I AM TRYING TO CLAIM MY NIECE AS A DEPENDENT FOR THE 2020 TAX YEAR. SHE HAS NOT BEEN CLAIMED AS A DEPENDENT THIS YEAR AS OF YET. MY BROTHER AND HER (HE HAS CUSTODY OF HER) MOVED IN WITH ME MARCH OF LAST YEAR. I HAVE PROVIDED MORE THAN HALF OF THE SUPPORT FOR BOTH OF THEM. MY BROTHER OWES BACK CHILD SUPPORT FOR MY NEPHEW THOUGH. HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN CAUGHT UP AND PAID THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF 5+ YEARS OF THE IRS TAKING HIS TAX REFUND FROM HIM. HOWEVER THE CHILD SUPPORT AGENCY SHOWS THAT NO PAYMENTS WERE MADE FROM HIS TAX REFUNDS EVEN THOUGH THE IRS CLAIMS THAT THEY SENT THEM TO CHILD SUPPORT AGENCY TO APPLY TO HIS ACCOUNT. HE NEVER RECEIVED HIS REFUNDS EITHER. HE IS CURRENTLY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THESE PAYMENTS TOTALING $15,000.00+ HAVE WENT, BUT IT IS NOT AN EASY PROCESS FOR HIM OR MYSLEF, ESPECIALLY SINCE COVID19 HAS BEEN AROUND. IF I WERE TO CLAIM MY NIECE AS A DEPENDENT, CAN THE IRS TAKE MY REFUND BECAUSE OF HIS CHILD SUPPORT ARREARS? HE JUST GAINED CUSTODY OF MY NIECE AROUND 3 YEARS AGO AS WELL, SO SHE MAY BE IN PART OF THE BACK CHILD SUPPORT. WE ARE JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THIS MONEY IS GOING BEFORE HE CLAIMS HER AGAIN. MAYBE ONE OF YOU MIGHT KNOW HOW WE COULD GO ABOUT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THAT MESS AS WELL? ANY HELP IS GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANKS
