What the tax man gives, the state can now take away.

For the first time, Maine has the authority to seize state and federal income tax refunds for deadbeat parents who still owe child support for children over 18 – even if that child is now 50.

Economic stimulus checks are up for grabs, too.

Both could add up to $1 million or more to Maine parents’ pockets, according to one Department of Health and Human Services official.

Previous rules stopped the state from collecting back debt when the child turned 19. The changes, made at the federal level in 2006 but passed in Maine too late for last tax season, means more resources for kids to “progress and thrive,” said Barbara Van Burgel, director of the Office of Integrated Access and Support.

DHHS has given 6,500 names to tax authorities, all of them parents of adult-age children with child support still on the books.

Many probably figured they were off the hook. Some are probably dead.

“We don’t forgive any debt. It goes back to 1974,” Van Burgel said. “If there’s an estate and a back debt, you want to at least get in line to get some of the resources for a child, (even if they’re) not a child anymore.”

Since 1974, Maine has collected $1.5 billion in support, funneling most of that straight to the custodial parents and keeping some to reimburse state and federal welfare programs, Van Burgel said.

Last year, $108 million was paid in. The state has between 60,000 and 70,000 cases at any time, she said. About 60 percent are up to date with their payments.

Maine has used more and more measures to coax nonpaying parents into compliance. Last year, by threatening to pull deadbeat parents’ passports, the state collected $289,000 from people who owed more than $5,000 in support. With that threshold newly dropped to owing $2,500 – and federal rules that call for increased use of passports – Van Burgel anticipates higher collections this year.

“It focuses on not trying to take things away from people, but making sure they need to provide for their children to take that next step,” she said.

The state can attach work-related bonus payments. L.L.Bean and Wal-Mart are the two employers they do that with the most, she said. The state can also seize money won in class action lawsuits. It attached $463,000 in the case over strip searches in the York County jail.

Since last summer, DHHS has been able to seize the registrations on recreational vehicles for nonpayment. No tallies exist yet on how often that’s been employed.

“I think any tool is a successful tool, even if it affects five families,” Van Burgel said.