[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 31, Volume 2]
[Revised as of July 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 31CFR285.3]

[Page 108-111]
 
                  TITLE 31--MONEY AND FINANCE: TREASURY
 
         CHAPTER II--FISCAL SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
 
PART 285--DEBT COLLECTION AUTHORITIES UNDER THE DEBT COLLECTION IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 1996--Table of Contents
 
                  Subpart A--Disbursing Official Offset
 
Sec. 285.3  Offset of tax refund payments to collect past-due support.

    (a) Definitions. For purposes of this section:
    Debt as used in this section is synonymous with the term past-due 
support unless otherwise indicated.
    Debtor as used in this section means a person who owes past-due 
support.
    FMS means the Financial Management Service, a bureau of the 
Department of the Treasury.
    HHS means the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of 
Child Support Enforcement.
    IRS means the Internal Revenue Service, a bureau of the Department 
of the Treasury.
    Past-due support means the amount of support, determined under a 
court order, or an order of an administrative process established under 
State law, for support and maintenance of a child, or of a child and the 
parent with whom the child is living, which has not been paid, as 
defined in 42 U.S.C. 664(c).
    Qualified child means a child:
    (i) Who is a minor, or
    (ii) Who, while a minor, was determined to be disabled under 
subchapters II or XVI, Chapter 7, Title 42, United States Code, and for 
whom an order of support is in force.
    State means the several States of the United States. The term 
``State'' also includes the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, 
the United States Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
    Tax refund offset means withholding or reducing a tax refund payment 
by an amount necessary to satisfy a debt owed by the payee(s) of a tax 
refund payment.
    Tax refund payment means any overpayment of Federal taxes to be 
refunded to the person making the overpayment after the IRS makes the 
appropriate credits as provided in 26 U.S.C. 6402(a) and 26 CFR 6402-
3(a)(6)(i) for any liabilities for any Federal tax on the part of the 
person who made the overpayment.
    (b) General rule. (1) Past-due support will be collected by tax 
refund offset upon notification to FMS in accordance with 26 U.S.C. 
6402(c), 42 U.S.C. 664 and this section. Collection by offset under 26 
U.S.C. 6402(c) is a collection procedure separate from the collection 
procedures provided by 26 U.S.C. 6305 and 26 CFR 301.6305-1, relating to 
the assessment and collection of certain child and spousal support 
liabilities. Tax refund offset may be used separately or in conjunction 
with the collection procedures provided in 26 U.S.C. 6305, as well as 
other collection procedures.
    (2) FMS will compare tax refund payment records, as certified by the 
IRS, with records of debts submitted to FMS. A match will occur when the 
taxpayer identifying number (as that term is used in 26 U.S.C. 6109) and 
name of a payment certification record are the same as the taxpayer 
identifying number and name of a delinquent debtor record. When a match 
occurs and all other requirements for tax refund offset have been met, 
FMS will reduce the amount of any tax refund payment payable to a debtor 
by the amount of any past-due support debt owed by the debtor. Any 
amounts not offset will be paid to the payee(s) listed in the payment 
certification record.
    (c) Notification of past-due support--(1) Past-due support eligible 
for tax refund offset. Past-due support qualifies for tax refund offset 
if:
    (i)(A) There has been an assignment of the support obligation to a 
State and the amount of past-due support is not less than $25.00, or 
such higher amount as HHS rules may allow, whichever is greater; or
    (B) A State agency is providing support collection services under 42 
U.S.C. 654(4), the amount of past-due support is not less than $500.00, 
and the past-due support is owed to or on behalf of a qualified child 
(or a qualified child and the parent with whom the child is living if 
the same support order includes support for the child and the parent); 
and
    (ii) A notification of liability for past-due support has been 
received by FMS as prescribed by paragraphs (c)(2) or (c)(3) of this 
section.

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    (2) Notification of liability for past-due support and transmission 
of information to FMS by HHS. States notifying HHS of past-due support 
shall do so in the manner and format prescribed by HHS. The notification 
of liability shall be accompanied by a certification that the State has 
complied with the requirements contained in paragraph (c)(4) of this 
section and with any requirements applicable to the offset of Federal 
tax refunds to collect past-due support imposed by State law or 
procedures. HHS shall consolidate and transmit to FMS the information 
contained in the notifications of liability for past-due support 
submitted by the States provided that the State has certified that the 
requirements of paragraph (c)(4) of this section have been met.
    (3) Notification of liability for past-due support transmitted 
directly to FMS by States. States must notify HHS of past-due support in 
accordance with the provisions of paragraph (c)(2) of this section 
unless HHS rules authorize notification to FMS directly. If authorized 
by HHS rules, States may notify FMS directly of past-due support. States 
notifying FMS directly of past-due support shall do so in the manner and 
format prescribed by FMS. The notification of liability shall be 
accompanied by a certification that the State has complied with the 
requirements contained in paragraph (c)(4) of this section and with any 
requirements applicable to the offset of Federal tax refunds to collect 
past-due support imposed by State law or procedures. FMS may reject a 
notification of past-due support which does not comply with the 
requirements of this section. Upon notification of the rejection and the 
reason for rejection, the State may resubmit a corrected notification.
    (4) Advance notification to debtor of intent to collect by tax 
refund offset. The State, or HHS if the State requests and HHS agrees, 
is required to provide a written notification to the debtor, pursuant to 
the provisions of 42 U.S.C. 664(a)(3) and 45 CFR 303.72(e), informing 
the debtor that the State intends to refer the debt for collection by 
tax refund offset. The notice also shall:
    (i) Instruct the debtor of the steps which may be taken to contest 
the State's determination that past-due support is owed or the amount of 
the past-due support;
    (ii) Advise any non-debtor who may file a joint tax return with the 
debtor of the steps which a non-debtor spouse may take in order to 
secure his or her proper share of the tax refund; and
    (iii) In cases when a debt is being enforced by more than one State, 
advise the debtor of his or her opportunities to request a review with 
the State enforcing collection or the State issuing the support order as 
prescribed by the provisions of 45 CFR 303.72(g).
    (5) Correcting and updating notification. The State shall, in the 
manner and in the time frames provided by FMS or HHS, notify FMS or HHS 
of any deletion or net decrease in the amount of past-due support 
referred to FMS, or HHS as the case may be, for collection by tax refund 
offset. The State may notify FMS or HHS of any increases in the amount 
of the debt referred to FMS for collection by tax refund offset provided 
that the State has complied with the requirements of paragraph (c)(4) of 
this section with regard to those debts.
    (6) Collection of past-due support enforced by multiple States. When 
a State has knowledge that the debt is being enforced by more than one 
State, the State notifying FMS, or HHS as the case may be, of the debt 
shall inform any such other State involved in enforcing the debt when it 
receives the offset amount.
    (d) Priorities for offset. (1) As provided in 26 U.S.C. 6402 as 
amended, a tax refund payment shall be reduced in the following order of 
priority:
    (i) First by the amount of any past-due support assigned to a State 
(welfare cases) which is to be offset under 26 U.S.C. 6402(c), 42 U.S.C. 
664 and this section;
    (ii) Second, by the amount of any past-due, legally enforceable debt 
owed to a Federal agency which is to be offset under 26 U.S.C. 6402(d), 
31 U.S.C. 3720A and Sec. 285.2 of this part;
    (iii) Third, by the amount of any qualifying past-due support not 
assigned to a State (non-welfare cases) which is to be offset under 26 
U.S.C. 6402(c), 42 U.S.C. 664 and this section; and

[[Page 110]]

    (iv) Fourth, by the amount of any past-due, legally enforceable 
State income tax obligation which is to be offset under 26 U.S.C. 
6402(e).
    (2) Reduction of the tax refund payment pursuant to 26 U.S.C. 
6402(a), (c), (d), and (e) shall occur prior to crediting the 
overpayment to any future liability for an internal revenue tax. Any 
amount remaining after tax refund offset under 26 U.S.C. 6402(a), (c), 
(d), and (e) shall be refunded to the taxpayer, or applied to estimated 
tax, if elected by the taxpayer pursuant to IRS regulations.
    (e) Post-offset notice. (1)(i) FMS shall notify the debtor in 
writing of:
    (A) The amount and date of the offset to satisfy past-due support;
    (B) The State to which this amount has been paid or credited; and
    (C) A contact point within the State that will handle concerns or 
questions regarding the offset.
    (ii) The notice in paragraph (e)(1)(i) of this section also will 
advise any non-debtor who may have filed a joint tax return with the 
debtor of the steps which a non-debtor spouse may take in order to 
secure his or her proper share of the tax refund. See paragraph (f) of 
this section.
    (2) FMS will advise HHS of the names, mailing addresses, and 
identifying numbers of the debtors from whom amounts of past-due support 
were collected, of the amounts collected from each debtor through tax 
refund offset, the names of any non-debtor spouses who may have filed a 
joint return with the debtor, and of the State on whose behalf each 
collection was made. Alternatively, FMS will provide such information to 
each State that refers debts directly to FMS. FMS will inform HHS and 
each State that the payment source is a tax refund payment.
    (3) At least weekly, FMS will notify the IRS of the names and 
taxpayer identifying numbers of the debtors from whom amounts owed for 
past-due support were collected from tax refund offsets and the amounts 
collected from each debtor.
    (4) At such time and in such manner as FMS and HHS agree, but no 
less than annually, FMS will advise HHS of the States which have 
furnished notices of past-due support, the number of cases in each State 
with respect to which such notices have been furnished, the amount of 
past-due support sought to be collected by each State, and the amount of 
such tax refund offset collections actually made in the case of each 
State. As FMS and HHS may agree, FMS may provide additional offset-
related information about States which have furnished notices of past-
due support.
    (f) Offset made with regard to a tax refund payment based upon joint 
return. If the person filing a joint return with a debtor owing the 
past-due support takes appropriate action to secure his or her proper 
share of a tax refund from which an offset was made, the IRS will pay 
the person his or her share of the refund and request that FMS deduct 
that amount from amounts payable to HHS or the State, as the case may 
be. FMS and HHS, or the appropriate State, will adjust their debtor 
records accordingly.
    (g) Disposition of amounts collected. FMS will transmit amounts 
collected for debts, less fees charged under paragraph (h) of this 
section, to HHS or to the appropriate State. If FMS learns that an 
erroneous offset payment is made to HHS or any State, FMS will notify 
HHS or the appropriate State that an erroneous offset payment has been 
made. FMS may deduct the amount of the erroneous offset payment from 
amounts payable to HHS or the State, as the case may be. Alternatively, 
upon FMS' request, the State shall return promptly to the affected 
taxpayer or FMS an amount equal to the amount of the erroneous payment 
(unless the State previously has paid such amounts, or any portion of 
such amounts, to the affected taxpayer). HHS and States shall notify FMS 
any time HHS or a State returns an erroneous offset payment to an 
affected taxpayer. FMS and HHS, or the appropriate State, will adjust 
their debtor records accordingly.
    (h) Fees. The State will pay a fee to FMS for the full cost of 
administering the tax refund offset program. The fee (not to exceed $25 
per case submitted) will be established annually in such amount as FMS 
and HHS agree to be sufficient to reimburse FMS for the

[[Page 111]]

full cost of the offset procedure. FMS will deduct the fees from amounts 
collected prior to disposition and transmit a portion of the fees 
deducted to reimburse the IRS for its share of the cost of administering 
the tax refund offset program. Fees will be charged only for actual tax 
refund offsets completed.
    (i) Review of tax refund offsets. In accordance with 26 U.S.C. 
6402(f), any reduction of a taxpayer's refund made pursuant to 26 U.S.C. 
6402(c), (d), or (e) shall not be subject to review by any court of the 
United States or by the Secretary of the Treasury, FMS or IRS in an 
administrative proceeding. No action brought against the United States 
to recover the amount of this reduction shall be considered to be a suit 
for refund of tax.
    (j) Access to and use of confidential tax information. Access to and 
use of confidential tax information in connection with the tax refund 
offset program is permitted to the extent necessary in establishing 
appropriate agency records, locating any person with respect to whom a 
reduction under 26 U.S.C. 6402(c) is sought for purposes of collecting 
the debt, and in the defense of any litigation or administrative 
procedure ensuing from a reduction made under section 6402(c).
    (k) Effective date. This section applies to tax refund payments 
payable under 26 U.S.C. 6402 after January 1, 1999.

[63 FR 72094, Dec. 30, 1998]