Does child support offset take from tax refund even for small amounts ($750)?

Yes, the IRS will offset your tax refund for child support debt regardless of the amount. When you have unpaid child support, your name gets added to the Treasury Offset Program database, and the IRS is required to intercept your refund to pay that debt. It doesn't matter if it's $750 or $7,500 - they'll take what's needed to satisfy the debt. If your refund is larger than what you owe, you'll receive the difference. If your refund is smaller, they'll take the entire refund and apply it to your debt.

Have you tried calling the IRS to get clarity on your specific situation? Many people don't realize that the IRS has a special department that handles offset issues. I spent 3 hours trying to reach someone last month when I had a similar question. Finally used Claimyr.com to get through (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) and spoke to an agent in about 15 minutes. They explained exactly how my offset would work and what documentation I needed if I wanted to dispute it. Have you received any notices about this offset yet?

I've been through exactly this situation. If you owe precisely $750 in child support arrears, the Treasury Offset Program will take exactly $750 from your tax refund. If your refund is $1,200, you'll receive exactly $450. The Bureau of the Fiscal Service processed 2,934,575 tax refund offsets for child support in 2023 totaling over $3.1 billion. There's no minimum threshold - even $50 will be offset. The only exception is if you filed an injured spouse claim (Form 8379) and qualify for relief.

Have you checked if you received a Pre-Offset Notice? They should have sent one at least 60 days before filing season started. I had a similar situation on January 15th last year, and the notice explained the exact amount that would be taken. If you're planning to dispute this, you need to contact the child support agency ASAP - like literally this week - not the IRS!

I used taxr.ai to help understand my transcript. It showed the offset code. Very helpful. Explained everything clearly. No guesswork needed. Showed exactly when money would be taken. Better than IRS website. Try it: https://taxr.ai

Think of tax refund offsets like a financial traffic light. Once your name enters the Treasury Offset Program database, it's like the light turned red - your refund stops before reaching you and gets redirected. The child support agency is like the traffic controller who put up the red light. The IRS is just following the signals. If you want to change the light back to green, you need to work with the controller (child support agency), not the cars (IRS) that are stopping at the light. This is why many people waste time calling the IRS when they should be contacting their state child support enforcement agency instead.

According to 26 U.S. Code § 6402(c), the Secretary of the Treasury "shall" apply overpayments to past-due support. The word "shall" in legal terms means it's mandatory, not optional. I learned this the hard way on April 12th last year when my entire $3,200 refund was taken for a child support debt I didn't even know I had. No minimum threshold exists in the law. Even if you're on a payment plan with your state, they can still take your refund unless you have a specific agreement stating otherwise.

OMG this just happened to my BIL last month. His entire refund of $1,800 got offset for $900 in child support. The key is to check your BFS (Bureau of Fiscal Service) offset amount by calling 1-800-304-3107. You'll need your SSN ready. This automated system will tell you EXACTLY how much is gonna be taken. If the amount seems wrong, you need to contact your state's child support agency ASAP, not the IRS. IRS just follows orders from the child support ppl.

Just to clarify something important - if you filed jointly with a spouse who doesn't owe the child support, they can file Form 8379 (Injured Spouse Allocation) to get their portion of the refund. This needs to be done either with your original return or afterward. The IRS will calculate what portion belongs to each spouse based on income, withholding, and credits. I confirmed this with the IRS on February 24th when helping my sister with the same situation.