That would depend on the jurisdiction at the time of your filing and can best be answered by the attorney handling your bankruptcy, in my opinion. Generally, I believe a refund can be considered an asset of your estate and unless your attorney files for an exemption, the trustee is entitled to it. (Again, in my opinion.) I believe Illinois doesn't allow federal exemptions, but has its own state exemptions (a general list of personal property, for example, can be found at 735*ILCS*5/*Code of Civil Procedure.)* and again, depending on the jurisdiction and your set of personal circumstances, more (or less) exemptions may be available to you. Personally, I'd suggest you carefully review your BK docs for the list of exemptions already filed, and if this isn't already addressed, contact that attorney for a full list of Illinois exemptions to see if more can be added before your final hearing. Just a suggestion here.

Hope this helps. And hopefully, your question has already been answered in your original petition. (*Website posted strictly for informational purposes.) Good luck to you.