The IRS is aware that in some instances a portion of the payment sent to a spouse who filed an injured spouse claim with his or her 2019 tax return (or 2018 tax return if no 2019 tax return has been filed) has been offset by the non-injured spouse’s past-due child support. The IRS is working with the Bureau of Fiscal Service and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child Support Enforcement, to resolve this issue as quickly as possible.
If you filed an injured spouse claim with your return and are impacted by this issue, you do not need to take any action. The injured spouse will receive their unpaid half of the total payment when the issue is resolved. If an injured spouse claim was not filed with the 2019 (or 2018 joint return), your spouse can still file a claim now with the IRS.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
If you have any further questions or concerns regarding this issue, please contact the IRS directly. You can find more information, including contact information, at irs.gov.