5 C.F.R. PART 835—DEBT COLLECTION
Title 5 - Administrative Personnel
Authority: 5 U.S.C. 8347(a) and 8461(g). Subpart F also issued under 31 U.S.C. 3720A.
Source: 57 FR 61771, Dec. 29, 1992, unless otherwise noted.
This subpart establishes procedures for OPM to refer past-due legally enforceable debts to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for offset against the income tax refunds of persons owing debts to OPM. It specifies the agency procedures and the rights of the debtor applicable to claims referred under the Federal Tax Refund Offset Program for the collection of debts owed to OPM. A past-due legally enforceable debt for referral to the IRS is a debt that— (a) Resulted from— (1) Erroneous payments made under the Civil Service Retirement or the Federal Employees' Retirement Systems; or (2) Unpaid health or life insurance premiums due under the Federal Employees' Health Benefits or Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance Programs; or (3) Any other statute administered by OPM; (b) Is an obligation of a debtor who is a natural person; (c) Except in the case of a judgment debt, has been delinquent at least 3 months but not more than 10 years at the time the offset is made; (d) Is at least $25.00; (e) With respect to which the individual's rights described in 5 CFR 831.1301 through 831.1309 have been exhausted; (f) With respect to which either: (1) OPM's records do not contain evidence that the person owing the debt (or his or her spouse) has filed for bankruptcy under title 11 of the United States Code; or (2) OPM can clearly establish at the time of the referral that the automatic stay under 11 U.S.C. 362 has been lifted or is no longer in effect with respect to the person owing the debt or his or her spouse, and the debt was not discharged in the bankruptcy proceeding; (g) Cannot currently be collected under the salary offset provisions of 5 U.S.C. 5514(a)(1); (h) Is not eligible for administrative offset under 31 U.S.C. 3716(a) because of 31 U.S.C. 3716(c)(2), or cannot currently be collected as an administrative offset by OPM under 31 U.S.C. 3716(a) against amounts payable to the debtor by OPM; and (i) Has been disclosed by OPM to a consumer reporting agency as authorized by 31 U.S.C. 3711(f), unless the consumer reporting agency would be prohibited from reporting information concerning the debt by reason of 15 U.S.C. 1681c, or unless the amount of the debt does not exceed $100. (a) Notification before submission to the IRS. A request for reduction of an IRS income tax refund will be made only after OPM makes a determination that an amount is owed and past-due and gives or makes a reasonable attempt to give the debtor 60 days written notice of the intent to collect by IRS tax refund offset. (b) Contents of notice. OPM's notice of intention to collect by IRS tax refund offset (Notice of Intent) will state: (1) The amount of the debt; (2) That unless the debt is repaid within 60 days from the date of OPM's Notice of Intent, OPM intends to collect the debt by requesting the IRS to reduce any amounts payable to the debtor as a Federal income tax refund by an amount equal to the amount of the debt and all accumulated interest and other charges; (3) A mailing address for forwarding any written correspondence and a contract name and a telephone number for any questions; and (4) That the debtor may present evidence to OPM that all or part of the debt is not past due or legally enforceable by— (i) Sending a written request for a review of the evidence to the address provided in the notice; (ii) Stating in the request the amount disputed and the reasons why the debtor believes that the debt is not past-due or is not legally enforceable; (iii) Including in the request any documents that the debtor wishes to be considered or stating that the additional information will be submitted within the remainder of the 60-day period. In order to constitute a reasonable attempt to notify the debtor, OPM must have used a mailing address for the debtor obtained from the IRS pursuant to 26 U.S.C. 6103(m)(2) within a period of 1 year preceding the attempt to notify the debtor, unless OPM received clear and concise notification from the debtor that notices from the agency are to be sent to an address different from the address obtained from IRS. Clear and concise notice means that the debtor has provided the agency with written notification, including the debtor's name and identifying number (as defined in 26 CFR 301.6109–1), and the debtor's intent to have the agency notices sent to the new address. (a) Consideration of evidence. If, as a result of the Notice of Intent, OPM receives notice that the debtor will submit additional evidence or receives additional evidence from the debtor within the prescribed time period, any notice to the IRS will be stayed until OPM can— (1) Consider the evidence presented by the debtor; and (2) Determine whether or not all or a portion of the debt is still past due and legally enforceable; and (3) Notify the debtor of its determination. (b) Notification to the debtor. Following review of the evidence, OPM will issue a written decision notifying the debtor whether OPM has sustained, amended, or canceled its determination that the debt is past-due and legally enforceable. The notice will advise the debtor of any further action to be taken and explain the supporting rationale for the decision. (c) OPM action on the debt. (1) OPM will notify the debtor of its intent to refer the debt to the IRS for offset against the debtor's Federal income tax refund, if it sustains its decision that the debt is past-due and legally enforceable. OPM will also notify the debtor whether the amount of the debt remains the same or is modified. (2) OPM will not refer the debt to the IRS for offset against the debtor's Federal income tax refund, if it reverses its decision that the debt is past-due and legally enforceable. (a) Except as noted in paragraph (b) of this section, after OPM sends IRS notification of an individual's liability for a debt, OPM will promptly notify IRS of any change in the notification, if OPM— (1) Determines that an error has been made with respect to the information contained in the notification; (2) Receives a payment or credits a payment to the account of the debtor named in the notification that reduces the amount of the debt referred to the IRS for offset; or (3) Receives notification that the individual owing the debt has filed for bankruptcy under title 11 of the United States Code or has been adjudicated bankrupt and the debt has been discharged. (b) OPM will not notify the IRS to increase the amount of a debt owed by a debtor named in OPM's original notification to the IRS. (c) If the amount of a debt is reduced after referral by OPM and offset by the IRS, OPM will refund to the debtor any excess amount and will promptly notify the IRS of any refund made by OPM. All administrative charges incurred in connection with the referral of the debts to the IRS will be assessed on the debt and thus increase the amount of the offset.
Title 5: Administrative Personnel
PART 835—DEBT COLLECTION
Section Contents
§ 835.601 Purpose.
§ 835.602 Past-due legally enforceable debt.
§ 835.603 Notification of intent to collect.
§ 835.604 Reasonable attempt to notify.
§ 835.605 OPM action as a result of consideration of evidence submitted as a result of the notice of intent.
§ 835.606 Change in notification to Internal Revenue Service.
§ 835.607 Administrative charges.
Subparts A–E [Reserved]
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Subpart F—Collection of Debts by Federal Tax Refund Offset
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§ 835.601 Purpose.
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§ 835.602 Past-due legally enforceable debt.
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§ 835.603 Notification of intent to collect.
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§ 835.604 Reasonable attempt to notify.
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§ 835.605 OPM action as a result of consideration of evidence submitted as a result of the notice of intent.
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§ 835.606 Change in notification to Internal Revenue Service.
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§ 835.607 Administrative charges.
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