Spousal Support
Similarly, an award for spousal support that’s part of a child-support order can also result in a tax-refund offset if those payments are overdue.
Note that if you filed a joint tax return with your spouse, and your refund was offset because of debts belonging only to your spouse, you can request your portion of the refund back from the IRS. The claim form goes by the somewhat confusing name of Injured Spouse Allocation (IRS Form 8379) and can be found online.
Bear in mind, too, that your tax refund isn’t the only leverage the Treasury can use to collect on back debts such as the ones listed above. Your supplemental security income cannot be garnished, even by the government.