Tax Surprises for the New Year

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Your unpaid traffic penalties can keep you from laughing all the way to the bank. This tax filing season, the city will crack down on people who failed to pay all matter of traffic tickets, including outstanding parking and red light camera tickets. In other words, it will intercept or seize your tax refund. But the offsets don’t just apply to tickets. You are susceptible to receiving a dreaded notice in the mail if you have unpaid child support obligations, were overpaid for unemployment insurance, have non-tax federal debt from D.C. vendor payments, and you owe D.C., federal or Maryland income taxes. Why so tough this year? It’s the law. The City Council passed a bill related to motor vehicle liabilities as part of the Fiscal Year 2013 Budget Support Act—and the other infractions were added in. If you want to dispute any claim, the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue asks that you not call its office. Call the agency whose name appears on the notice.