At this time of year, most people anticipate receiving their tax refund. They usually have plans to purchase bigger ticket items or pay down debt. If you pay child support, your tax refund may not be as much as you think.
If you do not make your required child support payments throughout the year, arrears will begin to add up. Arrears can happen if you are laid off or if you switch jobs and support isn’t deducted from your paycheck for a few weeks. Once your child support payments are more than $500 behind and it’s getting to the end of the calendar year, the Pennsylvania Automated Child Support Enforcement System (PACSES) will notify the federal government to intercept your tax refund.
The federal government will intercept any tax refund you may receive up to the amount of child support still owed at the time the federal government was notified at the end of the prior year. That means if you made payments at the end of the year or in the beginning of the new year, your refund could be reduced for support you’ve already paid.
In addition, if you are married and filed a joint tax return, your refund can still be intercepted. You should receive notice that your refund will be intercepted. Your spouse will need to fill out and submit an Injured Spouse Allocation form to recover part of the refund.
If you find yourself facing child support issues, interception of your tax return, or any other legal issue, you can Count on Mooney to protect your rights, protect your reputation, and to protect your name. With 16 offices spread throughout Central Pennsylvania and Northern Maryland, we bring our law firm close to you. Contact us today for a consultation at 833-MOONEYLAW or at 717-200-HELP.
