Notification before tax refund offset. Reduction of a tax refund payment will be made only after the Commission 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 tax refund offset.

Contents of notice. The Commission's notice of intent to collect by tax refund offset will state:

The amount of the debt;

That unless the debt is repaid within 60 days from the date of the notice, the Commission intends to collect the debt by requesting a reduction of any amounts payable to the debtor as a Federal tax refund payment by an amount equal to the amount of the debt and all accumulated interest and other charges;

That the debtor, within 60 days from the date of the notice, has an opportunity to make a written agreement to repay the amount of the debt, unless such opportunity has previously been provided;

A mailing address for forwarding any written correspondence and a contact name and a telephone number for any questions; and

That the debtor may present evidence to the Commission that all or part of the debt is not past due or legally enforceable by:

Sending a written request for a review of the evidence to the address provided in the notice;

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; and

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.

A debtor may dispute the existence or amount of the debt or the terms of repayment, except with respect to debts established by a judicial or administrative order. In those cases, the debtor may not dispute matters or issues already settled, litigated, or otherwise established by such order, including the amount of the debt or the debtor's liability for that debt, except to the extent that the debtor alleges that the amount of the debt does not reflect payments already made to repay the debt in whole or part.