The astronomical costs of a disability can extend beyond extra therapy and special equipment to, potentially, a lifetime of lost earnings. There is some help. The federal government has tax deductions and credits connected with raising a child with special needs, for instance. And though historically a trust has been only financial avenue to care for a disabled loved one, another vehicle is gaining traction. Many tax and financial moves in this area come down to one question that’s unique to this planning: Will money interfere with a disabled person’s ability to get indispensable government benefits?

“It feels like a sucker punch to the gut.” I was on the phone with a client who was a newlywed and filing with their new spouse for the first time. They kept their paycheck withholding as single. So, they were anticipating a larger than usual tax refund. Like a lot of taxpayers, they spent their refund before they even received it. Each day, they were checking “Where is My Refund ?” and even their IRS account. Then, it happened. Code 898: Refund applied to non-IRS debt . It looked as if they wouldn’t receive that refund they already spent. Now, my client did not know what to do. Before getting married, my client’s spouse told them, “I never get a tax refund.” But they failed to mention why they never got a refund. Honestly, they did not know what their refund was paying for. We later found out that each year the Treasury Department garnished the refund for back child support. My client knew their spouse had child support but did not know they were behind on it. If you have a client in this situation, all hope is not gone. I could help my client find out what offset the tax refund. We could also get a portion of the refund back. You can do the same thing for your client. That is assuming that one spouse is not liable for the debt that offset the tax refund. The IRS calls this injured spouse relief. I’ll walk you through how you can help your client with their refund garnishment sucker punch. Yes, you can help them get their part of the refund back. Let’s start with what injured spouse relief is. Then we’ll look at who qualifies as an injured spouse and how to request injured spouse relief.