as any extensions 

on the original terms and any 

penalties for failure to comply. 

Check the box to indicate whether 

the terms under which credit was 

extended to the committee similar 

to those under which the creditor 

extended credit to non-political 

debtors of similar risk and obligation size. Describe the terms of 

credit extension by the creditor to 

non-political debtors of similar 

risk and obligation size. 

B. Indicate whether the creditor 

agreed to provide the committee 

additional time to pay beyond the 

original due date(s). Check the 

appropriate box. If yes, list the 

terms of any additional payment 

agreement(s).

C. If the creditor is a commercial 

vendor: Check the box to indicate 

whether its usual and normal 

business involves providing the 

same type(s) of goods or services 

that it provided to the committee. 

D. Steps taken by the creditor to collect the debt. Briefly describe what 

steps the creditor took to collect 

the debt. Examples include: 

oral and written requests for 

payment, withholding delivery 

of additional goods or services 

until overdue debts are satisfied, 

late charges or penalties, referral 

to commercial debt collection 

service and/or litigation.

E. If a creditor is commercial vendor: 

Check the appropriate boxes for 

1-3.

F. Was the effort made by the creditor to collect the debt similar 

to other debt collection efforts 

against nonpolitical debtors in 

similar circumstances? Check the 

appropriate box. If no, please 

explain why the committee was 

treated differently.

G. Are the terms of the debt settlement comparable to other settlements made by the creditor with 

nonpolitical debtors in similar 

circumstances? Check the appropriate box. If no, please describe 

how the terms are different from 

those offered to nonpolitical 

debtors.

The creditor or a representative of 

the creditor should sign and date the 

plan, providing his/her title and contact information, including telephone 

number and e-mail address. The creditor may attach a copy of the signed 

agreement between the committee and 

the creditor.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR DEBT SETTLEMENT PLAN, PART II

(FEC FORM 8)
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INSTRUCTIONS FOR FEC FORM 8

 Federal Election Commission (Revised 01/2018) 

INSTRUCTIONS FOR DEBT SETTLEMENT PLAN (DSP) 

SUPPLEMENTAL PAGE

(FEC FORM 8)

Fill in the committee’s full name 

and FEC identification number in the 

appropriate boxes. In the top right 

corner of Part III, put in the page 

number as well as the number of pages 

included in the plan for this part.

List any remaining debts and obligations that the committee owes that 

are not included in Part II of this plan. 

Fill out the appropriate information 

for each remaining creditor.

Full name and mailing address of 

creditor. Enter the creditor’s name 

and address as reported on the debt 

schedules filed with the committee’s 

reports of receipts and disbursements 

(FEC FORM 3, 3P or 3X).

1. Type of creditor. Check the appropriate box.

2. Is this a disputed debt? Indicate 

whether a debt is disputed by 

checking the box. If yes, explain 

the nature of dispute and status 

of any efforts to resolve it.

3. Amount owed to creditor. List the 

amount of debt that is owed to 

the creditor.

4. Amount expected to pay or offer.

This should represent the amount 

that the committee expects to 

offer the creditor to settle the 

debt.

Does the committee have sufficient 

funds to pay the remaining amounts to 

be paid or offered? Check the appropriate box. If the committee does not 

have sufficient funds to cover the total 

amount to be offered or paid to its 

remaining creditors, briefly explain 

how the funds will be obtained. Reproduce this page to provide information 

about any additional remaining debts.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR DEBT SETTLEMENT PLAN, PART III

(FEC FORM 8)

Use the DSP Supplemental Page to 

provide additional information for any 

entries on the form. Indicate the part 

number (I, II, or III) and line number 

of the entry which the supplemental 

information supports, as well as the 

page number of the plan where the 

entry appears.