Debt relief

thumb|right|200px|Businesses that file for bankruptcy may have a "store closing" sale to liquidate their stock, such as this Drug Fair. Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor.

thumb|Shmita placard in an agricultural field (in the year 5782) The sabbath year or sabbatical year (), also called the shmita () or "sabbath of the Land", is the seventh year of the seven-year agricultural cycle mandated by the Torah in the Land of Israel and is observed in Judaism.

900 CE ancient legal document found in the Philippines that records the release of a debt

partial or total "lifting-back" or forgiveness of debt

thumb| ama-gi4 written in Classical Sumerian|Classical [[Sumerian cuneiform]] Ama-gi is a Sumerian word written ama-gi4 or ama-ar-gi4. Sumerians used it to refer to release from obligations, debt, slavery, taxation, or punishment. Ama-gi has been regarded as the first known written reference to the concept of freedom, and has been used in modern times as a symbol for libertarianism.