Federal Tax Refund Offset Program

Question: How do I get our tax refund back? My husband had recently rehabilitated his student loans so that they are no longer in default. We finished this rehab program early march and received a letter from the dept of education saying congrats for doing so. We were told then that we could file our taxes and our refund would not be subject to offset. So we filed mid march...and what do you know, our federal tax return totally 2200 dollars was taken away by FMS to go towards these defaulted student loans (that are no longer actually in default). How do we get this money back? they really did not have a right to take it....because we've been working so hard this past year to get out of default. And now I'm afraid with our tax rebate coming in May that they will take too. The dept of Ed told us that everything is fine and we arent in default...what to do? can I get this federal refund back???

Answer: Contact the agency that submitted the debt to FMS for capture. They can either return the money to you or reverse the FMS capture. They're the only ones who can help you.

Question: Before you do your Tax return call here to make sure they dont snatch your check? DO YOU OWED STUDENT LOANS OTHER DEBTS BEFORE YOU DO YOUR TAx CALL HERE TO MAKE SURE IT DONT GET TAKES BY THE IRS You have questions regarding the offset of your federal tax refund or offset of another U.S. government- issued payment. You can call our Treasury Offset Program (TOP) Call Center to obtain agency contact information. Toll Free: (800) 304-3107; TDD number: (866) 297-0517. Please see below for Customer Service hours: I am talking about student loans. ssi over payments so people can get a chance to call and see if their money is going to be offset They can check before they file so they can set up some type of payment plan. Just info to help people

Answer: Nice! You are helping a lot of people by offering this. :)

Question: Should all fathers with support arrears be considered delinquent when only half owe because of non-payment? “A record $2.85 billion in delinquent child support was collected from federal income tax refund offsets in 2008 under the Federal Offset Program.” The U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services’ Admin. for Children and Families announced that the 2008 collection record broke the previous one in 2007 by over $1.15 billion. Nearly 50% of men with arrears are due to being hit with up to 23 years of retroactive child support on a child they never knew existed. Michigan has the highest number of years at 23 years. Mostly this relates is the child attended college or is handicap. Under the 1993 modification to federal child support regulations, ordered by President Clinton, all federal limits was removed for retroactive child support. Some judges are now refusing to do it, but state laws allow for it. In Kansas and Missouri is 5 years. California is 18 years. The more that can be ordered, the more money the state gets in federal matching funds.

Answer: Well I am owed over 10,000 dollars from my ex for his daughter and he hasn't paid one cent to us for over 6 years...every woman I know that doesn't get their child support never hid the fact that they have a baby to the man.

Question: Rehabilitated student loans and Tax Offset question? I have completed the student loan rehab program, and and in the process of consolidating my loans with Direct Lending. They have confirmed all my paperwork and I got a letter saying they will proceed and it will be completed in 10 days. So far so good... My question is all this time, I have been holding off filing my federal income tax because it would have been offset for the original defaulted loan, so I filed a extension. I have called the Treasury Offset Hotline and it says there are no federal loans for me, and the Student Aid hotline does mention my loans, but it no longer says they are in default. Is it finally safe to file my taxes? I am due a $1200 refund, so I am very cautious as to filing too early and risking losing it. Everything seems to be in order, but I'm wondering if there's anything else I should check first. I forgot to mention, I did file the tax extension on time back in March.

Answer: scholarships.onlinewebshop.net - it provides some tips about applying to US federal and state grants for college students.

Question: I owe back taxes will I receive the balance of my refund after the feds take there amount? I owe back taxes and will be referred to the federal offset program in 60 days, can I file my taxes and have my refund pay my back payment and will I receive the balance of my refund

Answer: Depends. If they are federal back taxes then any leftovers you will get back. If city back taxes as such, you will get the full tax refund as city and government are two seperate entities. But you can file and Uncle Sugar will do the rest. Should something happen that you get a full refund. IMMEDIATELY, call the IRS to pay the back taxes.

Question: Is Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corp. (TG) considered a federal agency? I defaulted on a student loan but I've been in a repayment program for the last four months. The representatives at TG tell me that I am no longer in default because I signed up with TG's repayment program and also because I'm making timely payments and I that I will continue to stay out of default if I keep making the scheduled payments. I also asked the TG representatives if TG would take my income tax refund (all the money from my refund) I was told no that they would not take any of my return. My questions, is TG considered a federal agency and do you think TG will garnish my tax refund? The reason I am asking is because I filed my income tax return and I am waiting for the check in the mail. I've been checking on the IRS website to check the status of my return. The "where's my refund" site has explained to me for the past two and a half weeks that my return will be mailed Feburary 26 (yesterday). So I have been checking the site everyday and just now the "where's my refund" site posted this on my "refund status results" page... Please read the following information related to your tax situation: * Tax Topic 203, Failure to Pay Child Support, Federal Non-Tax and State Income Tax Obligations Please Note: Your refund may be reduced to pay a past due obligation such as child support, another federal agency debt, or state income tax. If this applies to you, the Financial Management Service, who issues IRS refunds, will send you a notice informing you of any offset they have made. The details of the debt are not provided to the IRS. Please do not call us to inquire about the details because we will not be able to answer your questions. Instead, direct any questions you have about the offset or debt to the agency identified on the notice. I don't have any children (I'm a woman) and I live in Texas so that equals no state taxes. I called the number and was told that I had no debts owed. So I guess that's good news.

Answer: Sounds like you have been offset. Call 800-304-3107 and see. This advice was prepared based on our understanding of the tax law in effect at the time it was written as it applies to the facts that you provided. Click on my profile to read more. Errol Quinn Enrolled Agent

Question: Can energy legislation without carbon regulation be economically justifiable? It seems as though most people, regardless of their beliefs on global warming, agree that we need to reduce our dependence on oil and increase domestic energy production. The question is whether to do this with an energy-only bill, or a comprehensive climate and energy bill. Those who deny humans are causing global warming generally favor an energy-only bill. They claim that carbon regulation such as the implementation of a carbon cap and trade system will destroy the American economy. However, the problem with energy-only bills is that they have no revenue source to pay for themselves. Sen. Dick Lugar put forth an energy-only bill which includes programs that would cost $5 billion, with no way to pay for them. Sen. Byron Dorgan put forth another energy-only bill which includes $5 billion for assistance to the nuclear industry and $10 billion in funding for the Clean Energy Deployment Administration among other programs, none of which are funded. In contrast, comprehensive climate and energy bills generally set up a revenue source to pay for these programs. For example, with a cap and trade system, the government can sell/auction carbon permits to industry, and use those funds to pay for various domestic energy programs. In fact the CBO found that the climate and energy bill passed by the House would cut the deficit by $24 billion. This sort of comprehensive bill would also refund a large portion of their revenue to consumers to offset possible energy or other price increases. The EPA also predicts that the American Power Act (comprehensive bill proposed in the Senate) would reduce consumers’ household energy bills (excluding gasoline) by 10 percent in 2020. http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/06/energy_mirage.html The main argument against carbon cap and trade systems (or carbon taxes) comes from a supposed economic standpoint. Countless times deniers have argued that these systems will cripple the US economy. Yet how is it economically preferable to continue inflating the federal deficit by tens of billions of dollars with energy-only bills rather than reducing the deficit by tens of billions of dollars with comprehensive bills which actually pay for the programs they propose? I thought conservatives were supposed to want to reduce the deficit and be economically responsible. Can energy legislation without carbon regulation be economically justifiable? Jeff M - tax breaks mean less revenue coming in which means increased deficits. Tax breaks don't just magically create money out of thin air.

Answer: Hypnobunny should have more faith in capitalism; true costing could very well lead to changes in how her electricity is generated. If the true cost of every form of energy, including the environmental cost, were included in the price, market decisions would be more rational. In my experience, conservatives want to privatise profits, but socialise costs, and that is what such absurdities as the corn alcohol subsidy and the oil depletion tax allowance are doing. We are already being taxed, but indirectly, and by the fuel producers.