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Can credit card companies garnish your income tax refund?

Author

Andrew Campbell

Updated on February 01, 2026

If you owe money to a credit card company, they cannot garnish your refund to cover your debt. Only the government can garnish your tax refund, and only for debts you owe to the government like unpaid state or federal taxes, unpaid federal student loans, or child support.

Can you write off judgments on your taxes?

The IRS allows a deduction for bad debts, including uncollected judgments. If you sold goods or services to your debtor, you must have already included the money owed as income on your tax return.

Can a Judgement take my stimulus check?

Delinquent Loan Debt: Yes If the creditor has gone through the process of suing you and has obtained a judgment, they can move on to levy your accounts. That means any stimulus money deposited into those accounts may be subject to garnishment.

Can debt collectors take your federal tax refund?

These debts include past-due federal taxes, state income taxes, child support payments and amounts you owe to other federal agencies, such as federal student loans you fail to pay. As a result, the collection agencies that your other creditors hire to obtain payment from you cannot intercept or garnish your tax refund.

What can the IRS take your refund for?

The IRS can seize some or all of your refund if you owe federal or state back taxes. It also can seize your refund if you default on child support or student loan debts. If you think a mistake has been made you can contact the IRS.

Can you negotiate a credit card Judgement?

Consumers have choices when dealing with a court judgment. Even after a judgment is entered against you, it is still possible to settle a debt for less than the court-approved amount. However, you may be able to negotiate a discount to the debt, in return for a lump sum payment.

Can a credit card judgement take your income tax return?

If a credit obtains a legal judgement against you due to unpaid debt, they will have several options available to them with regards to acquiring the money they are owed. If you directly deposit your IRS tax refund into your bank account and the creditor has legal access to your account as part of the judgement,…

Can a credit card company get a judgment against you?

If you are in default on a credit card account, the credit card company can try to get a credit card debt judgment against you by filing a lawsuit. If the credit card company gets a judgment, it can use all sorts of collection methods against you to get paid.

What happens if a debt collector wins a judgment?

After a debt collector sues you for the debt and wins a judgment, it can get a court order for your bank or credit union to turn over money from your account or prepaid card. This is called a “ garnishment.”

Can a judgement creditor garnish your tax return?

A Judgement Creditor Other Than an IRS Judgement Cannot Directly Intercept a Tax Refund. Individual and private creditors, including credit card companies, do not have the right to directly claim your refund. However, once the money hits your bank account, your state law may allow a private judgement creditor to garnish it.