Enter your pay and taxes withheld — see the federal maximum a garnishment can take, and the floor the law protects.
Taxes + FICA only — not 401(k) or insurance.
Maximum garnishment per period
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Your disposable earnings
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Protected amount (can't be touched)
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Federal (CCPA) rules — many states protect MORE, never less. Tax levies and defaulted student loans follow their own formulas. This is information, not legal advice; a local legal-aid office can apply your state's specifics free.
The 30×-minimum-wage floor is the part people don't know: $217.50 per week of disposable pay is untouchable for consumer debts no matter what a collector implies. Child support garnishments bypass that floor and run 50% (supporting another spouse/child), 60% (not), plus 5% if arrears exceed 12 weeks.
A worked example
$2,000 biweekly gross with $380 of taxes: disposable is $1,620. The 25% test allows $405; the floor test allows $1,620 − $435 = $1,185 — the lesser wins, so a consumer garnishment tops out at $405 per check. A 60% child-support order on the same check could take $972.
If a garnishment just appeared
Three fast checks: the math above (employers occasionally over-withhold — payroll follows the order, but orders get miscalculated), whether you were ever served for the underlying lawsuit (default judgments without service can be vacated), and your state's exemptions (several are far more protective than federal). Legal aid handles exactly this daily, free, and deadlines run in days — move quickly.
Frequently asked questions
How much of my paycheck can be garnished?
For ordinary judgments (credit cards, medical debt), federal law caps it at the LESSER of 25% of disposable earnings or the amount your weekly disposable pay exceeds 30× the federal minimum wage ($217.50/week). Child support runs far higher: 50–65% depending on circumstances.
What counts as disposable earnings?
Gross pay minus legally required deductions only: federal/state/local taxes, Social Security, Medicare, and mandatory state programs. Voluntary things (401(k), health premiums) do NOT reduce disposable earnings for garnishment math.
Can my whole paycheck be garnished?
Not for consumer debts — if your weekly disposable pay is $217.50 or less, none of it can be garnished federally. Some states protect even more (a few prohibit wage garnishment for consumer debt almost entirely). Child support and unpaid taxes follow different, tougher rules.
Can I be fired for a garnishment?
Federal law forbids firing you over a single garnishment. Multiple separate garnishments lose that protection federally, though some states extend it. If a garnishment appears wrongly, you can contest it with the court that issued it — quickly, deadlines are short.