02/23/2026
📣Many of you are checking the IRS Where’s My Refund tool and seeing a message that your refund “may be reduced due to a past obligation.”
📌This usually means your refund was approved, but it could be offset through the federal Treasury Offset Program (TOP). This program allows the government to apply your refund toward certain UNPAID debts before it is issued to you.
📌Refund offsets can happen for things like past-due child support, state tax balances, federal tax debt, defaulted student loans, unemployment overpayments, or even SNAP (food stamp) overpayments if they were officially submitted by a state agency.
📌The IRS does not keep this money,, it is redirected to the agency owed. If an offset occurs, you will receive a letter in the mail explaining the original refund amount, how much was taken, and which agency received it.
📌If you believe the debt is incorrect, you must contact the agency listed in the letter (not the IRS).
📍If you haven’t received the mailed notice yet, call 800-304-3107 (TOP hotline) once the refund status updates to get the debt details directly.