How can the IRS legally claim and seize my refund based on some social security issue with my parent(s)? According to a recent Washington Post article, the IRS has seized hundreds of thousands of refunds over the past 3 years with little to no proof of misconduct relating to social security payments to their parents. It usually begins with a letter that contains language that is quite intimidating and threatening. The irony is that no crime has been committed. It is simply a case that the Social Security Administration (SSA) may have erred and overpaid some individuals, generally when an individual has passed and Social Security has not been notified timely of the passing. The IRS is using this as an opportunity to seize revenue from the tax refunds of the children of those SSA recipients who may have been overpaid. We live in an age when the IRS and the State of California are desperately seeking strategies to increase tax revenues to offset the budget crises created by economic conditions over the past several years. This is our new reality, and your only protection may lie in the relationship with your tax attorney / CPA. Our clients are protected by extensive experience in US and international tax law, expertise in income tax both at the federal and state levels, as well as attorney-client privilege. If you have experienced issues with your refund or are concerned about your vulnerability to IRS or California taxation authority tactics, we invite you to contact us for a free initial consultation.