A refund offset is when an IRS refund is reduced or intercepted to pay off debt, such as past-due child support, outstanding student loans, or unpaid state income tax.
You will receive a notice in the mail if an adjustment or offset occurs. The notice will include the original tax refund amount and the revised amount. It will also include the agency receiving the offset payment and that agency’s contact information. If you believe you do not owe the debt or you want to dispute the amount taken from your refund, you should contact the agency that received the offset amount.
If you have questions regarding the offset of your federal tax refund or offset of another U.S. government-issued payment, you can call the Treasury Offset Program (TOP) Call Center to obtain agency contact information during our customer service hours.
Have Questions about an Offset?
• Toll Free: 800-304-3107
• TDD number: 866-297-0517
More information about refund offsets can be found in the following IRS Tax Topic: Tax Topic 203 - Refund Offsets for Unpaid Child Support, Certain Federal and State Debts, and Unemployment Compensation Debts.
The IRS Where's My Refund tool will contain a disclaimer if your refund may have been offset. You'll get an explanatory letter from the government if your refund differs from what was on your filed return.
If you suspect your refund is being held, sometimes people make progress contacting their local IRS center or a Taxpayer Advocate.
Please see this link to find your local Taxpayer Assistance Center.
This link will offer you more guidance on Taxpayer Advocates.
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