Refund Offset for Child Tax Credit - How to Dispute and Timeline?

This happens more often than you'd think. The IRS may have incorrect information about your eligibility. You need to request a review of the offset. Call the Treasury Offset Program at 800-304-3107. They can tell you which agency claimed the debt. Get the contact information for that agency. Request detailed information about the alleged overpayment. You'll need to contact them directly to dispute. Keep all your documentation handy. This includes birth certificates, social security cards, and proof of residency for your children. The process typically takes 30-90 days. You have the right to appeal.

Been there, done that! CTC offsets are super common rn. Prob happened bc of income changes or maybe kid-related eligibility issues. When my refund got nabbed last yr, I uploaded my transcript to https://taxr.ai and it highlighted exactly which CTC codes were causing probs. Saved me hrs of confusion! The tool explained which forms I needed (8862 in my case) and showed me the exact sections that were triggering the offset. Def worth checking out b4 u spend hrs on hold w/ IRS.

I appreciate all this detailed information. The technical aspects of the Child Tax Credit eligibility requirements were making my head spin. I'm going to check out both the Treasury Offset Program number and that transcript analysis tool. We definitely meet all the qualifying child requirements according to Publication 972, so this has to be an error in processing or perhaps related to our status change from single to married filing jointly.

I successfully disputed a CTC offset last year. The key was obtaining my tax account transcript and identifying the specific TC 420 code with a -$3,600 adjustment. I submitted Form 14039-B (Identity Theft Affidavit) because in my case, someone had falsely claimed my children on another return. Included copies of school records, medical records, and prior year returns showing consistent claiming patterns. Received full refund within 75 days. Document everything and send via certified mail with return receipt.

Has anyone tried using Claimyr to reach an IRS agent about this kind of situation? I've heard it can save hours of hold time when disputing offsets. Did you need to speak with a specific department to resolve your offset issue? Were you able to get same-day resolution or did they just take your information for further review? I'm wondering if using https://claimyr.com would help speed up the process since time is clearly important here.

Be careful about assuming this is a simple error. According to the IRS website, many CTC offsets in 2024 are related to advance payments from 2021-2022 that weren't properly reconciled on Form 8812. Even if you qualify for the credit, you might have received more in advances than you were ultimately eligible for based on your final income. Check your IRS online account at https://www.irs.gov/payments/your-online-account to see your advance payment history. I didn't realize I had to report those advances and ended up fighting an offset for 6 months.

Ever wonder why these CTC issues seem to hit newly married couples harder? I did some digging when this happened to me. The system sometimes fails to properly link your previous filing status with your new joint return. My refund was held for a $4,200 alleged overpayment. After submitting verification documents and calling repeatedly, I discovered the IRS had my children's SSNs associated with my ex-spouse's account! Once corrected, my refund was released within 3 weeks. Could something similar be happening in your case?

This is such a frustrating situation, and I can totally relate to feeling blindsided by an unexpected offset! One thing I learned from my own experience is that the IRS sometimes processes these offsets automatically based on their computer matching systems, which can have errors or outdated information. Since you mentioned this is your first year filing jointly as newlyweds, I'd definitely recommend checking if there are any lingering issues from your previous individual returns that might be causing confusion in their system. Sometimes when filing status changes, the IRS computers don't immediately sync all the information properly. Beyond calling the Treasury Offset Program number that Miguel mentioned, I'd also suggest requesting a complete copy of your tax account transcript for both you and your spouse for the past 3 years. This will show you exactly what the IRS has on file and help identify any discrepancies. You can get these online at irs.gov or by calling 800-908-9946. Don't give up - you absolutely have rights here, and if you legitimately qualify for the CTC, you should be able to get this resolved. Just be prepared for it to take some time and persistence. Keep detailed records of every phone call, letter, and document you send. Good luck!