Wage Garnishment Limit Calculator (Federal CCPA)

How to do it

1. 1
   Step 1: Open Wage Garnishment Limit Calculator (Federal CCPA) and add your input

   Type your numbers or text, add your file, or pick the options you need. Nothing is uploaded: everything stays in your browser.

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   Step 2: What Wage Garnishment Limit Calculator (Federal CCPA) does

   Find the most an employer can garnish from your pay under the federal limits.

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   Step 3: Read the result and compare

   The result appears at once. Change one value to see how the answer moves, then keep the figure that fits your case.

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   Step 4: Copy or save it

   Copy the result or download it. For an important decision, confirm it with the official source or an adviser.

About this tool

Enter your disposable earnings for the pay period, the pay frequency, the type of debt and the federal minimum wage. The calculator shows the protected amount and the maximum that can be taken from each paycheck under the Consumer Credit Protection Act.

Ordinary debts

For most consumer debts the limit is the smaller of 25% of your disposable earnings, or the amount by which your disposable earnings exceed 30 times the federal minimum wage per week ($217.50 at $7.25). For biweekly pay the multiple is 60 times, for semimonthly 65 and for monthly 130.

Child and spousal support

Up to 50% of disposable earnings if you support another spouse or child, 60% if you do not, plus 5% more if the support is more than 12 weeks behind: 55% and 65%.

Disposable earnings

Disposable earnings are your pay after legally required deductions such as taxes and Social Security, not after health insurance or voluntary deductions. States can set lower limits, and unpaid taxes and student loans follow other rules.

Worked example

Weekly disposable earnings of $900 with an ordinary debt: 25% is $225 and $900 minus the protected $217.50 is $682.50, so at most $225 can be taken and you keep $675. With $250 of weekly earnings the limit is only $32.50.

Tips for best results

Check every box before you rely on a result, because one wrong digit changes the whole answer. Use the exact figures from your payslip, bill, certificate or contract, and keep a note of the date you calculated. Rates, thresholds and rules change from time to time, so for tax, fees and legal matters treat the output as an estimate and confirm with the official source named on this page. You can run as many scenarios as you like; nothing is saved or sent, and refreshing the page clears the boxes.