Debt Collection: Regulatory Authorities

Section 285.1 : Collection of past-due support by administrative offset
Section 285.2: Offset of tax refund payments to collect past-due, legally enforceable nontax debt
Section 285.3: Offset of tax refund payments to collect past-due support
Section 285.4: Offset of Federal benefit payments to collect past-due, legally enforceable nontax debt
Section 285.5: Centralized offset of Federal payments to collect nontax debts owed to the United States
Section 285.6: Administrative offset under reciprocal agreement with States
Section 285.7: Salary offset
Section 285.8: Offset of tax refund payments to collect certain debts owed to States

History of Rulemakings: Part 285, Subpart A
Date	Type of Rulemaking	Federal Register Citation	Brief Description
06/25/1997	Interim rule	62 FR 34179	Offset of federal tax refund payments for federal nontax debts.
07/07/1997	Interim rule	62 FR 36205	Offset of federal nontax payments for child support debts.
04/28/1998	Interim rule	63 FR 23354	Offset of federal salary payments for federal nontax debts.
08/21/1998	Interim rule	63 FR 44986	Offset of federal benefit payments for federal nontax debts.
08/28/1998	Final Rule	63 FR 46145	Offset of federal nontax payments for child support debts.
12/30/1998	Final Rule	63 FR 72094	Offset of federal tax refund payments for child support debts.
12/20/1999	NPRM	64 FR 71233	Offset of federal tax refund payments for state income tax obligations.
12/20/1999	Interim rule	64 FR 71228	Offset of federal tax refund payments for state income tax obligations.
12/26/2002	Interim rule	67 FR 78936	Offset of federal nontax payments for federal nontax debts.
01/21/2005	Final rule	70 FR 3142	Offset of federal nontax payments for federal nontax debts.
01/26/2005	Final rule	70 FR 3616	Offset of federal tax refund payments for state income tax obligations.
05/3/2005	Final rule	70 FR 22797	Offset of federal salary payments for federal nontax debts.
01/11/2007	Interim rule	72 FR 1283	Offset of federal nontax payments to collect state debts and offset of state payments to collect federal nontax debts.
10/22/2007	Final rule	72 FR 59480	Offset of federal nontax payments for child support debts.
06/10/2009	Interim rule	74 FR 27432	Amends the rules regarding the offset of federal payments to provide priority to the collection of child support debts.
06/11/2009	NPRM	74 FR 27730	Proposes to authorize offset of tax refund payments irrespective of the amount of time the debt has been outstanding.
11/03/2009	Final rule	74 FR 56719	Offset of federal nontax payments to collect state debts and offset of state payments to collect federal nontax debts.
12/28/2009	Final rule	74 FR 68537	Authorizes offset of tax refund payments irrespective of the amount of time the debt has been outstanding.
01/06/2010	Correcting amendment	75 FR 745	Correcting amendment.
01/28/2011	Interim rule	76 FR 50710	Offset of federal tax refund payments for unemployment compensation debt.
10/02/2013	Final rule	78 FR 60697	Nomenclature changes.
09/17/2015	Final rule	80 FR 55751	Offset of federal tax refund payments for unemployment compensation debt.
12/30/2015	Interim rule	80 FR 81463	Limitation on time period during which Treasury may recover certain tax refund offset collections from states for child support debts.
01/12/2016	Final rule	81 FR 1318	Adjusts time period in which federal agencies must notify Treasury of debts for offset purposes from 180 days to 120 days delinquent.
03/02/2022	NPRM	87 FR 11660	Proposes to describe compliance with the Social Security Number Fraud Prevention Act of 2017.
08/16/2022	Final rule	87 FR 50248	Describes compliance with the Social Security Number Fraud Prevention Act of 2017.

Section 285.11: Administrative wage garnishment
Section 285.12: Transfer of debts to Treasury for collection
Section 285.13: Barring delinquent debtors from obtaining Federal loans or loan insurance or guarantees

History of Rulemakings: Part 285, Subpart B
Date	Type of Rulemaking	Federal Register Citation	Brief Description
11/21/1997	NPRM	62 FR 62458	Administrative wage garnishment.
04/02/1998	Interim rule	63 FR 16354	Cross-Servicing program.
05/06/1998	Final rule	63 FR 25136	Administrative wage garnishment.
04/22/1998	NPRM	63 FR 20006	Barring delinquent debtors from federal financial assistance.
12/08/1998	Final rule	63 FR 67754	Barring delinquent debtors from federal financial assistance.
04/28/1999	Final rule	64 FR 22908	Technical amendments to rule regarding administrative wage garnishment.
10/11/2001	Final rule	66 FR 51867	Technical amendments to rule regarding administrative wage garnishment.
10/02/2013	Final rule	78 FR 60697	Nomenclature changes.
01/12/2016	Final rule	81 FR 1318	Adjusts the time period for required referral to the Cross-Servicing program.
03/02/2022	NPRM	87 FR 11660	Proposes various amendments, including to describe compliance with the Social Security Number Fraud Prevention Act of 2017, to describe the Centralized Receivables Service, and to clarify how fees are charged in the Cross-Servicing program.
08/16/2022	Final rule	87 FR 50246	Describes compliance with the Social Security Number Fraud Prevention Act of 2017, describes the Centralized Receivables Service, and clarifies how fees are charged in the Cross-Servicing program.

The Federal Claims Collection Standards

31 CFR Part 901: Standards for the Administrative Collection of Claims
31 CFR Part 902: Standards for the Compromise of Claims
31 CFR Part 903: Standards for Suspending or Terminating Collection Activity
31 CFR Part 904: Referrals to the Department of Justice

History of Rulemakings: Parts 900-004
Date	Type of Rulemaking	Federal Register Citation	Brief Description
05/17/1979	Final rule	44 FR 22701	Issued by DOJ and GAO.
05/24/1983	NPRM	48 FR 23249	Issued by DOJ and GAO.
03/09/1984	Final rule	49 FR 8889	Issued by DOJ and GAO.
12/31/1997	NPRM	62 FR 68476	Issued by DOJ and Treasury.
11/22/2000	Final rule	65 FR 70391	Issued by DOJ, GAO, and Treasury.

OPM Regulations

Last Updated: March 9, 2026

Debt Collection: Regulatory Authorities

31 CFR Part 285, Subpart A: Disbursing Official Offset

31 CFR Part 285, Subpart B: Authorities Other than Offset

The Federal Claims Collection Standards

31 CFR Parts 900-904

OPM Regulations

5 CFR Part 550, Subpart K: Collection by Offset from Indebted Government Employees