Should I get an advocate for offset that I had no clue about?

[LJ]

So I got my DDD today of 2/22 with a tt201.
My refund has been reduced to pay a tax obligation. One I never knew I had for over 4k!
No letter, nothing on the offset line, no clue this was going to happen.
This is going to set me back so much, I read an advocate may be able to help.

Has anyone ever had experience with one?
Could it help me?
I do not owe child support or student loans.

[Sac916]

Request an expedited refund by calling the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 (TTY/TDD 1-800-829-4059).

Explain your hardship situation; and
Request a manual refund expedited to you.
The IRS will likely request documentation of your financial hardship such as copies of shutoff notices, eviction or foreclosure notices, etc., as well as other supporting information like a copy of your tax return with the refund claim. Respond promptly to the IRS’s request.

If you owe federal taxes, discuss payment options such as installment agreement or offer in compromise with the IRS. You can find more information on the Get Help pages for these topics.

[Sac916]

I’m in the same boat. No letter. Saw this on the IRS website. Sounds like there is hope.

If you owe tax to the IRS from a prior tax year, the IRS may be holding your refund to pay down that debt. But if you are facing a serious financial hardship and need your refund immediately, the IRS can consider not following its usual procedures of taking the refund. Instead, it may release and expedite part or all the refund to help with your hardship.

Note: The IRS can only expedite a refund held to pay an IRS debt. If the Bureau of the Fiscal Service (BFS) is offsetting your refund for debts other than federal tax debts like past due student loans, child support, state unemployment compensation, or other federally insured debt, even with a serious financial hardship the IRS cannot issue you a refund.

So, topic 201 should be eligible for a hardship refund request, since it’s to pay back taxes to the IRS. I’ll be calling them on Tuesday.

[Brooklyn]

Same boat took the whole thing over 5k+ and i never got any notice…keep me updated

[LJ]

I have the originally amount and then the the amount after the offset.

I should have no problem proving hardship at this time.

[RDragoo1985]

Also, they will fight hard against “I didn’t know”. Take it from someone who didn’t know. And didn’t win.

[Mari228]

Do you have an amount showing to be deposited? im in the same boat, ddd 2/22, tax topic 201. I am showung a lesser amount to be deposited. also, on thwmr all the way to the left, do you have an amount and date?

[Scott]

unless they made a mistake, you will need to prove that you have a hardship to get the offset money returned whether you knew or not. Sorry :(

[Author]

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