Do you have a order to pay, have you had hearings with the IRS.

Yes;however,the IRS is also required to notify you before it begins to garnish your Social Security distributions.You are able to appeal the garnishment for reasons of "hardship," but you need to appwal immediately upon receiving the notice, or they'll garnish your next Soc. Sec. payment.

Actually, it is the Treasury Dept. that has the authority to withhold any money owed to the Federal government out of any U.S. Treasury payments to its citizens or suppliers. Treasury writes all checks for the gov't, so they were given the authority