Whether a parent is arrested or loses sleep at night because of significant anxiety, back child support can create all sorts of hardships for non-custodial parents and custodial parents alike. However, parents who have found themselves unable to make child support payments may also have their tax refunds intercepted in Boston, and cities across Massachusetts. According to the Internal Revenue Service, those who are behind on child support could have their federal tax refund intercepted by the Bureau of the Fiscal Service.

In addition to the interception of federal tax refunds, those with back child support may also have their state tax refunds reduced as well. The Department of Revenue reports that Massachusetts taxpayers with unpaid child support may have some of their state refund intercepted and allocated towards the child support they owe. Moreover, the state charges a $10 fee for these interceptions, taken directly out of tax refunds. Those who believe that the interception of their tax refund was invalid are able to file a Request for Review form, which needs to include proof that the state took out too much or the back child support was paid.

There are a wide variety of challenges a parent may face that prevent them from paying the child support they owe, including unanticipated medical problems, job loss and other financial difficulties. Unfortunately, failing to fulfill child support obligations can make life even tougher for parents who are going through this, which underlines the importance of addressing the situation right away. For some, child support modification is an excellent way to make payments more manageable.