The child support program works with both parents to collect consistent, timely child support payments. When child support is not paid regularly, we can take actions to collect monthly and past-due amounts. These various types of actions can affect the parent’s finances, mobility, and public record and include:
- Finances
- Income withholding
- Levy financial accounts
- Intercept a state or federal income tax refund
- Withhold other one-time or recurring federal payment such as retirement, salary, payments to vendors or contractors, and other federal payments
- Mobility
- Deny a passport
- Suspend licenses (driver’s, occupational, and recreational)
- Public Record
- Set liens on property
- Report child support debts to credit bureaus
Additionally, child support offices can connect parents to employment and other services to help parents become more self-sufficient and able to pay their child support.
Federal Tax Refund Offset Program
For cases in the child support program, the Federal Tax Refund Offset Program collects past-due support payments from the tax refunds of parents who owe child support.
- How does the program work?
- When is my case eligible for the program?
- How does the program handle interstate cases?
- As the noncustodial parent, what happens if I have remarried and part of the income tax refund belongs to my new spouse?
- My child is no longer a minor, will the state still submit my debt for the program?
Top Resources
Collecting Child Support – Chapter 5 Child Support Handbook (PDF — 546.36 KB)
Information on how child support is collected
Provides information on the background of the federal insurance match program
Provides an overview of the Administrative Offset Program, which allows for the interception of certain federal payments
Provides an overview of the Multistate Financial Institution Data Match program