Treasury Offset Program | FTB.ca.gov (2024)

FAQs

How do I check my Treasury offset program? ›

The debtor is notified in advance of any offset action to be taken. Individuals may call the TOP Interactive Voice Response (IVR) at 800-304-3107 to determine the contact information for the agency or state they owe.

The Treasury Offset Program (TOP) collects debts owed to federal agencies and states. If you owe a debt that is past due to a government agency, your federal payments could be offset (reduced or withheld) to pay for it.

A debtor who wants to avoid offset by paying the debt must pay the agency to which the debt is owed. The agency will then tell Treasury to stop the offset process for that debt.

TAS Can Help You Obtain an Offset Bypass Refund

Since timing is critical, call the local TAS office to verify your Form 911 has been received and assigned to a local case advocate. Taxpayers must file their original return with the IRS. A return is not considered filed until the IRS receives it.

You can contact the agency with which you have a debt to determine if the debt was submitted for refund offset by calling the Bureau of the Fiscal Service at 800-304-3107 (or TTY/TDD 800-877-8339), Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST.

Offset letter

The letter explains that we plan to notify BFS of the debt if you do not pay in full within 60 days. BFS will send you a letter explaining why your federal refund was reduced and that it may take several weeks before the federal refund reaches FTB.

Determine your eligibility

You are eligible if you: Filed your 2020 tax return by October 15, 2021[i] Meet the California adjusted gross income (CA AGI) limits described in the What you may receive section. Were not eligible to be claimed as a dependent in the 2020 tax year.

Requirements for CA Tax Debt Forgiveness

You have to show that you are barely making it financially. If at the end of the month you have no funds left based on the FTB financial statement and are not under 50, good chance you will qualify. Your expenses also have to be reasonable.

The Treasury Offset Program (TOP) collects past-due (delinquent) debts (for example, child support payments) that people owe to state and federal agencies. TOP matches people and businesses who owe delinquent debts with money that federal agencies are paying (for example, a tax refund).

Answer: The IRS Hardship Program, also known as the Currently Not Collectible (CNC) status, is a program that provides temporary relief to taxpayers who are experiencing financial hardship and cannot afford to pay their tax debt.

Can an offset be reversed? ›

The IRS may, for example, choose not to offset an overpayment against an outstanding federal tax refund because of undue hardship. However, the IRS's authority not to offset generally disappears once the offset has been done—it cannot reverse an offset.

If your debt has been paid in full, or if you do not owe the debt for other reasons, IDES is responsible for instructing Treasury to stop the offset process. IDES is also responsible for returning to you any part of your payment that should not have been reduced.

Under IRS hardship rules, if a person would face unfair financial hardship after the collection of their outstanding taxes, they may be able to qualify for an “Uncollectible” status. Once declared currently not collectible, the IRS cannot take your paycheck or property in lieu of tax payment.

General Initiative Eligibility

You should be current on all federal tax filings and owe no more than $50,000 in back taxes, interest and penalties combined. If you're a small business owner, you could be eligible for relief under the Fresh Start Initiative if you owe no more than $25,000 in payroll taxes.

If you qualify for tax credits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit, you can receive a refund even if your tax is $0. To claim the credits, you have to file your 1040 and other tax forms.

You can access your federal tax account through a secure login at IRS.gov/account. View the amount you owe, along with details of your balance, your payment history, tax records, and key tax return information from your most recent tax return as originally filed.

You'll get an explanatory letter from the Bureau of the Fiscal Service if your refund is offset. The remainder of your refund will be processed as usual. An offset shouldn't delay it, unless your entire refund was applied to your debt.

If you're unsure whether you owe money to the IRS, you can view your tax account information on IRS.gov.