## Overview

The Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) has developed a
single procedure for submitting cases for each of the following four
available remedies: 1) Federal income tax refund offset; 2)
administrative offset, which includes vendor/miscellaneous, and Federal
retirement payments; 3) denial of U.S. passports; and, 4) multistate
financial institution data match (MSFIDM). States are required to submit
all cases that meet the criteria for Federal income tax refund offset to
OCSE for collection through the offset program. In addition, States must
have procedures in place to participate in the Passport Denial Program
and MSFIDM. Administrative offset is an optional program. Cases are
submitted to all four programs if they meet the programs' eligibility
criteria and are not specifically excluded by the State.

Under this single submission process, most of the eligibility criteria
for these four programs are uniform. For example, the support obligation
must have been established under a court order or an order of an
administrative process established under State law. Past‑due support
cannot include fees or court costs or any other non-child support debts
owed to the State or to the family. Past‑due support may, however,
include medical support, but only if a specific dollar amount is
included in the order. Interest may be included in the amount certified
if it is considered \"support\" under State law. Differences in
eligibility requirements will be noted where appropriate. FMS will send
a notice informing the debtor whenever an offset is made.[^1]

For each remedy, the State IV‑D[^2] agency must: 1) verify the accuracy
of the arrears; 2) possess a copy of the order, including any
modifications; 3) obtain a copy of the payment record or an affidavit
signed by the custodial parent attesting to the amount of support owed;
4) verify the accuracy of the noncustodial parent\'s (NCP) name and
Social Security Number (SSN); and 5) have the custodial parent\'s
current, or last known, address.

Certifications (Official submissions to the Federal Offset Program) in
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) cases may include an
amount for support and maintenance of a child, or of a child and the
parent with whom the child is living. Certifications in Non-TANF and
Medicaid-only cases may include an amount for support and maintenance of
a child; in addition, spousal support is eligible for certification in
cases in which the parent is living with the child and the spousal
support and child support obligations are included in the same order. At
State option, amounts certified in Non-TANF cases may be limited to
past‑due support that accrued since the State IV‑D agency began
enforcing the support order. In Non-TANF or Medicaid-only cases, the
State must check its records to see if there are any former TANF or
foster care arrearages. In interstate cases, only the State that has an
assignment under Section 408(a)(3), 471(a)(17) or 1912(a)(1)(A) may
certify the case. States must send a copy of the certification letter
(exhibit I in the Federal Offset Program User's Guide) with each
submission.[^3]

Please refer to the Federal Offset Program User's Guide for detailed
information on procedures for submission, including all timeframes,
technical information and record specifications.

## Updates to Case Information

Per Treasury regulations, States must notify OCSE of deletions or
decreases in the amount of debts referred for collection, and may notify
of increases in the amount of the debt on an ongoing basis throughout
the year in the manner and timeframes provided by HHS.[^4] HHS requires
States to notify OCSE of any decrease in, or elimination of, an amount
referred for collection by Federal income tax refund and/or
administrative offset on at least a monthly basis. Because all Federal
remedies depend on the information on the Federal Offset file,
especially arrearage amounts, it is imperative that States keep the
information up to date. OCSE recommends sending weekly updates if
possible. Arrearage amount modifications should not be submitted unless
the certified arrearage balance has changed. It is important to note
that new FMS regulations supersede the old IRS regulations where only
"significant decreases according to State Guidelines" were required to
be reported to OCSE.

## Security And Safeguarding Requirements

The Internal Revenue Code (IRC) was amended, effective December 31,
1985, to add a new section, 26 USC 6103(l)(10), pertaining to disclosure
of information obtained by State agencies under the Federal income tax
refund offset program. In general, this law provides that tax return
information can only be used in \"...establishing appropriate agency
records, locating any person for purposes of collecting the debt with
respect to which the reduction is sought, or in the defense of any
litigation or administrative procedure ensuing from a reduction made
under section 6402(c)" \[tax offset for past-due support\]. In addition,
changes were made to section 6103(p)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code
(IRC) regarding the safeguarding of information obtained through the
Federal income tax refund offset process. Transmittals of tax return
information obtained through OCSE must be protected from unlawful use,
disclosure or access in accordance with these requirements.

Please refer to the IRS\' Publication 1075 \"Tax Information Security
Guidelines for Federal, State and Local Agencies,\" revised March 1999
for guidance in assuring that existing practices, controls, and
safeguards employed at the State or local child support offices
adequately protect the confidentiality of the tax data provided by the
IRS. Per 26 USC 6103(l)(6)(B), the address, social security number and
the amount of any reduction (relating to offset of past-due support
against overpayments) may be disclosed to certain agents under contract
with the IV-D Agency for child support purposes.

Special attention should be paid to the sections on illegal and
unauthorized disclosure of tax information, particularly the Safeguard
Procedures and Safeguard Activity Reports that are required when offices
receive Federal tax return information[^5]. In States where the local
child support offices are provided with unverified tax information, the
local office should provide safeguard information to the State IV-D
agency so that, either a consolidated Safeguard Activity Report can be
prepared or the local reports can be attached to the Safeguard Activity
Report submitted to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) by the State IV-D
agency. Copies of these reports should be forwarded to the IRS District
Director (Attention: Disclosure Officer) of the IRS District in which
the State and local agencies are located. According to Section
6103(p)(4) of the IRC, the IRS has the authority to conduct its own
safeguard reviews to ensure that tax return information is used only as
authorized and the State and/or local child support agency has protected
the information against unauthorized disclosure. Copies of Publication
1075 may be obtained by contacting the Special Collections Unit of the
Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement at (202) 401-9389 or by
contacting the IRS directly by calling 1-800-829-3676, or through the
IRS website at: http://www.irs.ustreas.gov/cgi/formorder.

## Federal Income Tax Refund Offset Program[^6]

Congress enacted the Federal income tax refund offset program (tax
offset) on August 13, 1981[^7] to recover delinquent child support
debts. This collection mechanism involves the interaction of all State
IV‑D agencies and three Federal agencies (OCSE, Financial Management
Service (FMS) and IRS). All States must have and use procedures for tax
offset in TANF, Non-TANF, and foster care cases that meet the criteria
for submittal under 45 CFR 303.72.[^8]

When the program began, it was restricted to child support debts owed in
Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) cases. However, as a
result of the Child Support Enforcement Amendments of 1984[^9] the
program was expanded to include child support debts in nonassistance
cases. The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990[^10] further
expanded the tax-offset program for non-AFDC[^11] cases. This law
authorizes the use of this program in Non-TANF cases for the collection
of child support and past-due spousal support when the parent is living
with the child and the spousal support and child support obligations are
included in the same order. In addition, cases may be submitted where
there is past-due support on behalf of a disabled adult who was
determined to be disabled under Title II or XVI while he or she was
still a minor and for whom a support order is still in effect.

Only IV‑D cases that meet one of the following criteria are eligible for
Federal income tax refund offset:

-   the State has an assignment of support rights under section
    408(a)(3) or 471(a)(17) of the Act,

-   the State is enforcing the support obligation pursuant to section
    454(4)(A)(ii) of the Act, or

-   the State has an assignment of medical support rights under section
    1912(a)(1)(A) of the Act.

A custodial parent who has applied for IV‑D services (and paid the
application fee, if any) may be charged an additional fee, not to exceed
\$25, for the Federal income tax refund offset remedy. Some States
recover costs of services directly from the custodial parent by
deducting this fee from the tax refund when it is intercepted.[^12] It
is not necessary to obtain consent from the custodial parent before
submitting a non-TANF case for offset. Custodial parents seeking IV-D
services should be advised that their application allows the IV-D agency
to take any other enforcement action allowed by law, which includes the
full range of services of the IV-D agency.

The criteria for certification are as follows[^13]:

-   TANF or title IV-E foster care cases:

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-   the amount of past‑due support must not be less than \$150;

-   must have been delinquent for 3 months or longer;

-   may submit TANF arrears even if child is no longer a minor.

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```
-   In Non-TANF or Medicaid-only cases:

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```
-   the amount of past‑due support owed to or on behalf of a qualified
    child must be at least \$500;

-   cases may not be submitted for tax offset if the child is
    emancipated, even if the arrears accrued while the child was still a
    minor. The exception is when a disabled adult was determined to be
    disabled under Title II or XVI of the Act while he/she was still a
    minor and for whom a support order is still in effect.

The IRS will offset a refund from a joint income tax return to pay a
past‑due support obligation if either tax filer is certified as being
legally responsible for providing support. State IV‑D agencies are to
refer complaints or questions concerning joint refund cases directly to
the IRS. If the obligor's spouse is not liable for the support debt
under community property laws, the IRS will issue a pro rata refund to
the spouse (upon the filing of an Injured Spouse Claim and Allocation)
and the State will be required to reimburse IRS. The IRS encourages the
filing of form 8379, Injured Spouse Claim and Allocation at the time of
filing. Form 8379 should be attached to the top of the Form 1040 or
1040A, or be filed according to other instructions as indicated on the
Form 8379. This will permit the IRS to make direct refunds to the spouse
and thus avoid adjustments to the State. States and OCSE will be advised
by FMS of any adjustments to State collections that are required.

## Administrative Offset Program

The Debt Collection Improvement Act (DCIA) allows certain Federal
payments to be administratively offset to collect past due child support
obligations. All payments that are eligible for offset under the DCIA,
other than Federal tax refunds, are categorized as \"administrative\"
offsets. Executive Order (EO) 13019[^14] directs the Department of
Health and Human Services (DHHS) to implement procedures to report to
the Department of Treasury information on past-due child support claims
referred by the States to DHHS. In addition, this EO directs the
Department of Treasury, in consultation with DHHS, to develop and
implement procedures to collect delinquent child support by
administrative offset. These procedures are regulated at 31 CFR 285.1.

Participation in the administrative offset program is optional. All case
types that are eligible for Federal income tax refund offset are
eligible for administrative offset. A case may be submitted for
administrative offset when the debt is at least \$25 and is 30 days past
due,[^15] although States have flexibility to determine a higher
threshold. Both recurring and nonrecurring payments are eligible for
administrative offset. Recurring payments are those that are issued on a
regular, routine, or repeated basis. A nonrecurring payment is one that
is issued only once and is not expected to be repeated, such as a
lump-sum retirement payment. Under the administrative offset program the
child does not have to be a minor.

The Federal payments currently included in administrative offset are: 1)
vendor and miscellaneous payments (i.e. expense reimbursement payments
and travel payments); and 2) Federal retirement payments. Payments that
are excluded from the administrative offset program are listed in Tables
1 and 2.

Currently, FMS is offsetting retirement pay at a rate of 25 percent.
Vendor payments and income tax refunds can be offset at 100 percent.
However, under the Consumer Credit Protection Act, salaries, including
Federal salaries for administrative offset purposes, may be offset at
the following percentages:

50 % if the obligor has a second family and is less than 12 weeks in
arrears

55 % if the obligor has a second family and is at least 12 weeks in
arrears

60 % if the obligor does not have a second family and is less than 12
weeks in arrears

65 % if the obligor does not have second family and is at least 12 weeks
in arrears

These limits are reduced by the amount of any deductions in pay
resulting from a support garnishment (for example, if 40% of the salary
is being withheld under a support garnishment, only 10% would be
available for offset if the obligor has a second family and is less than
12 weeks in arrears).[^16] If there is an income withholding in place,
States should exclude the case from salary offset by using the exclusion
indicator.

Disposable earnings for purposes of determining the maximum amounts that
may be offset are determined after deduction of taxes, health insurance
premiums, life insurance premiums, and retirement contributions.[^17] At
the time a past-due support debt is submitted for offset, the State
shall advise HHS if the maximum amount of a Federal salary payment that
may be offset under applicable State law is less than the amount
described under these limits.[^18] Federal salary payments, while
eligible for offset, are not currently being offset, but may be added at
a later date to the program. States should continue to use income
withholding as they have in the past, and should not consider the
Federal administrative offset program to be a substitute for such
procedures.

Payments Exempt by Federal Law[^19]

Table 1

+-----------------+----------------------------------+-----------------+
|                 |                                  |                 |
+-----------------+----------------------------------+-----------------+
| **Payment       | **Type of Payment**              | **Statutory     |
| Agency**        |                                  | Exemption (US   |
|                 |                                  | Code)**[^20]    |
+-----------------+----------------------------------+-----------------+
| Dept of         | Federal Crop Insurance indemnity | 7 USC 1509      |
| Agriculture     |                                  |                 |
+-----------------+----------------------------------+-----------------+
| Dept of Defense | -   Survivors Benefits (military | -   10 USC      |
|                 |     retirement)                  |     1450(i)     |
|                 |                                  |                 |
|                 | -   Medal of Honor pension       | -   38 USC      |
|                 |                                  |     1562(c)     |
+-----------------+----------------------------------+-----------------+
| Dept of         | Payments under a program         | 31 USC          |
| Education       | administered by the Secretary of | 3716(c)(1)(c)   |
|                 | Education under Title IV of the  |                 |
|                 | Higher Education Act of 1965     |                 |
+-----------------+----------------------------------+-----------------+
| Dept of Labor   | -   Payments under the Black     | -   30 USC      |
|                 |     Lung Benefits Act, other     |     932(a)      |
|                 |     than payments under part B   |                 |
|                 |                                  | \[incorporating |
|                 | -   Longshore and Worker's       | 33 USC 916\]    |
|                 |     Compensation Act             |                 |
|                 |                                  | -   33 USC 916  |
+-----------------+----------------------------------+-----------------+
| Dept of         | Payments under the tariff laws   | 31 USC 3701(d)  |
| Treasury        |                                  |                 |
+-----------------+----------------------------------+-----------------+
| Dept of         | Payments of benefits under any   | 31 USC 5301(a)  |
| Veterans        | law administered by the          |                 |
| Affairs         | Secretary of Veterans Affairs    |                 |
|                 | including:                       |                 |
|                 |                                  |                 |
|                 | -   Pension programs             |                 |
|                 |                                  |                 |
|                 | -   Parents' dependency and      |                 |
|                 |     indemnity compensation       |                 |
|                 |     programs                     |                 |
|                 |                                  |                 |
|                 | -   Disability and death         |                 |
|                 |     compensation                 |                 |
|                 |                                  |                 |
|                 | -   Monetary educational         |                 |
|                 |     assistance                   |                 |
|                 |                                  |                 |
|                 | -   Monetary benefits under      |                 |
|                 |     training (including work     |                 |
|                 |     study allowances) and        |                 |
|                 |     rehabilitation programs      |                 |
|                 |                                  |                 |
|                 | -   Special monetary benefits    |                 |
|                 |                                  |                 |
|                 | -   Life insurance payments      |                 |
|                 |                                  |                 |
|                 | -   Funeral and burial expenses  |                 |
|                 |                                  |                 |
|                 | -   Financial assistance for     |                 |
|                 |     adopted housing and          |                 |
|                 |     automobile equipment         |                 |
|                 |                                  |                 |
|                 | -   Minimum income window        |                 |
|                 |                                  |                 |
|                 | -   Special allowance under 38   |                 |
|                 |     USC 1312                     |                 |
|                 |                                  |                 |
|                 | -   Attorney fees withheld from  |                 |
|                 |     retroactive benefits for     |                 |
|                 |     representation at the Board  |                 |
|                 |     of Veterans Appeals          |                 |
|                 |                                  |                 |
|                 | -   Clothing allowance           |                 |
|                 |                                  |                 |
|                 | -   Apportionment funds          |                 |
|                 |                                  |                 |
|                 | -   Accrued benefits             |                 |
|                 |                                  |                 |
|                 | -   Child support withholdings   |                 |
|                 |                                  |                 |
|                 | -   Reimbursement for travel,    |                 |
|                 |     medical, rehabilitation, and |                 |
|                 |     health care related needs    |                 |
|                 |     and activities               |                 |
+-----------------+----------------------------------+-----------------+
| Railroad        | Tier 2 Railroad Retirement       | 45 USC 231(m)   |
| Retirement      | benefits                         |                 |
| Board           |                                  |                 |
+-----------------+----------------------------------+-----------------+
| Social Security | -   Payments under the Black     | -   30 USC      |
| Administration  |     Lung Benefits Act, other     |     932(a)      |
|                 |     than payments under part B   |                 |
|                 |                                  | \[incorporating |
|                 | ```{=html}                       | 33 USC 916\]    |
|                 | <!-- -->                         |                 |
|                 | ```                              | -   31 USC      |
|                 | -   Payments made under the      |     3701(d)     |
|                 |     Social Security Act, except  |                 |
|                 |     to the extent provided under |                 |
|                 |     31USC 3716(c) \[Debt         |                 |
|                 |     Collection Improvement Act\] |                 |
+-----------------+----------------------------------+-----------------+

**Payments Exempted by Action of the**

Secretary of the Treasury (31 USC 3716(c)(3)(B)) [^21]

Table 2

+-----------------+----------------------------------------------------+
|                 |                                                    |
+-----------------+----------------------------------------------------+
| **Payment       | **Type of Payment**                                |
| Agency**        |                                                    |
+-----------------+----------------------------------------------------+
| Dept of         | Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition      |
| Agriculture     | Services benefit payments made under the following |
|                 | programs:                                          |
|                 |                                                    |
|                 | -   Food stamp program                             |
|                 |                                                    |
|                 | -   Nutrition assistance program for Puerto Rico   |
|                 |                                                    |
|                 | -   Special supplemental nutrition program for     |
|                 |     women, infants and children (WIC)              |
|                 |                                                    |
|                 | -   WIC farmer's market nutrition program          |
|                 |                                                    |
|                 | -   National school lunch program                  |
|                 |                                                    |
|                 | -   Summer food service program                    |
|                 |                                                    |
|                 | -   Child and adult care food program              |
|                 |                                                    |
|                 | -   Special milk program for children              |
|                 |                                                    |
|                 | -   School breakfast program                       |
+-----------------+----------------------------------------------------+
| Federal         | Federal Emergency Management Administration        |
| Emergency       | payments under the following disaster relief and   |
| Management      | emergency assistance programs:                     |
| Administration  |                                                    |
|                 | -   Individual & family grant program              |
|                 |                                                    |
|                 | -   Disaster housing                               |
|                 |                                                    |
|                 | -   Crisis counseling assistance & training        |
|                 |                                                    |
|                 | -   Disaster unemployment assistance               |
|                 |                                                    |
|                 | -   Cora Brown fund (disaster aid)                 |
|                 |                                                    |
|                 | -   Community disaster loan                        |
|                 |                                                    |
|                 | -   Public assistance to states and local          |
|                 |     government                                     |
|                 |                                                    |
|                 | -   Fire suppression assistance                    |
|                 |                                                    |
|                 | -   Urban search and rescue                        |
+-----------------+----------------------------------------------------+
| Pension Benefit | Pension Benefit Guaranty payments as follows:      |
| Guaranty        |                                                    |
| Corporation     | -   Premium refunds to pension plans and plan      |
|                 |     sponsors                                       |
|                 |                                                    |
|                 | -   Financial assistance to multiemployer plans    |
|                 |                                                    |
|                 | -   Contractor bank payments to participants and   |
|                 |     beneficiaries                                  |
+-----------------+----------------------------------------------------+

## Federal Passport Denial, Revocation or Restriction Program

The passport denial provision was added in section 370 of PRWORA.
Subsection 452(k) of the Act requires that if the Secretary of DHHS
receives a certification that an NCP owes arrearages of at least
\$5,000, the Secretary shall transmit the certification to the Secretary
of State who shall refuse to issue a passport to such individual. In
addition, under the statute, the Secretary of State may take action to
revoke, restrict or limit a passport previously issued to such an
individual. Currently, the State Department is only denying passports at
the time of application for anyone certified by OCSE. As is the case in
the administrative offset program, the child does not need to be a minor
when the case is certified to OCSE.

Section 454(31) of the Act makes participation in the Passport Denial
program a IV-D State plan requirement. All States are required to have
in effect a procedure to certify to OCSE individuals who owe delinquent
child support in the amount of at least \$5,000. The States are also
required to provide notice to individuals and give them an opportunity
to contest the delinquency determination. When a State submits a case to
OCSE with arrears of at least \$5,000 (or the State submits an increase
to an existing case that causes the arrears to reach at least \$5,000),
OCSE automatically forwards the case to the DOS for passport denial.

Obligors are not automatically removed from passport denial when the
debt drops below \$5,000. The decision to remove an obligor is based on
State policies and procedures. The State must add an exclusion indicator
when they wish to remove an obligor from the Passport Denial Program.

It is important for States to note that once an individual is removed
from the denial process and receives his/her passport, the passport
remains valid for 10 years. In other words, because there is currently
no restriction or revocation mechanism in place, it may be 10 years from
the date the obligor receives a passport until the time he or she can be
denied again. States are encouraged to carefully review cases and
situations before withdrawing obligors from the denial process to ensure
that no one is erroneously issued a passport.

States are also reminded that under no circumstances should the obligor
be referred directly to OCSE\'s Special Collections Unit or to DOS. As
with the offset programs, only the certifying State(s) can delete
obligors from the passport denial process. Obligors calling the Special
Collections Unit will be referred to the certifying State(s). It is the
State's responsibility to handle complaints and to make any arrangements
with NCPs for passport issuance.

## Multistate Financial Institution Data Matches (MSFIDM)

States are required to enact laws enabling IV-D agencies to conduct
quarterly data matches with financial institutions transacting business
in the State.[^22] The Child Support Performance and Incentive Act of
1998[^23], grants OCSE the authority to coordinate data matching with
financial institutions conducting business in more than one State. These
matches are intended to identify assets of obligors who owe past-due
support.

OCSE performs quarterly data matches with multistate financial
institutions. These matches utilize the same case information files that
are used for the Offset Program. Please see OCSE AT 98-07 for further
information.

## Guidelines for Making State Payments

State Payments are refunds to taxpayers due to erroneous offsets. The
following guidelines have been developed to assist States in determining
when a State payment should be made to an obligor.

**[SITUATION 1:]{.underline}**

If the State simply identifies the wrong SSN for an individual, the
State should make a prompt refund to the taxpayer, delete the case, and
report a State payment to OCSE. For example, William Green with SSN
222‑33‑4444 was submitted instead of the actual NCP William Green with
SSN 888‑99‑7777. In this instance the wrong SSN has been identified for
the NCP and the taxpayer being offset is entitled to a prompt refund by
the State.

**[SITUATION 2:]{.underline}**

The second type occurs when a person other than the obligor files
his/her return using the obligor's SSN. One such example is when the
State submits John Smith, SSN 333­-22‑5555 and his current spouse, Mary
Smith, files her return separately using the IRS label mailed to John
Smith. If Mary files her return prior to John, her refund will be offset
because the IRS computer will read his label. Since the name on the
label is the person submitted for offset, even though the return is for
Mary Smith, FMS will offset her refund and forward the money to the
submitting State. In this situation, the State should not refund to the
taxpayer but should refer Mary Smith to the IRS who must correct their
records, adjust the State\'s collection, and make a refund to her.

Another example of this particular type involves a father/son
relationship. If Jose Rodrigues, Jr. files using his father\'s SSN and
is offset, but is not the NCP, the State should not make a refund to
him. Instead Jose Rodrigues, Jr. should be referred to IRS so his tax
account can be updated correctly. Again, IRS would adjust the State\'s
collection and send a refund to Jose Rodrigues, Jr. Then when Jose
Rodrigues, Sr. files his return, it can be offset.

**[SITUATION 3:]{.underline}**

Occasionally two persons are assigned the same SSN in error by the
Social Security Administration (SSA). If this is the situation, the
first person filing his/her return will be offset. If, however, that
person is not the obligor, the State should not make a refund to the
taxpayer. Instead, the person should be referred to IRS who will assign
a temporary filing number, credit the taxpayer\'s account with the
refund, and have the person obtain a new SSN from SSA. IRS will adjust
the State's collection and refund the taxpayer's money, correcting the
offset. Consequently, when the obligor files his return, the refund will
be eligible for offset.

##  {#section .unnumbered}

## Procedures for Contesting Single-State Cases

These procedures cover cases that involve only one State. Procedures for
cases that involve more than one State can be found in Section 10,
Submitting Interstate Cases. The procedure for contesting single-State
cases is found at 45 CFR 303.72(f).

Upon receipt of a complaint from an NCP regarding either a Pre-Offset
Notice or a Federal income tax refund or administrative payment which
has been offset, the State must review the case and attempt to resolve
the complaint. If the taxpayer requests an administrative review, the
IV-D agency must: send a notice to the NCP and, in Non-TANF and
Medicaid-only cases, the custodial parent regarding the time and place
of the administrative review. The State must conduct the review to
determine the validity of the complaint. If the complaint concerns a
joint Federal income tax refund that has not yet been offset, the IV-D
agency must inform the NCP that the Secretary of Treasury will notify
the NCP\'s spouse at the time of offset regarding the steps to take to
secure his or her proper share of the refund.

If the administrative review results in a deletion of, or decrease in,
the amount referred for offset, the IV-D agency must notify OCSE using
the procedures for reporting updates. If, as a result of the
administrative review, an amount which has already been offset is found
to have exceeded the amount of past‑due support owed, the IV-D agency
must take steps to refund the excess amount to the NCP promptly, and
report to OCSE a State payment.

##  Collection Priorities

If more than one State submits the same NCP for collection, the first
submittal certified to OCSE will receive priority for collection. After
this initial priority, satisfaction of State claims is based on the
amount of the arrearage (from highest to lowest). All TANF arrears
assigned under Section 408(a)(3) or 471(a)(17) will be satisfied before
any Non-TANF delinquency can be offset. It should be noted that other
Federal debts, in addition to back taxes, may be offset by interception
of Federal income tax refunds. IRS tax debts have first priority over
all other offsets. TANF and foster care arrearages come next, followed
by all other Federal debts, and Non-TANF child support arrearages
including Medicaid-only cases.

During the FMS offset process, if the Federal income tax refund is
greater than the amount owed to the first State, the balance will be
used to satisfy the debt owed to the remaining States until the refund
is exhausted or all debts are satisfied. Any remaining amount will be
paid to the taxpayer. However, as noted above, an assigned arrears claim
takes priority over a Non-TANF claim even if the latter claim was
submitted first.

FMS' gives priority to child support debts in administrative offset
\[[See]{.underline} 31 CFR 285.1(n)\]. The priority scheme for tax
offset may be found at 31 CFR 285.3(d).

##  Submitting Interstate Cases[^24] 

In interstate cases, the initiating State (the State in which the public
assistance assignment or nonassistance application for IV-D services has
been filed) must submit the past-due support for tax offset and, if
specified, administrative offset. The State must also inform any other
State involved when a case is submitted and when it receives an offset
amount from FMS.[^25] If the debt submitted is based upon another
State\'s support order, the State submitting the debt must communicate
with the State that has the order. The submitting state should verify
arrears and obtain a copy of the order (including any modifications) and
the payment record (and in non-IVA cases, the custodial parent's
address) prior to submitting the obligor for certification. The
submitting State must comply with the other State\'s laws regarding
offsets. Several States have been involved in litigation that has
resulted in the imposition of specific safeguards to prevent the
wrongful interception of taxpayers\' refunds. These requirements for
expanded notice and hearing procedures may affect the enforcement of any
child support order issued within the State. 45 CFR 303.72(g) provides
for an administrative review in either the submitting State or the State
that issued the order upon request by the obligor.

## Interstate Communication 

There are two methods available to States to exchange information
regarding Federal Offsets. The preferred method is to use CSENet 2000 to
exchange Federal Offset information. For further details regarding
CSENet 2000, please see the CSENet Interface Guidance Document. In
addition, there are the interstate transmittal forms (OCSE-AT-97-06,
Distribution of Federally approved standard interstate child support
enforcement (CSE) forms).[^26]

When determining the arrears amount for certification, the submitting
State should provide the arrearage that is current at the time of
certification. If there are multiple orders in the case being certified
and a tribunal has entered a Controlling Order determination under the
Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA), the amount of the arrears
determined pursuant to the UIFSA registration action is binding upon all
other States. In multiple order cases, a State that issued one of the
multiple orders used in the Controlling Order determination may certify
the arrears owed under their order, as determined by the tribunal
issuing the controlling order determination but their certification
should clearly indicate that they are only certifying their portion of
the total arrears.

## Procedures for Contesting Interstate Cases

If the NCP requests an administrative review in the submitting State,
the IV-D agency must first follow the same procedures set forth in
Section 8, Procedures for Contesting Single-State Cases.[^27] In
particular, the submitting State should review its computation of the
arrearage amount submitted for offset and the underlying documentation,
any new evidence provided by the NCP, and attempt to resolve the
complaint if possible.

If the submitting State cannot resolve the complaint, the NCP may
request a review in the State that issued the order. The submitting
state must notify the State with the order within 10 days of the NCP's
request. They must also provide all necessary information (a copy of the
order and any modifications, a copy of the payment record or the
custodial parent\'s affidavit, and the custodial parent\'s address for a
Non-TANF or Medicaid-only case). States should use the Interstate
Transmittal Form #1 to refer a case to the State with the order for the
purposes of conducting an administrative review.

The State with the order must send a notice to the NCP of the time and
place of the administrative review. In Non-TANF or Medicaid-only cases,
the custodial parent must also be notified. The State must conduct the
review and make a decision within 45 days of receiving the information
from the submitting State. The decision must be based on the accuracy of
the arrears amount and whether or not it is legally enforceable under
State law. If the State conducting the review is not the State that
submitted the case for offset, it is not appropriate to base the review
on policy considerations, i.e., whether the State with the order would
have submitted the case for offset under its own procedures.

If the administrative review results in a deletion of, or decrease in,
the amount referred for offset, the State with the order must notify
OCSE within the same timeframes set out for intrastate cases. If the
offset has already occurred, the State with the order must notify the
submitting State of its decision, and the IV-D agency in the submitting
State must take steps to refund any excess amount offset to the NCP
promptly. The State may not delay refunds of excess amounts withheld
pending receipt of the offset from the FMS. The submitting State is
bound by the outcome of the administrative review conducted by the State
with the order. Please note, however, that if the submittal is based
upon orders from two States, the reviewing State should only verify the
arrearage that accrued under its own order. Such submittals will usually
require two separate administrative reviews if the taxpayer challenges
the entire submittal.

In computing incentives, if the case is referred to the State with the
order for an administrative review, collections made as a result of
Federal income tax refund or administrative offset will be treated as
having been collected in full by both the submitting State and the State
with the order. When a collection is received after a case has been
transferred to the State with the order for the purpose of an
administrative review, OCSE will report the offset to both States. The
submitting State is liable to FMS for any adjustments and both States
will have to reflect such adjustments when reporting collections to
OCSE.

##  Pre-Offset Notices 

Individuals must receive a written advanced notice - called a Pre-Offset
Notice -- at least 30 days before their case can be submitted to FMS for
offset.[^28] Pre-Offset Notices must be sent on cases that have not been
previously submitted to the combined offset program. States may issue
their own notices or have OCSE issue the Pre-Offset Notices for them.

OCSE\'s Pre-Offset Notice (EXHIBIT A) is designed to be used for
participation in the Federal offset program. Please note that the notice
includes language clearly advising the obligor that the amount of the
offset is based on the debt owed at the time of offset and may exceed
the amount indicated in the Pre-Offset Notice. States may increase or
decrease the amount the obligor owes via the weekly update process. OCSE
strongly encourages States producing their own offset notices to include
similar language. The decision whether or not to send notices annually,
or more frequently, is currently a matter of State policy. However, OCSE
recommends that a new notice should be issued whenever an arrears
balance is paid-off and a new debt accrues or when there are other
significant changes in the amount certified, such as a large increase in
the debt amount. States that send monthly arrearage notices may not find
it necessary to update their tax and administrative offset notices as
often as other States that do not send regular notices to obligors. OCSE
strongly recommends that all States send notices to obligors at least
annually. All Pre-Offset Notices [must]{.underline} inform NCPs of the
following:

-   the nature and amount of the debt;

-   the right to contest the State\'s determination that past‑due
    support is owed or the amount of past‑due support submitted for
    offset;

-   the right to an administrative review by the submitting State or, at
    the NCP\'s request, the State with the order upon which the referral
    for offset is based; and

-   the procedures and timeframe for contacting the IV-D agency in the
    submitting State to request administrative review.

Additionally, the IRS recommends that States include in their notices
the following language:

> If you are married, filing a joint income tax return, and you incurred
> this debt separately from your spouse, who has no legal responsibility
> for the debt and who has income and withholding and/or estimated tax
> payments, he or she may be entitled to receive his or her portion of
> the joint refund. If your spouse meets the criteria stated above, he
> or she may receive his or her portion of the joint refund by filing a
> Form 8379, Injured Spouse Claim and Allocation. Form 8379 should be
> attached to the top of the Form 1040 or 1040A when you file, or be
> filed according to other instructions as indicated on the Form 8379.

The Pre-Offset Notice that OCSE sends to obligors includes information
about credit bureau reporting. Section 406(a)(7) of the Act, requires
States to have procedures for periodically submitting cases with support
arrearages to consumer reporting agencies after providing notice and an
opportunity to contest the accuracy of the information being reported.
For more information on credit bureau reporting see OCSE-IM-88-1 dated
April 12, 1988, and DC-94-70.

In order to ensure that all notices meet the requirements of 45 CFR
303.72(e), States electing to issue their own Pre-Offset Notices must
submit a copy to the OCSE Regional Office for review before the notice
is sent to obligors. OCSE will review the notice to see that it meets
the above requirements. A copy of the notice should also be sent to the
OCSE Special Collections Unit.

States that choose to have the required Pre-Offset Notice printed and
mailed by OCSE will be charged for this service. OCSE charges include
the costs of printing the notices, customized envelopes, mail
processing, and postage. Any fees charged the State are reimbursable at
the current Federal matching rate for child support administrative
expenses.

Please note that a change has been made in the passport language on this
notice for added clarity based on State requests. The Pre-Offset Notice
sent in DC-99-75 is also valid, but OCSE will be using the language
shown in Exhibit A.

##  Distribution of Collections From Offsets

Past‑due support amounts collected as a result of the Federal income tax
refund offset procedure shall be distributed in accordance with section
457(a)(2)(B)(iv) of the Act. This section provides that such amounts
collected must be used first to satisfy past unreimbursed assistance
payments. Collections as a result of Federal income tax refund offset
must be distributed to the TANF, IV‑E, or Medicaid Agency if
appropriate, or the Non-TANF family within 30 calendar days of the date
of receipt by the IV-D agency unless State law requires a post-offset
appeal process and an appeal is filed on-time.[^29] If an offset is made
to satisfy Non-TANF past‑due support from a refund based upon a joint
return, the State may delay distribution until notified that the
unobligated spouse\'s proper share of the refund has been paid or for a
period not to exceed six months from notification of offset, whichever
period is shorter.

Past due support collected as a result of the administrative offset
program is to be distributed in accordance with the normal distribution
procedures set forth in section 457 of the Act. (See AT-98-24 dated
August 19, 1998.)

The FMS Service Fee is deducted directly from the collections of both
tax refund and administrative offsets. The tax refund offset is a
collection under the authority of Title IV, Part D, Section 464 of the
Act, and is therefore required by section 456(a)(3) of the Act to
reduce, dollar for dollar, the amount of the obligor\'s child support
debt. For tax refund offsets, even though the amount received by the
State will be the collection less the FMS fee, the States must credit
the obligor as having paid that full amount. The procedures for
processing administrative offset service fees will mirror the procedures
for offsets of federal tax refunds. That is, although the amount
received by the State will be the collection less the FMS fee, the State
must credit the obligor for the full amount of the administrative
offset.

While federal tax refund offsets generally occur only once a year, some
administrative offsets (such as retirement or salary payments) may be
recurring. States should note that FMS will charge a fee each time an
offset occurs. States should also note that regulations at 45 C.F.R.
303.100(e)(2) require income withholding after location of an
employer.[^30]

##  Bankruptcy

Under Chapter 11 of the US Code, Section 523(a)(5), a child support
obligation may not be discharged under bankruptcy.

However, a State may not certify a case for administrative or tax offset
when the NCP or his or her spouse has a stay in bankruptcy. Once the
stay under section 362 of the Bankruptcy Code has been lifted or is no
longer in effect the obligor is still required to pay off his/her child
support debt and the case may again be submitted for offset, provided
all submission criteria are met.

If a case has been submitted and FMS receives notice of a bankruptcy
filing made within the previous year, the FMS procedure is to inactivate
the case and notify OCSE. Then OCSE will notify the State. Once the stay
is lifted, the State can resubmit the case for offset.

CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT DIVISION CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT DIVISION

DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE MS 01550 W 7TH AVE 4TH FL

550 W 7TH AVE 4TH FL ANCHORAGE AK 99501-6699

ANCHORAGE AK 99501-6699 PHONE(S): (907) 269-6900

INSTATE (800) 478-3300

**CURRENT DATE** \*\* CONTACT ADDRESS ABOVE \*\*

> MR AND/OR MS JOHN DOE
>
> 3331 ANYSTREET BLVD
>
> ANYTOWN USA 99999-0123

SSN CASE NUMBER LOCAL ID PAST DUE AMOUNT CLAIMED

992-12-3456 33331Z97RN1 001 \$520 (NON-TANF)

The agency identified above has determined that you owe past-due child
and/or spousal support. Our records show that you owe at least the
amount shown above. If your case was submitted to the United States
Department of the Treasury for collection in the past, this amount is
subject to collection at any time by Administrative Offset and/or
Federal Tax Refund Offset. If your case has not already been submitted
to the United States Department of the Treasury and you do not pay in
full within 30 days from the date of this notice, this amount will be
referred for collection by Administrative Offset and/or Federal Tax
Refund Offset. Under Administrative Offset (31 U.S.C. 3716), certain
Federal payments that might otherwise be paid to you will be
intercepted, either in whole or in part, to pay past-due child and/or
spousal support. Under Federal Tax Refund Offset (42 U.S.C. 664; 26
U.S.C. 6402), any Federal income tax refund to which you may be entitled
will be intercepted to satisfy your debt.

If you owe arrearages of child support in an amount exceeding \$5,000,
the agency identified above will certify your debt to the State
Department pursuant to 42 USC 654(31). Once you are certified, the
Secretary of State will refuse to issue a passport to you, and may
revoke, restrict or limit a passport that was previously issued. The
amount of your past-due support will also be reported to consumer
reporting agencies.

Your debt will remain subject to collection by Federal Tax Refund Offset
and/or Administrative Offset until it is paid in full. *Important:* If
you owe current support, any further arrears accruing due to payments
missed may be added to your debt and will be subject to collection by
Federal Tax Refund Offset and/or Administrative Offset now or in the
future without further notice. To determine additional amounts owed or
the total amount past-due which the agency has submitted for collection,
you may contact us at the address or phone number listed above.

You have a right to contest our determination that this amount of
past-due support is owed, and you may request an administrative review.
To request an administrative review you must contact us within 30 days
of the date of this notice at the address or phone number listed above.
If your support order was not issued in our State, we can conduct the
review or, if you prefer, the review can be conducted in the State that
issued the support order. If you request, we will contact that State
within 10 days after we receive your request and you will be notified of
the time and place of your administrative review by the State which
issued the order. All requests for administrative review must be made by
contacting the agency identified above.

If you are married, filing a joint income tax return, and you incurred
this debt separately from your spouse, who has no legal responsibility
for the debt and who has income and withholding and/or estimated tax
payments, your spouse may be entitled to receive his or her portion of
any joint Federal tax refund. If your spouse meets these criteria, he or
she may receive his or her portion of the joint refund by filing a Form
8379 - Injured Spouse Claim and Allocation. Form 8379 should be attached
to the top of the Form 1040 or 1040A when you file, or be filed
according to other instructions as indicated on the Form 8379.

\[Code of Federal Regulations\]

\[Title 31, Volume 2\]

\[Revised as of July 1, 1999\]

From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access

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. 285.1 Collection of past-due support by administrative offset.

\(a\) Definitions. For purposes of this section:

Administrative offset means withholding funds payable by the United
States (including funds payable by the United States on behalf of a
State government) to, or held by the United States for, a person to
satisfy a debt.

Debt as used in this section is synonymous with the term past-due
support.

Disbursing official includes an official who has authority to disburse
public money pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 3321 or another Federal law.

FMS means the Financial Management Service, a bureau of the Department
of the Treasury. FMS is the designee of the Secretary of the Treasury
for all matters concerning this section, unless otherwise specified.

HHS means the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child
Support Enforcement.

Past-due support means the amount of support determined under a court
order, or an order of an administrative procedure 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. The term
child as used in this definition is not limited to minor children.

Past-due support being enforced by the State means there has been an
assignment of the support rights to the State, or the State making the
request for offset is providing services to individuals pursuant to 42
U.S.C. 654(5) (section 454(5) of the Social Security Act), or the State
is enforcing support pursuant to a cooperative agreement with or by an
Indian tribal government.

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.

Secretary means the Secretary of the Treasury.

\(b\) General rule. FMS may enter into a reciprocal agreement with a
State for the collection of past-due support being enforced by the State
by administrative offset from certain Federal payments. Upon
notification of past-due support either directly from a State which has
entered into such an agreement or from HHS, disbursing officials of FMS
or any other disbursing official of the United States shall offset
Federal payments which are subject to offset under this section, to
collect past-due support. The amount offset, minus the offset fee, shall
be forwarded to the State to be distributed in accordance with
applicable laws and procedures.

\(c\) Agreements. FMS may enter into reciprocal agreements with States
for disbursing officials of FMS and any other Federal disbursing
official to offset certain Federal payments to collect past-due support
being enforced by the State. The agreement shall contain any
requirements which FMS considers appropriate to facilitate the offset
and prevent duplicative efforts and shall require States to prescribe
procedures governing the collection of past-due support by Federal
administrative offset. For purposes of this section, reciprocal means of
mutual benefit. An agreement between FMS and a State to collect past-due
support by offsetting Federal payments will be considered of mutual
benefit and it is not required that States conduct administrative
offsets to collect debts owed to the Federal Government. States which
have entered into an agreement with FMS pursuant to this section may
thereafter request, in the manner prescribed herein, that an offset be
performed. Such requests shall be made by the appropriate State
disbursing official which, for purposes of this section, means an
appropriate official of the State agency which administers or supervises
the administration of the State plan under Title IV-D of the Social
Security Act.

\(d\) Notification to FMS of past-due support. (1) States notifying FMS
of past-due support must do so in the manner and format prescribed by
FMS. States notifying HHS of past-due support must do so in the manner
and format prescribed by HHS. HHS shall notify FMS of all past-due
support referred to HHS by States for collection by administrative
offset provided that the requirements of paragraphs (d)(3) and (h) of
this section have been met.

\(2\) When a State has knowledge that past-due support is being enforced
by more than one State, the State notifying FMS or HHS of the past-due
support must inform any other State involved in enforcing the past-due
support when it refers the debt for offset and when it receives the
offset amount.

\(3\) The notification of past-due support must be accompanied by a
certification that the debt is past-due, legally enforceable, and that
the State has complied with all the requirements as set forth in
paragraph (h) of this section and with any requirements imposed by State
law or procedure. For debts so certified, the Secretary may waive
sections 552a (o) and (p) of Title 5, United States Code, where
applicable, in accordance with the Secretary\'s authority under 31
U.S.C. 3716(f).

\(4\) FMS may reject a notification of past-due support which does not
comply with the requirements of this section. The State will be notified
of the rejection along with the reason for the rejection.

\(e\) Minimum amount of past-due support. FMS will reject a notification
of past-due support where the past-due support owed is less than
\$25.00. This amount may be adjusted from time to time by FMS to ensure
that the cost of collection does not exceed the debt.

\(f\) Limitations. Debts properly submitted to FMS for administrative
offset will remain subject to collection by administrative offset until
withdrawn by the State provided the debt remains past-due and legally
enforceable.

\(g\) Notification of changes in status of debt. The State notifying FMS
or HHS of past-due support shall, in the manner and in the time frames
provided by FMS or HHS, notify FMS or HHS of deletions or decreases in
the amount of a debt referred for collection by administrative offset.
The State may notify FMS or HHS of any increases in the amount of a debt
referred for collection by administrative offset provided the State has
complied with the requirements of paragraph (h) of this section with
regard to those amounts.

\(h\) Advance notification of intent to collect by administrative
offset. (1) The State, or FMS or HHS on behalf of the State, if the
State requests and FMS or HHS agrees, shall send a written notification,
at least 30 days in advance of referral of the debt for offset, to the
individual owing past-due support, informing the individual that the
State intends to refer the debt for collection by administrative offset
against Federal payments. The notice must also inform the individual of:

\(i\) The nature and amount of the debt; and

\(ii\) The right to an administrative review by the State referring the
debt or, upon the request of the individual, by the State with the order
upon which the referral was based, of the determination of the State
with respect to the debt and of the procedures and time frames
established by the State for such reviews.

\(2\) Prior to referring a debt to FMS for collection by administrative
offset, States must provide individuals with a reasonable opportunity to
exercise the rights enumerated in paragraph (h)(1) of this section in
accordance with procedures prescribed by the State.

\(i\) Payments subject to offset. Federal payments subject to offset
under this section include all Federal payments except:

\(1\) Payments due to an individual under

\(i\) Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965;

\(ii\) The Social Security Act;

\(iii\) Part B of the Black Lung Benefits Act;

\(iv\) Any law administered by the Railroad Retirement Board;

\(2\) Payments which the Secretary determines are exempt from offset in
accordance with paragraph (k) of this section;

\(3\) Payments from which collection of past-due support by
administrative offset is expressly prohibited by law;

\(4\) Payments made under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (except that
tax refund payments are subject to offset under separate authority); and

\(5\) Payments made under the tariff laws of the United States.

\(j\) Special provisions applicable to Federal salary payments. (1)
Unless a lower maximum offset limitation is provided by applicable State
law, the maximum part of a Federal salary payment per pay period subject
to offset to collect past-due support shall not exceed those amounts set
forth at section 1673(b)(2) (A) and (B) of Title 15, United States Code,
as follows:

\(i\) Fifty (50%) percent of the debtor\'s aggregate disposable earnings
for any pay period, where the debtor asserts by affidavit, or by other
acceptable evidence, that he/she is supporting a spouse and/or dependent
child, other than the former spouse and/or child for whom support is
being collected, except that an additional five (5%) percent will apply
if it appears that such earnings are to enforce past-due support for a
period which is twelve (12) weeks or more prior to the pay period to
which the offset applies. A debtor shall be considered to be supporting
a spouse and/or dependent child only if the debtor provides over half of
the spouse\'s and/or dependent child\'s support.

\(ii\) Sixty (60%) percent of the debtor\'s aggregate disposable
earnings for any pay period where the debtor fails to assert by
affidavit or establish by other acceptable evidence that he/she is
supporting a spouse and/or dependent child, other than a former spouse
and/or child for whom support is being collected, except that an
additional five (5%) percent will apply if it appears that such earnings
are to enforce past-due support for a period which is twelve (12) weeks
or more prior to the pay period to which the offset applies.

\(2\) The maximum allowable offset amount shall be reduced by the amount
of any deductions in pay resulting from a garnishment order for support.
Nothing in this rule is intended to alter rules applicable to processing
garnishment orders for child support and/or alimony.

\(3\) Federal salary payments subject to offset for the collection of
past-due support include current basic pay, special pay, incentive pay,
retainer pay, overtime, or in the case of an employee not entitled to
basic pay, other authorized pay. Aggregate disposable earnings for
purposes of determining the maximum amounts which may be offset under
paragraph (j)(1) of this section is Federal salary pay remaining after
the deduction of:

\(i\) Any amount required by law to be withheld;

\(ii\) Amounts properly withheld for Federal, State or local income tax
purposes;

\(iii\) Amounts deducted as health insurance premiums;

\(iv\) Amounts deducted as normal retirement contributions, not
including amounts deducted for supplementary coverage; and

\(v\) Amounts deducted as normal life insurance premiums not including
amounts deducted for supplementary coverage.

\(4\) At least 30 days in advance of offset, the disbursing official
shall send written notice to the debtor of the maximum offset
limitations described in paragraph (j)(1) of this section. The notice
shall include a request that the debtor submit supporting affidavits or
other documentation necessary to determine the applicable offset
percentage limitation. The notice shall also inform the debtor of the
percentage that will be deducted if he/she fails to submit the requested
documentation.

\(5\) At the time the past-due support debt is submitted for offset, the
State shall advise FMS or HHS if the maximum amount of a Federal salary
payment that may be offset is less than the amount described under this
paragraph.

\(k\) Payments exempt from administrative offset to collect past-due
support being enforced by a State. The Secretary will exempt from
administrative offset under this part payments made under means-tested
programs when requested by the head of the Federal agency which
administers the program. For purposes of this section, means-tested
programs are programs for which eligibility is based on a determination
that income and/or assets of the beneficiary are inadequate to provide
the beneficiary with an adequate standard of living without program
assistance. The Secretary may exempt from administrative offset under
this section any other class or type of payment upon the written request
of the head of the agency which authorizes the payments. In determining
whether or not to grant such exemptions, the Secretary shall give due
consideration to whether administrative offset would tend to interfere
substantially with or defeat the purposes of the payment agency\'s
program.

\(l\) Fees. A fee which FMS has determined to be sufficient to reimburse
FMS for the full cost of the offset procedure, shall be deducted from
each offset amount. FMS will notify the States, annually and in advance,
of the amount of the fee to be charged for each offset.

\(m\) Offsetting payments\--(1) Conducting the offset. Disbursing
officials of the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Defense,
the United States Postal Service, or any other Government corporation,
any disbursing official of the United States designated by the
Secretary, or any disbursing official of an executive department or
agency that disburses Federal payments shall offset payments subject to
offset under this section to satisfy, in whole or part, a debt owed by
the payee. Disbursing officials shall compare payment certification
records with records of debts submitted to FMS for collection by
administrative offset. A match will occur when the taxpayer identifying
number and name control of a payment record are the same as the taxpayer
identifying number and name control of a debt record. The taxpayer
identifying number for an individual is the individual\'s social
security number. When a match occurs and all other requirements for
offset have been met, the disbursing official shall offset the payment
to satisfy, in whole or part, the debt. Any amounts not offset shall be
paid to the payee. The amount that can be offset from a single payment
is the lesser of the amount of the debt (including interest, penalties,
and administrative costs); the amount of the payment; or the amount of
the payment available for offset if a statute or regulation prohibits
offset of the entire amount. Debts remain subject to collection by
offset until paid in full.

\(2\) Disposition of amounts collected. FMS will transmit amounts
collected for debts, less fees charged under paragraph (l) of this
section, to HHS or to the appropriate State. If FMS learns that an
erroneous offset payment has been 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 payee 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 payee). HHS and States shall
notify FMS any time HHS or a State returns an erroneous offset payment
to an affected payee. FMS and HHS, or the appropriate State, will adjust
their debtor records accordingly.

\(n\) Administrative offset priorities. When a payee/debtor owes more
than one debt which has been referred to FMS for collection by
administrative offset, any offset by a disbursing official will be
applied first to past-due support assigned to a State and will be
applied to any other past-due support after any other reductions allowed
by law.

\(o\) Notification of offset. (1) Disbursing officials of FMS or any
other disbursing official which conducts an offset will notify the payee
in writing of the occurrence of the offset to satisfy past-due support.
The notice shall inform the payee of the type and amount of the payment
that was offset; the identity of the State which requested the offset;
and a contact point within the State that will handle concerns regarding
the offset. Disbursing officials shall not be liable for failure to
provide this notice.

\(2\) Disbursing officials of FMS or any other disbursing official which
conducts an offset under this section will share with HHS, upon request
by the Secretary of HHS, information contained in payment certification
records of persons who are delinquent in child support obligations that
would assist in the collection of such debts. When no offset is
conducted, disbursing officials of FMS or any other disbursing official,
will provide such information to HHS to the extent such information is
available from offset activities conducted by FMS and other disbursing
officials.

\(p\) Liability of disbursing officials and payment agencies. Neither
the disbursing official nor the agency authorizing the payment shall be
liable for the amount of the administrative offset on the basis that the
underlying obligation, represented by the payment before the
administrative offset was taken, was not satisfied. Disbursing officials
will notify the agency authorizing the payment that the offset has
occurred so that the agency authorizing the payment may direct any
inquiries concerning the offset to the appropriate State.

\[62 FR 36210, July 7, 1997, as amended at 63 FR 46145, Aug. 28, 1998\]

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.

\(2\) 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

\(iv\) 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 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.

\[63 FR 72094, Dec. 30, 1998\]

[^1]: [See]{.underline} 31 CFR 285.1(o) and 285.3(e).

[^2]: IV-D Refers to Title IV, Part D of the Social Security Act, which
    is the Federal statute authorizing the child support program.

[^3]: [See]{.underline} 45 CFR 303.72(c)(1) and 31 CFR 285.1(d)(3).

[^4]: [See]{.underline} 31 CFR 285.1(g) and 285.3(c)(5).

[^5]: See section 7 of IRS Publication 1075.

[^6]: 45 CFR 303.72, **§**464 of the Act.

[^7]: Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981, P.L.. 97‑35, Section
    2331, August 13, 1981.

[^8]: 45 CFR 303.6(c)(3).

[^9]: P.L. 98-378, August 16, 1984.

[^10]: P.L. 101-508, §5011(b), November 5, 1990.

[^11]: Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program was
    repealed by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity
    Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996 (P.L. 104-193) and replaced by
    the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. All
    references to AFDC in this document are changed to TANF after this
    paragraph.

[^12]: Pursuant to 45 CFR 302.33(d)(ii).

[^13]: These requirements may be found in regulations at 45 CFR 303.72
    and 31 CFR 285.3.

[^14]: Executive Order 13019 "Supporting Families: Collecting Delinquent
    Child Support Obligations," September 28, 1996.

[^15]: 31 CFR 285.1(e).

[^16]: 31 CFR 285.1(j)(2).

[^17]: 31 CFR 285.1(j)(3), 5 CFR 581.105.

[^18]: 31 CFR 285.1(j)(5).

[^19]: Table information provided by FMS. [See]{.underline} also 31 CFR
    285.1(i).

[^20]: For US Code see Web site: <http://uscode.house.gov/usc.htm>

[^21]: Table information provided by FMS.

[^22]: Section 466(a)(17) of the Act.

[^23]: Child Support Performance and Incentive Act of 1998, P.L.
    105-200, July 16, 1998.

[^24]: Interstate cases may be certified only by a State that has taken
    an assignment under section 408(a)(3), 471(a)(17) or 1912(a)(1)(A)
    of the Act, or has taken an application for IV-D services.

[^25]: 31 CFR 285.1(d)(2) and 285.3(c)(6).

[^26]: See Web site:
    <http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/cse/pol/at-9706.htm>.

[^27]: 45 CFR 303.72 (g).

[^28]: 31 CFR 285.1(h).

[^29]: 45 CFR 302.32(b)(iv).

[^30]: See also 5 CFR 581.