Tax season is upon us. When it comes to filing taxes, there seem to be two camps: those who file their returns well before the April 15 deadline and those who are currently in the process of getting their tax information together. Regardless of when you file for taxes, if you have overdue child support payments, the Arizona Division of Child Support Services (DCCS) can “intercept State Income Tax Refunds”.
This is just one of the ways that DCCS can enforce a child support agreement. Whether you are a parent who receives child support or is required to make child support payments, it’s good to understand how the agreements can be enforced. That way, if anything changes financially, you can work quickly with an attorney to make sure the agreement still makes sense for everyone involved.
Support agreements are typically determined by a number of different factors such as income, cost of daycare and how many children. Most importantly, child support is intended to help the custodial parent with expenses that can come up. But as we all know, life can change unexpectedly and an agreement may not be sufficient for either parent.
If a parent fails to pay child support, there are a number of ways DCCS can enforce the agreement. In addition to withholding state tax refunds, DCCS can also:
- Seize assets
- Report the missed child support payments to credit reporting agencies
- Put a lien on homes or vehicles
- Revoke a professional license
- Request criminal prosecution
In addition to these, DCCS has several other options to enforce payment.
To learn more about how the state can enforce child support orders, visit the Arizona Department of Economic Security site here.