Garnishment Parameters for US Employees

Payroll Administrator Guide
Version
R2025.2.1
ft:lastEdition
2025-12-01
Garnishment Parameters for US Employees

The following is a list of parameters that Dayforce shows in the Properties tab of garnishment orders depending on the garnishment type. Dayforce uses these parameters to calculate the amount that’s protected from being garnished, depending on the rules of the jurisdiction.

This list also includes garnishment types for fee and arrears orders. See Garnishment Arrears for US Employees and Garnishment Fees for US Employees.

Available parameters by garnishment type
Garnishment Type Parameters
Admin Wage Garnishment Employer Fee None
Administrative Wage Garnishment None
Bankruptcy None
Creditor Garnishment
  • Consent (Hardship): Florida and Indiana only. Select this checkbox to waive state limits on the maximum amount to garnish.
  • Head of Family/Household: Alaska, Florida, Missouri, Nebraska, and Nevada only. Select this checkbox if the employee supports one or more dependents. If the employee is the head of the household, the amount that can be garnished is reduced.
  • Local Minimum Wage: California and New York only. In certain cases, a Local Minimum Wage might be used in exemption calculations.
  • Low Wage: (Nevada only). In some cases, a higher exemption might be provided on the court order.
  • Number of Dependents: North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin only. Enter the number of the employee's dependent children. Depending on the state, a certain amount per child can be exempt from garnishment.
  • Type of Debt: Select an option to enter the type of debt indicated on the order based on the applicable government state:
    • Contracts/Judgements Entered in Tort (Alabama only)
    • Public Assistance Fraud (Colorado only)
    • Consumer Credit (Iowa, Vermont, and Washington only)
    • Residential Lease (Pennsylvania only)
    • Vocation (Arkansas only): Available for limited jurisdictions. If applicable, select the employee's job from this list. This option is used as an exception to garnishment rules.
    • Annual Salary (Iowa only): The Maximum annual amount withheld is based on the employee's estimated annual wages.
Creditor Garnishment Employer Fee None
Criminal Restitution None
Criminal Restitution Employer Fee None
Current Support
  • Has Medical Support: When this checkbox is selected, then additional fields are added to the screen for child dental premium, child medical premium and a premium priority drop-down list.
  • Second Family: Select this option if the employee has a second family to support. Impacts the maximum percentage that can be deducted depending on the jurisdiction.
  • Over 12 Weeks in Arrears: Select this option when the employee hasn’t paid any garnishment amounts for 12 weeks or more. The option affects the maximum percentage that can be deducted depending on the jurisdiction.
  • Mandatory Health Coverage: Alaska only. This should be selected if the employee must enroll the child in health coverage if available and ordered in the support order.
  • Court Ordered CCPA: Missouri and Montana only. Indicates that the order is issued by a court.
Current Support Arrears
  • Has Medical Support: When this checkbox is selected, additional fields are added to the screen for child dental premium, child medical premium and a premium priority drop-down list.
  • Over 12 Weeks in Arrears: Select this option when the employee hasn’t paid any garnishment amounts for 12 weeks or more. The option affects the maximum percentage that can be deducted depending on the jurisdiction.
  • Second Family: Select this option when the employee has a second family to support. The option affects the maximum percentage that can be deducted depending on the jurisdiction.
  • Mandatory Health Coverage: Alaska only. Select this option when the employee must enroll the child in health coverage if available and ordered in the support order.
  • Court Ordered CCPA: Missouri and Montana only. Select to indicate the order is issued by a court.
Federal Tax Levy
  • Additional Standard Deduction: For employees 65 years or older, select an option from this drop-down list to further define the employee's exemption amount.
  • Tax Levy Offset: Enter the deductions per pay period in a dollar amount that’s excluded from the calculation of the take-home pay. The amount entered is reduced from the total amount of what is otherwise exempt from the garnishment.
  • Filing Status: Select the employee's filing status from the list. The filing status should match what is on the employee's IRS Form 668-W. Both the filing status and the number of exemptions impacts the take-home pay the employee is allowed.
  • Number of Exemptions: Enter the number of dependent family members that the employee has claimed on their IRS Form 668-W in this field.
  • Outside Claimant Agency
  • Recovery of Unemployment Benefit Overpayment
Spousal Support
  • Court Ordered CCPA: Missouri and Montana only. Indicates that the order is issued by a court.
  • Over 12 Weeks in Arrears: Select this option when the employee hasn’t paid any garnishment amounts for 12 weeks or more. The option affects the maximum percentage that can be deducted depending on the jurisdiction.
  • Second Family: Select this option when the employee has a second family to support. The option affects the maximum percentage that can be deducted depending on the jurisdiction.
  • Mandatory Health Coverage: Alaska only. Select this option when the employee must enroll the child in health coverage if available and ordered in the support order.
Spousal Support Arrears
  • Court Ordered CCPA: (This parameter doesn’t currently affect the garnishment calculation) Available for limited jurisdictions. Indicates that the order is subject to Consumer Credit Protection Act (CCPA) guidelines.
  • Over 12 Weeks in Arrears: Select this option when the employee hasn’t paid any garnishment amounts for 12 weeks or more. The option affects the maximum percentage that can be deducted depending on the jurisdiction.
  • Second Family: Select this option when the employee has a second family to support. Impacts the maximum percentage that can be deducted depending on the jurisdiction.
  • Mandatory Health Coverage: Alaska only. Select this option when the employee must enroll the child in health coverage if available and ordered in the support order.
State Tax Levy
  • Additional Standard Deduction: Arizona and Michigan only. For employees 65 years or older, select an option from this drop-down list to further define the employee's exemption amount. The jurisdiction impacts the garnishment calculation.
  • Filing Status: Arizona and Michigan only. Select the employee's filing status from the list. The jurisdiction impacts the garnishment calculation.
  • Consent: Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, and Virginia only. Select this checkbox to waive state limits on the maximum amount to garnish.
  • Jeopardy: Oregon only. Select when a jeopardy assessment is indicated on the order.
  • Local minimum Wage: New York only. In certain cases, a local minimum wage might be used in the exemption calculations.
  • Number of Dependents: Massachusetts, Nebraska, Rhode Island, and West Virginia only. Enter the number of dependents claimed on their Form W-4 in this field, because this field impacts the amount of exempt wages.
  • Number of Exemptions: Enter the number of dependent family members that the employee has claimed on their Form W-4 or IRS Form 668-W (Arizona and Michigan) in this field, because this field impacts the amount of exempt wages.
  • Outside Claimant Agency: South Carolina only. Select the checkbox when the order stipulates that it’s an outside claimant agency.
  • Recovery of Unemployment Benefit Overpayment: Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Washington, and Wisconsin only. Select when the garnishment order is for an overpayment of unemployment benefits.
  • Vocation: Available for limited jurisdictions. If applicable, select the employee's job from this list. This option is used as an exception to garnishment rules:
    • Mechanic (Arkansas only)
    • Laborer (Arkansas only)
    • Municipal Employee (Vermont only)
  • Type of Debt: Available for limited jurisdictions. Select an option to enter the type of debt indicated on the order
    • Judgement Debt (Massachusetts only)
    • Non-Tax Debt (Michigan only)
    • Tax Debt to FTB EWOT (California only). Used to add the Earnings Withholding Orders for Taxes (EWOT) exemption rules for California state levies issued by the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB).
  • Tax Levy Offset: Arizona and Michigan only. Enter the deductions per pay period in a dollar amount that’s excluded from the calculation of take-home pay. The amount entered is reduced from the total amount of what is otherwise exempt from the garnishment.
State Levy Employer Fee None
State Student Loan
  • Consent: Select this checkbox to waive state and federal limits on the maximum amount to garnish.
  • Head of Family: Select this checkbox when the employee is the head of their household.
  • Number of Dependents: Enter the number of the employee's dependent children. Depending on the state, a certain amount per child can be exempt from garnishment.
  • Vocation: Available for limited jurisdictions. If applicable, select the employee's job from this list. This option is used as an exception to garnishment rules.
Student Loan Consent: Select this checkbox to waive state and federal limits on the maximum amount to garnish.
Student Loan Employer Fee None
Support Agency Fee None
Support Employer Fee None
Voluntary Wage Assignment
  • Filing Status (Ohio only)
  • Has Security Agreement (Minnesota and New Mexico only)
  • Head of Family (Nebraska only)
Voluntary Wage Assignment Employer Fee None