Can a credit card company garnish your federal tax return?
Isabella Turner
Updated on January 27, 2026
Government agencies frequently garnish federal income tax refunds since they are the most common federal payments. The TOP is the only way your refund can be garnished; private creditors such as credit card companies don’t have access to your tax refund. any unemployment compensation you must pay back.
Can debt collectors take federal tax return?
In normal circumstances, debt collectors can’t intercept or garnish your income tax refund. Even when you default on credit cards, creditors and debt collectors can’t take your income tax refund from Uncle Sam directly. They can levy your bank account or garnish your wages, however. That includes your tax refund.
Can a credit card Judgement take your tax refund?
If you are behind on your credit payments, creditors will often do whatever is necessary to secure repayment of the debt, which can include filing a lawsuit against you in court to obtain a judgment. But when it comes to your tax refund, the IRS won’t allow a private creditor to intercept or garnish it.
Will tax returns be garnished in 2021?
Collection activities are currently paused through Sept. 30, 2021 for all federal student loans and commercially held FFEL debt, which could protect your 2020 refunds as well.
Will the IRS keep my refund if I owe back taxes?
2. You owe back taxes. If you owe back taxes, the IRS will take all your refunds to pay your tax bill, until it’s paid off. The IRS will take your refund even if you’re in a payment plan (called an installment agreement).
What reasons can the IRS take your refund?
6 Reasons the IRS Can Seize Your Tax Refund
- You Owe Federal Income Taxes.
- You Owe State Income Taxes.
- You Owe State Unemployment Compensation.
- You Defaulted on a Student Loan.
- You Owe Child Support.
- You Owe Spousal Support.
Can a federal tax refund be garnished by the IRS?
This body will garnish funds only for a narrow range of reasons, such as past-due federal or state income taxes, delinquent child support or student loan debt. In these cases, the IRS might intercept your refund to pay what you owe and then return any remaining portion of the refund to you. Don’t Contact the IRS
What kind of income can not be garnished?
While each state has its own garnishment laws, most say that Social Security benefits, disability payments, retirement funds, child support and alimony cannot be garnished for most types of debt. For example, if you owe credit card debt or medical bills, the courts have a process for you to protect those types of income from garnishments.
What kind of debt can creditors garnish you for?
When you owe debt for federal and state taxes, student loans, child support or alimony, the state may allow creditors to garnish your Social Security payments, disability, retirement, child support or alimony.
Which is States are protecting citizens from wage garnishment?
While many states have also put in provisions to protect stimulus checks from debt collection, we’ll be focusing on wage garnishment protections here. Per federal law, 75% of your disposable earnings or 30 times the federal minimum wage, whichever is greater, is exempt from wage garnishment for ordinary garnishments, which includes consumer debt.