Tax refund offset for Child Support arrears

[Niquexox]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Michigan

Hi all,

My ex's tax refund is supposed to be offset for CS arrears. I didn't get it in 2014 for 2013 although I should have. I was very surprised that i received it last year in 2015 for 2014. Haven't received anything yet this year, for his 2015 refund. FOC is of no help whatesoever, and needless to say the ex could care less. Does anyone know where I can receive assistance with this?


TIA

~Nique

 

[Proserpina]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Michigan

Hi all,

My ex's tax refund is supposed to be offset for CS arrears. I didn't get it in 2014 for 2013 although I should have. I was very surprised that i received it last year in 2015 for 2014. Haven't received anything yet this year, for his 2015 refund. FOC is of no help whatesoever, and needless to say the ex could care less. Does anyone know where I can receive assistance with this?


TIA

~Nique

Did he actually have a refund for last year?

 

[AdjunctFL]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Michigan

Hi all,

My ex's tax refund is supposed to be offset for CS arrears. I didn't get it in 2014 for 2013 although I should have. I was very surprised that i received it last year in 2015 for 2014. Haven't received anything yet this year, for his 2015 refund. FOC is of no help whatesoever, and needless to say the ex could care less. Does anyone know where I can receive assistance with this?

To get a refund offset for child support several things have to happen:

--- the delinquent child support payer must file a tax return,
--- the tax return must show a refund to him/her, and
--- the unpaid child support must be reported by the local agency to the Treasury Department's Bureau of Fiscal Services' offset program.

Are you sure that all three of these items occurred?

If you have any doubt, contact your child support agency (to insure it was reported) and the Treasury Offset Program at 800-304-3107 to determine the status of any amount due you that they may have disbursed. (They won't, however, tell you if someone else filed a return or had a refund due them.)

 

[Niquexox]

Did he actually have a refund for last year?

Hi Proserpina,

Thanks for responding. Yes, I'm sure he did. He always had in the past and nothing changed with regards to his employment, so I'm sure that he had one.

 

[Niquexox]

To get a refund offset for child support several things have to happen:

--- the delinquent child support payer must file a tax return,
--- the tax return must show a refund to him/her, and
--- the unpaid child support must be reported by the local agency to the Treasury Department's Bureau of Fiscal Services' offset program.

Are you sure that all three of these items occurred?

If you have any doubt, contact your child support agency (to insure it was reported) and the Treasury Offset Program at 800-304-3107 to determine the status of any amount due you that they may have disbursed. (They won't, however, tell you if someone else filed a return or had a refund due them.)

Hi AdjunctFL, Although I don't know for 100% that he filed his returns, I do know that he has done it for at least as long as I've know him, over a decade now, and I have no reason to assume that he didn't this year. He's always received a refund. The FOC did report it to the offset program in Sept of 2013. I didn't receive anything in 2014, but I did receive 4 payments in 2015. As I understand it, from internet research, there was a huge screw up for the CS offset for 2014 and many, many ppl did not receive it as they were supposed to, myself included. So maybe I received double payments in 2015? I have contacted the offset program and confirmed that he was flagged for CS offset (I have his ssn so I was able to check thru the auto system). I was unaware that they would tell me anything about the refund. Are you saying that if I speak w/someone they will actually give me some info regarding the offset?

Thanks for responding.

 

[AdjunctFL]

Are you saying that if I speak w/someone they will actually give me some info regarding the offset?

They should be able to tell you if it was flagged for offset [apparently it was] and if a payment was sent out for the unpaid child support. They won't tell you if he filed a return or, if he did, if it showed a refund. It's not uncommon to decrease withholding so a refund isn't due.

Also, a 2015 return on extension doesn't have to be filed until October.

 

[Proserpina]

They should be able to tell you if it was flagged for offset [apparently it was] and if a payment was sent out for the unpaid child support. They won't tell you if he filed a return or, if he did, if it showed a refund. It's not uncommon to decrease withholding so a refund isn't due.

Also, a 2015 return on extension doesn't have to be filed until October.

That's exactly what I was thinking; if he's adjusted his withholding there may not be a refund to intercept.