The Department of Treasury's Bureau of the Fiscal Service (BFS) issues IRS tax refunds and Congress authorizes…
Your tax return may show that you’re due a refund from the IRS. However, if you owe a federal tax debt from a prior tax year, or a debt to another federal agency, or certain debts under state law, the IRS may keep (offset) some or all of your refund to pay that debt.
Internal Revenue Code IRC §6402 (a), (c), (d) and (e) require a taxpayer’s overpayment to be applied to any outstanding federal tax, non-tax child support, federal agency non-tax debt, state income tax obligation or certain unemployment compensation debts prior to crediting the overpayment to a future tax or making a refund. This application of a tax overpayment is called a refund offset. Refund offsets to child support, federal agency non-tax debts, state income tax obligations and unemployment compensation debt are handled by the Bureau of the Fiscal Service (BFS) through the Treasury Offset Program (TOP). This occurs after a refund is certified by Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for payment by BFS, but before the refund check is issued or direct deposit is transferred to the taxpayer’s bank account.
There are three types of refund offsets:
The IRS makes offsets for federal taxes. All other offsets are handled by the Treasury Department’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service (BFS), previously known as the Financial Management Service (FMS). For federal tax offsets, you’ll get a notice from the IRS. For all other offsets, the notice will come from BFS.
TOP matches people and businesses who owe past-due (delinquent) debts (for example, child support payments) with money that federal agencies are paying (for example, a tax refund). To the extent allowed by law, when a match happens, TOP withholds (offsets) money to pay the delinquent debt.
The priority of offsets within TOP are:
TOP offsets occur after the IRS has certified a refund to BFS for payment (TC 840/846 on account transcript), but before BFS direct-deposits the refund overpayment or mails the refund check.
The federal Bureau of the Fiscal Service (BFS), part of the Department of the Treasury, issues refunds and tracks offsets. Call the Bureau of the Fiscal Service directly at this toll-free number: (800) 304-3107.
If you don’t believe you owe the IRS any tax, call the IRS toll-free at 1-800-829-1040 (or TTY/TDD 1-800-829-4059) for more information or assistance in resolving the debt.
You will receive a notice to let you know that your refund will be offset. The notice may arrive a couple of weeks after the offset is put into the database. The notice will show your original refund amount, your offset amount, the agency that the offset was paid to, and its address and telephone number.
If the offset is from the BFS, BUT the refund amount on the BFS offset notice is different than the amount on your tax return, you should contact the IRS to resolve the discrepancy.
If you believe you don’t owe a debt to another agency or have questions about it, contact the agency that received your money as indicated in your notice.
If you didn’t get a notice about an offset but your refund is smaller than you expected, call the IRS toll-free at 1-800-829-1040 (or TTY/TDD 1-800-829-4059).
If you filed a joint tax return, you may be entitled to part or all of the refund offset if your spouse is solely responsible for the debt. To request your part of the refund, file IRS Form 8379, Injured Spouse Allocation.
If your refund was offset to pay a joint federal tax debt and you believe only your spouse or former spouse should be held responsible for all or part of the tax, you should request relief from the liability.
Bureau of the Fiscal Service (BFS)
IRS Form 8857, Request for Innocent Spouse Relief
IRS Instructions 8857, Instructions for Request for Innocent Spouse Relief
IRS Form 8379, Injured Spouse Allocation
The right to be informed
The right to pay no more than the correct amount of tax
You have the right to challenge the IRS’s position and be heard
Is your tax problem more complex? If your issue is causing you financial hardship, you have tried repeatedly and are not receiving a response from the IRS, or you feel your taxpayer rights are being violated, consider contacting TAS.
Do you feel that you need help from a tax professional but can’t afford one? You may be eligible for representation from an attorney, certified public accountant (CPA), or enrolled agent associated with a Low Income Taxpayer Clinic.
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