Iowa Wage Garnishment Calculator

Pri Geens

Pri Geens

Loading. If this stays, hard-refresh or purge the cache.

Iowa Wage Garnishment Calculator

How much an Iowa paycheck can lose to a garnishment, support order, tax levy, student loan or Chapter 13 plan, including Iowa’s consumer-debt floor and annual per-creditor cap. Iowa Code 642.21, 630.3A, 15 U.S.C. 1671-1677. Estimates only.

Rules encoded (VERIFY): garnishment of judgment debts takes the lesser of 25% of disposable earnings or the amount above a weekly exempt floor – 40 times the federal minimum wage ($290.00) for consumer debts and 30 times ($217.50) for non-consumer debts (Iowa Code 642.21). A consumer debt is personal or family use, with interest or a finance charge paid in installments, under the indexed threshold ($66,400 in 2023). Iowa also caps what one creditor may take in a calendar year by income tier: $250 under $12,000; $400 for $12,000-15,999; $800 for $16,000-23,999; $1,500 for $24,000-34,999; $2,000 for $35,000-49,999; and 10% of expected earnings above $50,000. Support withholding caps at 50% of disposable earnings and is outside these rules. Iowa DOR wage garnishment runs up to 25% of wages. IRS levies use Publication 1494. A hardship hearing under Iowa Code 630.3A can reduce any garnishment. No discharge for one garnishment (15 U.S.C. 1674).

1. Mode, county and pay date

Stack uses the order boxes in section 3.
Affects the IRS table; Iowa matches the federal $7.25 minimum.
District Court venue; small claims to $6,500.
Weekly floors scale by 52 / periods; annual cap divides by periods.
Select a county to see the venue note, the consumer and non-consumer floors and the annual cap.

2. Gross pay and legally required withholding

Annualized to pick the income-tier annual cap.
Voluntary 401(k) excluded.
Take-home only; not in the garnishment base.

3. Order type and amounts

0 applies the statutory maximum.
Informational; support sits outside the 25% aggregate.
Shares the 25% ceiling.

4. Balance and payoff

Payoff also stops at the annual cap; see the payoff note.
Iowa judgment interest is 10% (Iowa Code 535.3 – VERIFY).

How it works

  • Disposable = gross minus legally required withholding; voluntary shown separately.
  • Weekly conversion = 52 / periods (1, 2, 2.1667, 4.3333); both floors run weekly.
  • Floor = 40x $7.25 = $290 weekly for consumer debts, 30x = $217.50 for non-consumer; at or below the floor nothing is taken.
  • Cap = least of 25% of disposable, the above-floor amount, the CCPA aggregate room and the annual per-creditor cap converted to the period.
  • Annual cap tiers use annualized gross: $250 / $400 / $800 / $1,500 / $2,000 by income band, then 10% of expected earnings above $50,000.
  • Support = lesser of ordered and 50% of disposable; outside the floors and annual cap.
  • Student loan = lesser of 15% disposable and above the federal 30x floor.
  • IRS = disposable above Pub 1494 exempt; DOR = up to 25% of wages; neither uses the state caps.
  • Stack applies precedence in order and the 25% aggregate on non-support, non-tax orders.
  • Payoff amortizes at the entered rate and flags non-amortizing or zero-withholding cases.

Sources

  • Iowa Code 642.21 (exemption of disposable earnings, CCPA reference) and 630.3A (hardship reduction): legis.iowa.gov
  • Iowa Legal Aid garnishment guide: 40x consumer and 30x non-consumer floors, annual per-creditor cap table, affidavit of property exempt from execution, motion to quash: iowalegalaid.org
  • Iowa DCS income withholding (50% cap, $2 fee per payment): secureapp.dhs.state.ia.us and 441 IAC 98.14
  • Iowa DOR collections (wage garnishment up to 25% of wages): revenue.iowa.gov
  • 15 U.S.C. 1671-1677 and DOL Fact Sheet 30: dol.gov
  • Iowa Courts small claims ($6,500 limit, district court): iowacourts.gov
  • IRS Pub 1494 and Form 668-W: irs.gov
  • 20 U.S.C. 1095a, 34 CFR 34.19: studentaid.gov
  • Iowa Code 535.3 (10% judgment interest): legis.iowa.gov

Test cases

TC1 Polk County, 2026, weekly, consumer debt. Gross $1,000.00; required $200.00; disposable $800.00; annualized gross $52,000. 25% cap $200.00; consumer floor room $510.00; annual cap 10% of expected earnings = $100.00 per period. Withheld $100.00, take-home $700.00. $4,000 at 10% clears in 42 weeks, total $4,200.00, interest $200.00.
TC2 Linn County, 2026, weekly, consumer debt. Gross $300.00; required $60.00; disposable $240.00, at or below the $290.00 consumer floor. Withheld $0.00; all wages exempt and the affidavit of exemption should stop the garnishment before it starts.
TC3 Scott County, 2026, weekly, non-consumer debt. Gross $300.00; required $60.00; disposable $240.00; annualized $15,600 places the annual cap at $400 = $7.69 per week. Non-consumer floor room $22.50; 25% cap $60.00. Withheld $7.69, take-home $232.31; the annual tier binds.
TC4 Johnson County, 2026, biweekly. Gross $2,400.00; required $560.00; disposable $1,840.00. Child support ordered $1,000.00 against the 50% ceiling $920.00. Withheld $920.00, take-home $920.00; support ignores the floors and the annual cap.
TC5 Woodbury County, 2026, biweekly, stack, non-consumer judgment. Gross $2,400.00; required $560.00; disposable $1,840.00; annualized $62,400 so the annual cap is 10% = $240.00 per period. Support $300.00; no IRS or DOR order; judgment requested $400.00 but the annual cap limits it to $240.00. Total $540.00, take-home $1,300.00.
Estimates only; not legal advice. All figures VERIFY, including the 40x / 30x floors and the consumer-debt definition and threshold in Iowa Code 642.21, the annual per-creditor cap tiers and their income measure, the 50% support cap, the DOR 25% practice, the 630.3A hardship hearing, small claims limits, sheriff notice timing and the 10% judgment rate. Pub 1494 estimate uses 2026 standard deductions ($16,100 / $24,150 / $32,200) plus $5,300 per dependent plus $1,600 per age-65 or blind box. Not modeled: service-date priority, contested exemption hearings, automatic stays, self-employment income, bonuses, severance, pensions, unemployment or workers compensation. Consult an Iowa attorney or Iowa Legal Aid. Deploy: replace the block, Update, purge cache, hard refresh; verify document.getElementById(“iowa-wage-garnishment-calculator”).getAttribute(“data-js-ready”) returns “true” with no SyntaxError.

What Is an Iowa Wage Garnishment Calculator?

An Iowa wage garnishment calculator estimates withholding from a pay period after determining disposable earnings and applying the calculation rules for the selected order type. For judgment debts, this tool also compares percentage limits, consumer or non-consumer protected-income floors, existing non-support garnishments, and an annual per-creditor cap.

The calculator has three modes: Single order, Stacking - five order types, and Payoff timeline. Available order types include consumer debt judgments, non-consumer judgments, private student loan judgments, child support, spousal support, federal student loan administrative wage garnishment, IRS levies, Iowa DOR wage garnishment, and Chapter 13 plans.

Displayed results include gross and disposable earnings, annualized gross pay, applicable wage floors, the 25% calculation, annual cap per pay period, withholding, take-home pay, weekly and yearly equivalents, and the percentage of disposable earnings withheld. Stack and payoff modes add their own result panels.

How the Iowa Wage Garnishment Calculation Works

The calculation starts with disposable earnings. The tool adds federal income tax, Iowa income tax, Social Security and Medicare, mandatory retirement, and other required withholding. If their total exceeds gross pay, required withholding is limited to gross pay.

D=G−min⁡(G,R)D=G-\min(G,R)

Here, D is disposable earnings, G is gross pay for the period, and R is total legally required withholding. Voluntary deductions are not included in this formula. They are used later when estimated take-home pay is calculated.

The calculator converts disposable earnings to a weekly amount using 52 weekly, 26 biweekly, 24 semimonthly, or 12 monthly pay periods per year.

Dw=D×P52D_w=D\times\frac{P}{52}

P is the number of pay periods per year. The encoded weekly floor is $290 for consumer debts and private student loan judgments, based on 40 times $7.25. Non-consumer judgments use $217.50, based on 30 times $7.25.

Fc=40×7.25=290F_c=40\times7.25=290
Fn=30×7.25=217.50F_n=30\times7.25=217.50

The amount above the applicable floor is converted back to the selected pay period. If weekly disposable earnings do not exceed the floor, the floor-room amount is zero.

H=max⁡(0,(Dw−F)×52P)H=\max\left(0,(D_w-F)\times\frac{52}{P}\right)

Judgment Debt Formula

For a consumer judgment, non-consumer judgment, or private student loan judgment, the calculator compares four limits. It uses 25% of disposable earnings, the amount above the applicable wage floor, remaining room after other non-support garnishments, and the annual per-creditor cap converted to the current pay period.

Cj=min⁡(0.25D,H,max⁡(0,0.25D−O),Ap)C_j=\min\left(0.25D,H,\max(0,0.25D-O),A_p\right)

O is the entered amount of other non-support garnishments, and Ap is the annual cap converted to one pay period. Consumer and private student loan judgments use the 40-times floor. Non-consumer judgments use the 30-times floor.

If Amount demanded per period is zero, the calculator uses the full calculated cap. If a positive demanded amount is below that cap, the lower demanded amount becomes the withholding result. The Support already withheld field is displayed for information but is not subtracted by this judgment formula.

Annual Per-Creditor Cap

The calculator annualizes gross pay by multiplying current-period gross pay by the number of pay periods per year. It then applies this built-in cap table.

Annualized gross used by the codeAnnual cap used by the calculator
Less than $12,000$250
$12,000 to less than $16,000$400
$16,000 to less than $24,000$800
$24,000 to less than $35,000$1,500
$35,000 through $50,000$2,000
More than $50,00010% of annualized gross

For a fixed-dollar tier, the calculator divides the annual amount by pay periods per year. Above $50,000, it calculates the period cap as 10% of current gross pay, which is mathematically equivalent to 10% of annualized gross divided by the number of periods.

Ap={AP,fixed annual tier0.10G,annualized gross>50000A_p=\begin{cases}\frac{A}{P},&\text{fixed annual tier}\\0.10G,&\text{annualized gross}>50000\end{cases}

Other Order Types

Child support and spousal support are capped by the calculator at 50% of disposable earnings. A positive Amount demanded below that ceiling reduces the result.

Cs=0.50DC_s=0.50D

Federal student loan administrative wage garnishment uses the smaller of 15% of disposable earnings and the amount above the calculator's 30-times federal floor.

CAWG=min⁡(0.15D,H30)C_{AWG}=\min(0.15D,H_{30})

In the single-order calculation, the entered Other non-support garnishments amount is not subtracted from this federal student loan result.

The IRS branch calculates an estimated exempt amount from a stored value for the selected pay year and filing status, plus $5,300 for each dependent and $1,600 for each entered age-65-or-blind box. The total is divided by the number of pay periods. A positive Override exempt amount replaces this estimate.

E=S+5300d+1600bPE=\frac{S+5300d+1600b}{P}
CIRS=max⁡(0,D−E)C_{IRS}=\max(0,D-E)

S is the calculator's stored amount for the selected year and filing status, d is dependents, and b is the age-65-or-blind count. The available pay years are 2024, 2025, and 2026.

The Iowa DOR branch uses 25% of gross pay, limited to available disposable earnings. Chapter 13 converts the entered monthly plan payment to the selected pay frequency and also limits the amount to disposable earnings.

CDOR=min⁡(0.25G,D)C_{DOR}=\min(0.25G,D)
CCh13=min⁡(12MP,D)C_{Ch13}=\min\left(\frac{12M}{P},D\right)

A positive Amount demanded per period can reduce either of these single-order results when it is below the calculated cap.

Worked Example

Assume weekly gross pay of $1,000, required withholding of $200, no voluntary deductions, no other garnishments, and a consumer judgment with Amount demanded set to zero. Disposable earnings are $800, and annualized gross pay is $52,000.

D=1000−200=800D=1000-200=800

The 25% limit is $200. The amount above the $290 consumer floor is $510. Because annualized gross is above $50,000, the calculator's annual-cap calculation equals 10% of current gross pay, or $100 per weekly period.

Cj=min⁡(200,510,200,100)=100C_j=\min(200,510,200,100)=100

The displayed withholding is therefore $100.00 for the week. With no voluntary deductions, estimated take-home pay is $700.00. The withholding equals 12.50% of the $800 disposable earnings.

How to Use the Iowa Wage Garnishment Calculator

  1. Select Single order, Stacking - five order types, or Payoff timeline.
  2. Choose the wage year, Iowa county, and pay frequency.
  3. Enter gross pay plus federal tax, Iowa tax, Social Security and Medicare, mandatory retirement, and any other required withholding that applies.
  4. Enter voluntary deductions separately. They affect estimated take-home pay but not the disposable-earnings base.
  5. Select the order type and enter the amount demanded, existing support, and other non-support garnishments where relevant.
  6. Complete any additional fields shown for an IRS levy or Chapter 13 plan. Stack mode provides separate amounts for support, IRS, Iowa DOR, federal student loans, and a consumer-floor judgment.
  7. For Payoff timeline mode, enter a balance and annual interest rate. The interest field starts at 10%.
  8. Check the required acknowledgment and select Calculate. Select Reset to restore the calculator's initial values.

The main single-order result is Withheld per pay period. The calculator also identifies a binding factor, shows the calculated cap, converts withholding to weekly and annual values, and estimates take-home pay. In Stack mode, a separate priority-waterfall panel shows the amounts assigned to each of the five stack entries.

Understanding Stack and Payoff Results

Stack Mode

The stack calculation processes entered amounts in this order: support, IRS levy, Iowa DOR garnishment, federal student loan, then a judgment using the consumer floor. Support is limited to 50% of disposable earnings and the remaining disposable amount. The IRS step uses what remains above its estimated exempt amount. DOR is limited to 25% of gross pay and the remaining amount.

The federal student loan step is limited to the entered order, 15% of original disposable earnings, and the 30-times floor calculation. In the implemented stack code, this student-loan amount is not separately capped by the remaining-income variable before it is subtracted. The final consumer judgment is limited by its judgment cap, remaining 25% aggregate room after the student-loan amount, and remaining earnings.

The stack panel displays each withholding amount, total withheld, and take-home pay after the waterfall. The calculator also renders a payoff panel in Stack mode using total stacked withholding as the periodic payment, even though Balance owed is only required when Payoff timeline mode is selected.

Payoff Timeline

Payoff mode uses the single-order withholding result as a recurring payment. The periodic interest rate is the annual percentage rate divided by 100 and then by the number of pay periods per year.

i=APR100Pi=\frac{APR}{100P}

When interest is above zero and the payment is greater than one period's interest on the starting balance, the calculator estimates the required number of payments and rounds up to a whole pay period.

n=⌈−ln⁡(1−BiMp)ln⁡(1+i)⌉n=\left\lceil\frac{-\ln\left(1-\frac{Bi}{M_p}\right)}{\ln(1+i)}\right\rceil

B is the balance and Mp is the periodic withholding amount. For positive interest, the displayed total paid is the rounded number of periods multiplied by the full periodic payment, and displayed interest is that total minus the starting balance. If the payment is no greater than one period's starting interest, the calculator reports that the balance does not amortize.

At 0% interest, the calculator divides the balance by the payment and rounds the number of periods up. It displays total paid as the balance itself and interest as $0.00. Calendar time is converted to years and rounded months.

Important Inputs and Limits

Gross pay must be greater than zero for a calculation to run. Most dollar inputs accept values from $0 to $10,000,000. Balance owed allows up to $100,000,000. The annual interest field accepts 0% through 40%. IRS dependents accept whole-number values from 0 through 20, while Age 65 or blind accepts 0 through 2.

County selection is required and changes the venue text shown by the calculator. It does not create a county-specific numerical garnishment formula. Pay frequency does affect the calculations because it controls weekly conversions, annualized gross pay, fixed annual-cap conversions, the IRS exemption estimate, Chapter 13 period payments, and payoff timing.

Voluntary deductions such as health deductions, 401(k) contributions, and dues are not subtracted before the garnishment formulas run. Instead, estimated take-home pay is calculated from gross pay minus required withholding, voluntary deductions, and calculated garnishment, with the displayed result prevented from falling below zero.

Currency outputs use U.S. dollar formatting with two decimal places. The share of disposable earnings withheld is displayed as a percentage with two decimal places. The calculator also shows a visual meter based on that percentage, but the meter does not change the mathematical withholding result.

This is a legal and financial estimate based on the calculator's encoded rules and the values entered. Actual withholding may depend on the specific order, exemptions, procedural events, tax documents, court rulings, and other facts. The calculator marks legal amounts and procedural statements for verification, so its output should not be treated as legal advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the calculator determine disposable earnings?

It subtracts entered federal income tax, Iowa income tax, Social Security and Medicare, mandatory retirement, and other required withholding from gross pay. Required withholding cannot exceed gross pay in the calculation. Voluntary deductions are excluded from disposable earnings and are used only when estimating take-home pay.

What is the difference between the consumer and non-consumer wage floors?

The calculator uses a $290 weekly floor for consumer judgments and private student loan judgments. It uses a $217.50 weekly floor for non-consumer judgments. These amounts come from the calculator's encoded multipliers of 40 and 30 times $7.25.

How does the Iowa annual garnishment cap affect the result?

For judgment-type calculations, the code annualizes current gross pay, selects a fixed annual tier through $50,000, or uses 10% above $50,000. It converts that cap to one pay period and compares it with the 25% limit, wage-floor room, and remaining aggregate room. The smallest applicable value controls the calculated judgment cap.

What does entering $0 as the demanded amount do?

In the single-order calculation, an Amount demanded of $0 causes the calculator to use the full order-specific calculated cap. A positive amount below that cap reduces the withholding to the amount entered. A positive amount above the cap does not increase withholding beyond the calculated limit.

Does Support already withheld reduce the judgment result?

No. The calculator reads and displays the Support already withheld value, but its judgment-cap function does not subtract that amount. Other non-support garnishments are different: the calculator subtracts those from the 25% aggregate room when calculating judgment withholding.

How is an IRS levy estimated?

The calculator uses a stored amount for the selected year and filing status, adds $5,300 per dependent and $1,600 per age-65-or-blind box, and divides by pay periods per year. A positive Override exempt amount replaces that estimate. The interface labels this IRS calculation as an estimate that should be verified.

What happens if payoff withholding is too low to cover interest?

If the periodic payment is less than or equal to the interest accruing on the starting balance for one period, the calculator reports that the balance never amortizes. It then shows no payoff-period count rather than projecting a payoff date that the entered payment cannot reach under its formula.

Indiana Wage Garnishment Calculator

Kansas Wage Garnishment Calculator

Related Calculators