text: intercepting  state tax returns for debt from before marriage if filing jointly? i have debt from unpaid fines from before i got married. this year we were told by the irs website that other goverment agency's  and collection agencys were intercepting the returns to pay these debts. my husband and i file jointly so we get more back and my income is listed as $0 seeing as i dont work. the only income on our taxes is from my husband. we were not expecting a return but a few weeks later we got our full refund back, nothing was taken out. the agency's didn't have my married last name, just my maiden one so the s.s. number and name didn't match which i know they have to in order for them to take the return. they now have my correct last name so in our 2007 filings can they take out the debts even though my income will be $0 again, but my last name now matches my s.s. numbers in their books? or because my husband is the only one with income and the debt was before we got married can they not lawfully take it even though it was jointly filed. in the end because they are fines i would do what you have to do in order to get them paid off or the next time you get pulled over on a traffic stop you'll wind up in jail because you had a warrant.   i wouldn't mess around with this. from what it sounds like you may already have a warrant.