---
kind: "section"
citation: "20 C.F.R. § 422.821"
title: "20"
number: "422.821"
heading: "Administrative offset."
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/20/422.821"
---

# §422.821. Administrative offset.

- (a) **Scope.**
  - (1) Administrative Offset is the withholding of funds payable by the United States to, or held by the United States for, a person to satisfy a debt. We will use Administrative Offset to recover administrative debts.
  - (2) **This section does not apply to—**
    - (i) Debts arising under the Social Security Act;
    - (ii) Payments made under the Social Security Act, except as provided for in 31 U.S.C. [3716(c)](/usc/31/3716.md?p=c), and [31](/usc/31/31.md) CFR 285.4;
    - (iii) Debts arising under, or payments made under the Internal Revenue Code or the tariff laws of the United States;
    - (iv) Offsets against Federal salaries to the extent these standards are inconsistent with regulations published to implement such offsets under 5 U.S.C. [5514](/usc/5/5514.md) and [31](/usc/5/31.md) U.S.C. 3716 (see [5 CFR part 550](/cfr/5/part550.md), [subpart K](/cfr/20/subpartK.md); [31 CFR 285.7](/cfr/31/285.7.md); §§ [422.810](/cfr/20/422.810.md) and [422.829](/cfr/20/422.829.md) of this part);
    - (v) Offsets under [31 U.S.C. 3728](/usc/31/3728.md) against a judgment obtained by a debtor against the United States;
    - (vi) Offsets or recoupments under common law, State law, or Federal statutes specifically prohibiting offsets or recoupments for particular types of debts; or
    - (vii) **Offsets in the course of judicial proceedings, including bankruptcy.**
  - (3) Unless otherwise provided for by contract or law, debts or payments that are not subject to Administrative Offset under [31 U.S.C. 3716](/usc/31/3716.md) may be collected by Administrative Offset under the common law or other applicable statutory authority.
  - (4) In bankruptcy cases, the agency may seek legal advice from the Office of the General Counsel concerning the impact of the Bankruptcy Code, particularly 11 U.S.C. [106](/usc/11/106.md), [362](/usc/11/362.md), and [553](/usc/11/553.md), on pending or contemplated collections by offset.
- (b) [Reserved]

## Notes

### Authority

Authority: Sec. 97, Pub. L. 97-365, 96 Stat. 1749; Sec. 104, Pub. L. 104-134, 110 Stat. 1321; 5 U.S.C. 552; 5 U.S.C. 553; 31 U.S.C. 3711; 31 U.S.C. 3716; 31 U.S.C. 3717; 31 U.S.C. 3720A; 31 U.S.C. 3720B; 31 U.S.C. 3720C; 31 U.S.C. 3720D; 31 U.S.C. 3720E; 31 CFR parts 901-904; 31 CFR part 285; 5 U.S.C. 5514; 5 CFR part 550; 42 U.S.C. 902(a)(5).

### Source

Source: 80 FR 61734, Oct. 14, 2015, unless otherwise noted.

### Source

Source: 32 FR 13653, Sept. 29, 1967, unless otherwise noted.