Some Virginia taxpayers are set to start receiving tax rebates of up to $250 per person in October. These rebates could represent a windfall for families who are waiting on late child support payments.
How might these tax rebates affect late child support payments?
Tax rebates and late child support
Custodial parents in Virginia have the option to utilize the services of the Division of Child Support Enforcement to collect child support from the noncustodial parent. When parents who owe child support fail to make the required payments, they owe a debt to DCSE. Anyone eligible to receive a tax rebate who owes a debt to a government agency, such as DCSE, must pay that debt before they can receive any rebate.
How rebates may benefit families
When a noncustodial parent fails to make payments to DCSE, they owe both the late payments and interest on the delinquent amount to the custodial parent. Because anyone receiving the rebate must pay debts to government agencies out of that money, some families can expect to receive up to $250 in late child support payments if the noncustodial parent is eligible for a rebate.
However, because most people with lower incomes will not be getting rebates, this potential windfall will primarily benefit families where a noncustodial parent who can afford to pay child support but is not making the required payments owes money.
If the noncustodial parent of your child owes you delinquent child support and you have not opened a case with DSCE, now may be a good time to pursue that avenue of collection.
