When will I receive child support from my ex's tax refund offset in Massachusetts?

When tax refunds are offset for child support, there's a specific process that happens. First, the IRS takes the refund from the non-custodial parent. Then they send it to the state child support agency (DOR in Massachusetts). The state agency processes it and applies it to the case before sending it to you. In Massachusetts, this typically takes 4-8 weeks after the offset occurs. Some factors that can affect timing: - If he filed jointly with a current spouse, there might be an "injured spouse claim" that delays things - The state has to verify the debt is still valid - They process thousands of these offsets during tax season You should be able to call the MA DOR Child Support Division at 800-332-2733 to get a more specific update on your case. Ask them specifically about the "tax intercept payment status" for your case.

I was in the same situation trying to track my ex's offset. The state websites were useless and the phone agents kept giving me different answers. I finally used taxr.ai to understand exactly what was happening with the offset and the timeline. It showed me the exact codes on his transcript that meant the money was sent to MA DOR and when I could expect it. Made the whole process way less stressful since I could see exactly what was happening instead of waiting in the dark. https://taxr.ai

After weeks of getting nowhere with the MA child support office, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to actually get a real person on the phone at the IRS. Got through in like 20 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own. The agent confirmed the exact date the funds were sent to Massachusetts and I was able to use that info to push my caseworker to process it faster. Honestly it was the breakthrough I needed to get answers about my offset payment.

I'm in MA too and went through this last year. It took exactly 40 days from when his refund was taken until I got the payment. The child support enforcement office is usually pretty backed up during tax season because they're processing so many of these offsets. If you have a MyDOR account online you can sometimes see when it's been received by the state even before they notify you.

Nobody ever tells you this, but there's actually a difference in timing depending on whether it was a STATE tax refund offset or FEDERAL tax refund offset. Federal typically takes longer because it has to go from IRS → US Treasury → State DOR → You. If it's a state refund offset it's faster because it skips those first steps. Do you know which one it was?

This process is so frustratingly slow! My ex owed over $15k in back support and when they finally took his tax refund it sat in limbo for almost 2 months. The MA DOR website kept showing "processing" forever. I finally got it but only after calling repeatedly. The squeaky wheel gets the grease with these government agencies.

Quick tip: the delays are often worse if it was an amended return or if he filed late. Those tend to take longer to process even before the offset happens. Also tax season (feb-april) has wayyyy longer waits than offsets that happen later in the year.

Is there a way to track it? My caseworker literally told me "just wait for the check" which was zero help. I need to budget and plan!

pro-tip: if you recieve any government benefits like SNAP or TANF, some or all of the tax refund might go to the state first to reimburse them for benefits they gave you when the other parent wasn't paying support. just something to be aware of.

Anyone dealing with this needs to be aware that sometimes the non-custodial parent will file an "injured spouse" claim if they filed jointly with a new spouse. This can delay the process by MONTHS or even result in the money being returned to them. Hopefully this isn't your situation but just a heads up that it can happen.

I work for a tax firm (not in MA though) and we see this a lot. The general timeline is: - IRS takes the refund: Day 0 - IRS sends to federal offset program: 1-2 weeks - Federal offset program sends to state: 1-2 weeks - State processes and sends to custodial parent: 2-4 weeks So total time is typically 4-8 weeks, but can be longer during peak tax season which we're in right now.

Have you called the Treasury Offset Program directly? Sometimes they have more info than the state does. Their number is 800-304-3107. You'll need your ex's SSN and your case number.

I went through this exact same situation in Massachusetts last year! The waiting is absolutely brutal, especially when you're counting on that money. Here's what I learned from my experience: The 4-8 week timeline is pretty accurate, but it can stretch longer during tax season. Mine took about 7 weeks total. What really helped me was keeping a log of every call I made and who I spoke with - it made follow-up calls way more productive. One thing nobody mentioned yet is that you should ask the MA DOR for the "offset notification letter" - this shows the exact amount that was sent from the federal government and when. If there's a discrepancy between what you expect and what you receive, this letter is crucial. Also, if you haven't already, make sure your address is current with both the IRS and MA DOR. I've seen cases where payments get delayed because they're sent to old addresses. The waiting sucks but hang in there - the money will come through!