Garnishments, support orders and wage levies

Identify the legal order before applying a percentage. Different debts can have different limits, priority and release procedures.

Disposable earnings are not simply net pay

For ordinary garnishment protections, disposable earnings are defined by the applicable law. Voluntary benefit or savings deductions do not necessarily reduce that legal base. Child support, tax levies and other debt types may have different rules.

Match each deduction to an order

Ask payroll for the issuing authority, reference, earnings base, protected amount and payment destination. Two attachment codes can represent two orders, two parts of one order or a correction. A number in WA1 or WA2 is not a universal legal priority.

An IRS levy is different from current federal income-tax withholding. Both can appear on the same check. Payroll normally needs an appropriate release or revised instruction before changing a legally required deduction. Use the authority named on the notice for account-specific disputes.

Look up the codes in this section

Source and next step

See the official background guidance for the underlying rules. Internal abbreviations are employer-defined and must be confirmed locally.

Browse the complete payroll abbreviation directory or payroll guides for the wider context.