If You Owe Child Support That May Mean No Stimulus Check For You

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According to NBC News, the coronavirus relief bill enacted Friday includes direct cash payments to help people through the financial crisis, that is if you don’t owe child support.

Other things like owing back taxes or other debt to the government is not a problem at all. The bill actually turns off nearly all administrative offsets that ordinarily may reduce tax refunds for individuals who have past tax debts, or who are behind on other payments to federal or state governments, including student loan payments..”

Strangely, the only administrative offset that will be enforced applies to those who have past due child support payments meaning Americans who are overdue on child support could see their cash payments reduced or eliminated.

The loophole was created under a 1996 law that allowed the Treasury Department to collect overdue child support by cutting or withholding federal payments as an offset. State child support agencies share information with Treasury about people who are behind on payments.

The checks will reportedly go to U.S. residents with a valid Social Security number who reported making less than $99,000 (or couples earning up to $198,000) on a recent tax return. The one-time payments will be up to $1,200 per person with an additional $500 per child