Want to know if your debts have been reported for tax refund offset? Number inside :)

[hopeforus]

After just trying to figure this out, I learned that you can call the Treasury Offset Program and you can enter your SSN to find out if they have any debts entered for offset. This was really helpful for me in figuring out whether I was safe to file right now or after filing our bankruptcy.

Treasury Offset Program Call Center: 1-800-304-3107 Press one for english or two for spanish and then you'll push 1 in order to enter your SSN

Hopefully this helps someone!

[GoingDown]

What I do is claim enough exemptions so that I.R.S. never owes me any tax refund. I end up owing I.R.S. money on April 15th, but at least I had access to my money the whole year through, and I never have to worry about an offset because I never get a refund.

[hopeforus]

We claim our max but it doesn't matter because of tax credits. We still get a large tax refund.

[GoingDown]

Oh, that would make a difference. I don't qualify for any tax credits.

[hopeforus]

Yeah we get a crazy amount back. Almost 8k just for federal and over 1500 for state. Kind of ridiculous really.

[flyinbroke]

No kids, no house = no credits = no refund. I just got a penalty of 13 bucks for not paying enough taxes last year. You would never know it from my end though....

[treehugger1]

Since I opted for the defaulted student loans and have almost paid off my back taxes, I do all I can to get no refund. The student loans garnish 15% of wages, and they have a permanent offset for state and federal tax refunds. I'd rather pay and get paid as I go. For instance, I could reduce my exemptions and get about $2000 back every year. All of that would go to the student loan offset. If I receive the $2000 within my paychecks during the year, then only 15% or $300 of the $2000 goes to the student loans. No brainer.

[hopeforus]

Totally makes sense if you are able to do it that way for sure. Not really a way for us to get almost 9k back spread throughout the year. Not when they are credits anyway. EIC I guess could be advanced but that idea scares me too much because I never know what we will make the next year. We made 80k a few only 4 years ago... lol

[BrokeIn2010]

Wouldn't they have to get a judgement first before they go after your refund?

[hopeforus]

No. They are the government. They supposedly send out a letter first and if they don't hear from you in 62 days they send you to collections and then they are able to offset. I don't trust getting a letter first. Esp since it's not like we haven't been aware on each LES that we owe money. But as for going to court and getting a judgment... they can take 100% of our refund without one.

[BrokeIn2010]

Ah, okay, I thought we were talking John Q Bill Collector, it's federal debt.

The Treasury Offset Program is a centralized offset program, administered by the Financial Management Service's (FMS) Debt Management Services (DMS), to collect delinquent debts owed to federal agencies and states (including past-due child support),

LINK

Well me and the Mrs. don't owe any federal debt, just a crap ton of medical bills and a couple of credit cards. So we're in the clear if we can get our refund back before we hauled into court.