Can I do anything about the IRS has offset my third stimulus payment for child support...what can I do about this?

[1694ecfc41af]

My federal return is $1,633 and i was told today that it has been offset for the same amount. $1,400 of that $1,633 is the third stimulus payment.

[VolvoGirl]

Are you sure it was offset for child support?  Or another reason is you tried to claim the 1400 again on line 30 but the IRS had already sent it to you.  Line 30 is only if you didn't get the full amount or qualify for more.  This is a common error this year.  

Double check your bank statements and Check your IRS account (both accounts if married)

Your Online Account | Internal Revenue Service

[xmasbaby0]

LOTS of people have made mistakes this year with the recovery rebate credit by "forgetting" that they received the $1400 per person stimulus checks last year.  They answered no to the questions for the  recovery recovery rebate credit and put the $1400 per person on line 30 of their returns.  But you cannot get it twice, so the IRS removes it when it is there by mistake.

Try checking your online account with the IRS

https://www.irs.gov/payments/your-online-account

Does the IRS show that you received a $1400 stimulus or EIP check in 2021?   Did you receive it?   When you were asked on your tax return did you say no?   Was there $1400 on line 30 of your tax return?

If the IRS says you got $1400 last year but you did not receive it you can have it traced.

LOST THIRD STIMULUS CHECK

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/questions-and-answers-about-the-third-round-economic-impact-payment-top...

If you need to trace a payment that the IRS says has been issued to you, mail or fax a completed IRS Form 3911, Taxpayer Statement Regarding Refund.

[VolvoGirl]

Oh we may have answered wrong.  Sounds like child support took your whole 1633 refund?  Yes they can take the Recovery Rebate Credit (3rd Stimulus payment).  

[xmasbaby0]

Yes----if you mean they took the whole refund of over $1600 for child support, yes, it can all be seized for child support.  Any part of your refund--including the recovery rebate credit---can be seized for child support you owe.

[1694ecfc41af]

Yes I'm sure. I called the BFS number entered in my information, confirmed my ID...and it said that there was only one thing for offset. It listed the JFS division where I live, my state return was already taken, which is fine, I have long since resumed payments before all this, however thats neither here not there...and the number that I had called stated the amount that was offset was for the whole $1,633...and $1,400 of that is from the third stimulus.

[1694ecfc41af]

Also I have not gotten any stimulus payments as of today. The first, second nor third have ever been issued to me yet.

[Critter-3]

ALL of your federal refund can and will be taken for outstanding child support payments and there is nothing you can do about it.   Only the ADVANCE stimulus payment was exempt from being taken but the stimulus credit on the return was NOT exempt from seizure. 

[1694ecfc41af]

From what I have read and been told, the CARES ACT is regulated to keep the third stimulus from being taken by child support.

[1694ecfc41af]

Well I have not filed for rebates or credits

[Critter-3]

The  stimulus payments  that were sent in ADVANCE  were exempt from being taken  but  if you got it as a CREDIT on the tax return instead (because you did not get it in advance)  that amount was NOT safe from being taken.  

[rjs]

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@1694ecfc41af wrote:

From what I have read and been told, the CARES ACT is regulated to keep the third stimulus from being taken by child support.

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That's true. But $1,400 of your tax refund is not the third stimulus payment. It's the Recovery Rebate Credit. There is a distinction in the law. The Recovery Rebate Credit can be taken for child support.

@1694ecfc41af wrote:

Well I have not filed for rebates or credits

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You did file for a credit. On your tax return, Form 1040 line 30 is the Recovery Rebate Credit. That's how you filed for the credit.

[Shanekurtyka]

The IRS took all my stimulus payments for child support and I know they can't take them all and they did

[xmasbaby0]

@Shanekurtyka Indeed they can seize the stimulus payments if you owe delinquent child support.   

Check your online account.

https://www.irs.gov/payments/your-online-account

Edited-----Did you claim the stimulus for 2020 or 2021 as the recovery rebate credit?  or are you talking about the original stimulus checks that were automatically issued for 2020 and 2021?