Can back child support cause my tax refund to be intercepted?

If you are a non-custodial parent who is obligated to make child support payments, you may be facing different challenges. For example, you could have difficulty making your monthly payments on time because you recently lost your job or your hours were cut. If you live in Jackson County, or anywhere else in Missouri, it is important to understand how unpaid child support could affect your life in other ways, such as your ability to receive your federal tax refund.

According to the Missouri Department of Social Services, your tax refund can be intercepted if you owe back child support. However, certain criteria must be met and funds that are intercepted will be applied to delinquent child support payments that you owe the state or your child’s custodial parent. Custodial parents are only able to receive money from intercepted tax refunds after the state has collected money it is owed.

If you are having trouble fulfilling your child support obligations, you should do everything in your ability to stay current and prevent your tax refund from being taken away, among other consequences. Depending on the details of your case, you could be able to modify your child support order, making payments more affordable and ensuring that you do not fall behind. If you are in this position, you should try to rectify the situation as soon as possible.

This post was compiled to help you understand how unpaid child support could affect your tax refund and is not to be interpreted as an alternative to legal counsel.