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
https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/spouse-partner/file-form-8379-injured-sp...
Note: Using the injured spouse form delays your refund for at least 14 weeks.
**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**
