Tax Refund Interception
Quick answer
Certified child support arrears (generally $500, or $150 in public-assistance cases) can be collected by intercepting the paying parent’s federal and state tax refunds through the federal offset program (42 U.S.C. § 664).
When arrears are certified above the federal threshold — $500, or $150 in public-assistance (TANF) cases — a parent's federal and state tax refunds can be intercepted through the federal offset program (42 U.S.C. § 664) and applied to the support they owe.
When it applies
Interception targets refunds from the return filed for the preceding tax year, so certification dates matter. On a joint return, the other spouse can protect their share through an injured-spouse claim.
Avoiding a surprise intercept
Before filing season, request a current arrears statement, make a purge payment, or arrange a payment plan. A little planning is what keeps an expected refund from vanishing.
Since 1997, the child support lawyers team at Sinkin Law Firm has recovered unpaid support for parents statewide.
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