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We cannot see your information or your tax return, and you have not explained who owes back taxes. Are you marrried to someone who owes the IRS or the state? Did you file a joint tax return with them? If so, the IRS can seize your whole joint refund for his back taxes. One way to avoid that is to file as an "injured spouse" so that you can keep the part of the refund that is based on the income you worked for. Or you can file separate tax returns so that only his refund is seized. But filing separate returns entails some other disadvantages like losing earned income credit and certain child-related credits like childcare credit or education credit.
INJURED SPOUSE
Note: Using the injured spouse form delays your refund for at least 14 weeks.
If past-due taxes are owed from a joint tax return that was filed in a past year, both of the people on the joint tax return are responsible for the debt. A joint tax return is not "his taxes" or your taxes. It's the tax for both of you together. The IRS can collect the tax from either of the two people on the joint return. This remains true even if you are no longer married to the person with whom you filed the joint tax return.
If you have a divorce decree that says you are not responsible for the past-due tax, the IRS is not bound by your divorce decree. Talk to your divorce lawyer about whether you can get your ex to compensate you for the tax refunds that the IRS took.
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