COVID-19 Stimulus Payments - First Round

The IRS is aware that in some instances a portion of the payment sent to a spouse who filed an injured spouse claim with his or her 2019 tax return (or 2018 tax return if no 2019 tax return has been filed) has been offset by the non-injured spouse’s past-due child support. The IRS is working with the Bureau of Fiscal Service and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child Support Enforcement, to resolve this issue as quickly as possible.

If you filed an injured spouse claim with your return and are impacted by this issue, you do not need to take any action. The injured spouse will receive their unpaid half of the total payment when the issue is resolved. If an injured spouse claim was not filed with the 2019 (or 2018 joint return), your spouse can still file a claim now with the IRS.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

If you have any further questions or concerns regarding this issue, please contact the IRS directly. You can find more information, including contact information, at irs.gov.

If your stimulus payment has been taken, the IRS will send you a letter notifying you that the payment will be sent to the Wyoming Child Support Program.

If you are married filing jointly and you filed an injured spouse claim with your 2019 tax return (or 2018 tax return if you haven’t filed your 2019 tax return), half of the total payment will be sent to each spouse and your spouse’s payment will be offset only for past-due child support. There is no need to file another injured spouse claim for the payment.  For more information about this, please contact the IRS at IRS.Gov.

According to the federal government, the stimulus checks will start being directly deposited into the accounts of citizens sometime around mid-April.  Payments that are subject to interception for past-due child support will be sent to the Wyoming Child Support Program, State Disbursement Unit who will distribute them. 

If you have any questions, please contact your caseworker or local child support office. You can find the complete list of office contact information on our LOCATIONS page. You can can also use our CONTACT US form as well.

The stimulus payments are subject to interception for past-due child support.  The CARES legislation specifically left in place the same language that applies to IRS offset payments that child support programs are required to intercept and apply to past due child support.

 The Coronavirus, Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES) provides economic stimulus payments to American families who meet certain financial thresholds.  The act provides payments of up to $1,200.00 for adults who file a single tax return with an annual income of $75,000.00 or less and $2,400 for families filing joint returns who have a combined income of $150,000.00 or less.  The payments are reduced for parents who make more than these amounts and are completely phased out for single filers who make about $99,000.00 and joint filers who make above $198,000.00.