WARNING: ESD unemployment overpayment waivers not stopping IRS tax refund garnishment

omg this happened to my cousin too!! she had her overpayment waiver approved in december and they STILL took her refund in february. i think its because ESD and the IRS dont talk to eachother fast enough. so unfair!!

Unfortunately, this is a timing issue that happens quite often. When ESD approves an overpayment waiver, it takes time for them to update the Treasury Offset Program (TOP) database that the IRS uses for refund garnishment. You need to contact ESD immediately with your waiver approval documentation and request they issue a refund for the garnished amount. Make sure to mention that you had an approved hardship waiver prior to the tax offset. They should be able to verify this and process a refund, but it typically takes 4-6 weeks.

I work with ESD cases regularly, and I can confirm that this happens more often than you'd think. The system is supposed to remove your debt from TOP within 30 days of waiver approval, but there are often delays or administrative errors. Here's what you should do: 1. First, get a copy of your Account Detail from ESD's website showing the waiver approval 2. Call ESD's collections unit directly at 888-555-4636 (not the regular claims number) 3. Email a copy of your waiver approval to overpayments@esd.wa.gov with subject line "Tax refund offset after waiver approval" 4. File Form 483-B Request for Refund of Offset Amount (you can download this from the ESD website) If you don't hear back within 10 business days, request a formal determination that you can appeal if needed.

This is TYPICAL ESD nonsense!! They APPROVED your waiver then took the money ANYWAY! I had a similar issue last year with a so-called "approved" waiver and it took me FIVE MONTHS to get my money back! The right hand never knows what the left is doing over there!!!!

i had this same exact issue happen to me in 2024. ugh. so frustrating. i tried calling the esd number literally 50+ times and couldnt get through. finally i used claimyr.com to get through to an esd agent. they helped me fast track my refund request after verifying my waiver was already in the system. took about 3 weeks to get my money back. they have a demo video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3

When did you get your waiver approval exactly? I just got mine approved two weeks ago and now I'm worried about our tax refund. We haven't filed yet but were planning to this weekend. Should we wait?

This seems to be happening to lots of people this year. I spoke with an ESD representative last week about a different issue, and they mentioned they're dealing with a backlog of tax offset corrections for people with approved waivers. They said the best thing to do is to email overpayments@esd.wa.gov with your documentation and explicitly request a refund of the offset amount. Follow up with a phone call after sending the email. Be persistent!

my freind had this same problem but with L&I not ESD i think all the state agencys dont talk to eachother lol. she got her money back after like 2 months. good luck!!

Just to follow up on this thread: I checked with a colleague at ESD today about the current timing. For refunds of tax offsets when there's an approved waiver, they're currently processing these in about 4 weeks if you provide all the documentation correctly. Make sure you've submitted the Form 483-B specifically, as this initiates the refund process in their system. Without this form, your case might get delayed even if you've called and emailed.