Wage garnishment calculator: how much can they take?
Payroll is taking part of your check. Answer three questions and see the most they can legally take.
Who is taking money from your pay?
Which state do you work in?
How do you file your taxes?
Do you also support another spouse or child?
How often are you paid?
How much do you take home?
If payroll takes more than this, call and we check the order against your pay stub.
Call 833-991-9547How the wage garnishment calculator works
- a week of take-home pay protected from card, medical and student loan debts
- $217.50
- the same floor on a check paid once a month
- $942.50
- the most a card company, collector or hospital can take
- 25%
It starts from your take-home pay: the pay left after taxes and the other deductions the law requires. The Department of Labor calls this disposable earnings and every limit is measured on it. Health insurance or retirement you chose still counts as pay.
| Who is taking it | The most they can take |
|---|---|
| Card company, hospital or collector | 25% of take-home pay or the part above $217.50 a week, whichever is less. Your state may protect more. |
| Federal student loan | 15% of take-home pay, never leaving you under $217.50 a week |
| IRS | Everything above the exempt amount in Publication 1494 |
| Child support | 50% or 60%, plus 5% when more than 12 weeks behind |
Paid monthly, the federal floor is $942.50 a month. Pay of $290 a week or more hits the full 25%. Paid every two weeks or twice a month, the calculator turns your check into a weekly figure, applies the rule, then turns it back, the way the Department of Labor table does.
Garnishment calculator by state
When a state protects more, your employer has to use the state number. Some states cap it at 10% or 20%, some protect a set number of hours at the state minimum wage and a few block card and hospital garnishment of wages entirely. The calculator uses your state’s own rule; every state’s rule is listed side by side.
Who is garnishing you changes the number
Student loans use 15% under Education Department rules. Child support allows 50% to 60%, plus 5% if you are more than 12 weeks behind. The IRS ignores percentages: it must leave you the amount in its Publication 1494 table for your filing status and dependents and it can take the rest.
Keep more of your next check
If payroll takes more than your number, an exemption claim may lower it and the time to file is short. Leave your number and a specialist calls you back to start it.