Michigan Wage Garnishment Calculator

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Pri Geens

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Michigan Wage Garnishment Calculator

How much a Michigan paycheck can lose to a periodic wage garnishment, support withholding, Treasury levy, student loan or Chapter 13 plan. MCL 600.4012, MCL 552.601 et seq., 15 U.S.C. 1671-1677. Estimates only.

Rules encoded (VERIFY): an ordinary periodic wage garnishment takes the lesser of 25% of disposable earnings or the amount by which weekly disposable earnings exceed 30 times the federal minimum wage ($217.50); at or below that floor nothing is withheld (MCL 600.4012 with the CCPA). The garnishment remains in effect until the judgment, interest and costs are satisfied – the former 91-day limit was removed by the June 2026 amendment (VERIFY transition rules). Support income withholding follows the CCPA tiers 50 / 55 / 60 / 65% of disposable earnings (DHS Pub 96, MCL 552.611a) and takes priority. Michigan Treasury wage garnishments and IRS levies sit outside the 25% cap; Treasury is modeled at 25% of disposable. Federal student loan AWG uses 15% with the federal floor. Michigan minimum wage is $12.48 (2025) and $13.73 (2026) but the garnishment floor keys to the federal rate. Post-judgment interest follows MCL 600.6013 (5% placeholder – VERIFY). No discharge for one garnishment (15 U.S.C. 1674).

1. Mode, county and pay date

Stack uses the order boxes in section 3.
Context only; the floor uses federal $7.25.
District or Circuit Court venue.
MCL 600.4012 tests run weekly; scaled by 52 / periods.
Select a county to see the District or Circuit Court venue note and the statewide protected floor.

2. Gross pay and legally required withholding

Includes bonuses and commissions.
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

Michigan judgment interest follows MCL 600.6013 (5% placeholder – VERIFY current rate).

How it works

  • Disposable = gross minus legally required withholding; voluntary shown separately.
  • Weekly conversion = 52 / periods (1, 2, 2.1667, 4.3333); MCL 600.4012 tests run weekly.
  • Floor = 30x $7.25 = $217.50 weekly; at or below it nothing is garnished.
  • Consumer cap = lesser of 25% of disposable and the above-floor amount, reduced by other non-support garnishments.
  • Support = lesser of ordered and the CCPA tier 50 / 55 / 60 / 65% of disposable.
  • Student loan = lesser of 15% disposable and above the federal 30x floor.
  • IRS = disposable above Pub 1494 exempt; Treasury = modeled at 25% of disposable; neither uses the state cap.
  • 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

  • MCL 600.4012 (periodic garnishment remains until satisfied; garnishee liability) and MCL 600.4011: legislature.mi.gov
  • Michigan Legal Help overview of garnishment (25% / 30x federal minimum wage formula): michiganlegalhelp.org
  • DHS Pub 96 employer FAQs and MCL 552.611a / 552.609 (CCPA support tiers, MiSDU remittance): michigan.gov
  • Michigan Treasury garnishment forms including MC12 for periodic wages: michigan.gov/taxes
  • LEO minimum wage ($10.33 in 2024, $12.48 in 2025, $13.73 in 2026, $15.00 in 2027): michigan.gov/leo
  • 15 U.S.C. 1671-1677 and DOL Fact Sheet 30: dol.gov
  • IRS Pub 1494 and Form 668-W: irs.gov
  • 20 U.S.C. 1095a, 34 CFR 34.19: studentaid.gov
  • MCL 600.6013 (judgment interest): legislature.mi.gov

Test cases

TC1 Wayne County, 2026, weekly. Gross $1,000.00; required $200.00; disposable $800.00. 25% cap $200.00; floor room $800.00 minus $217.50 = $582.50. Withheld $200.00, take-home $600.00, 25.00%. $4,000 at 5% clears in 21 weeks, total $4,200.00, interest $200.00.
TC2 Kent County, 2026, weekly. Gross $260.00; required $50.00; disposable $210.00, at or below the $217.50 floor. Withheld $0.00. The 25% cap would have allowed $52.50 had the floor not barred it.
TC3 Oakland County, 2026, biweekly. Gross $2,400.00; required $560.00; disposable $1,840.00. Child support, no second family, arrears 12 weeks or older: 65% tier $1,196.00; ordered $1,200.00. Withheld $1,196.00, take-home $644.00.
TC4 Washtenaw County, 2026, biweekly, stack. Gross $2,400.00; required $560.00; disposable $1,840.00. Support $300.00 (ceiling $920.00); no IRS or Treasury order; consumer requested $400.00 within the $460.00 25% cap and $1,405.00 floor room. Consumer $400.00, total $700.00, take-home $1,140.00.
TC5 Macomb County, 2026, semimonthly. Gross $2,600.00; required $600.00; disposable $2,000.00. Federal student loan AWG 15% = $300.00; federal floor $471.25 per period leaves $1,528.75. Withheld $300.00, take-home $1,700.00. $9,000 at 0% clears in 30 periods, about 1.25 years.
Estimates only; not legal advice. All figures VERIFY, including the 25% and 30x floor formula as applied through MCL 600.4012, the removal of the 91-day limit and its transition rules, the CCPA support tiers in DHS Pub 96, the Treasury modeled 25%, District Court jurisdiction and small claims limits, garnishee disclosure deadlines and the MCL 600.6013 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 objections, automatic stays, self-employment income, bonuses, severance, pensions, unemployment or workers compensation. Consult a Michigan attorney or Michigan Legal Help. Deploy: replace the block, Update, purge cache, hard refresh; verify document.getElementById(“michigan-wage-garnishment-calculator”).getAttribute(“data-js-ready”) returns “true” with no SyntaxError.

What Is a Michigan Wage Garnishment Calculator?

A Michigan wage garnishment calculator estimates withholding from a paycheck using gross pay, legally required deductions, pay frequency, order type, and the limits encoded for that order. For an ordinary judgment, this calculator compares 25% of disposable earnings with the amount above its federal minimum-wage floor and uses the applicable lower limit.

The calculator can work with weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, or monthly pay. It displays withholding for the current period, a weekly equivalent, an annual equivalent, take-home pay, and the percentage of disposable earnings withheld. Separate modes model a five-order priority waterfall and a payoff timeline.

The results are estimates. The calculator itself labels its legal rules, rates, procedure notes, and several other figures for verification. It should not be treated as a court determination or legal advice.

How the Michigan Wage Garnishment Calculation Works

The first step is calculating disposable earnings. The tool adds federal income tax, Michigan income tax, Social Security and Medicare, mandatory retirement, and other required withholding. If those deductions exceed gross pay, required withholding is capped at gross pay. Voluntary deductions are not included in this disposable-earnings calculation.

D=G−min⁡(G,R)D=G-\min(G,R)

Here, G is gross pay, R is the total entered legally required withholding, and D is disposable earnings.

Ordinary consumer and private student loan judgments

For an ordinary consumer or private student loan judgment, the calculator starts with two main limits. The first is 25% of disposable earnings. The second is the amount of disposable earnings above a weekly floor of 30 times the encoded federal minimum wage of $7.25, or $217.50 per week.

H=max⁡(0,Dw−217.50)wH=\max\left(0,\frac{D}{w}-217.50\right)w

H is the amount above the protected floor for the pay period. w is the number of weeks represented by one pay period. The code calculates it as 52 divided by the number of pay periods per year.

C=min⁡(0.25D,H,max⁡(0,0.25D−O))C=\min\left(0.25D,H,\max(0,0.25D-O)\right)

C is the ordinary-garnishment cap and O is other non-support garnishment already entered. If the amount demanded is greater than zero and lower than this cap, the calculator uses the demanded amount. Otherwise, it uses the full calculated cap. The separate “Support already withheld” input is displayed in the results but does not reduce this ordinary-debt calculation.

Support, student loans, taxes, and Chapter 13

Child and spousal support use a percentage of disposable earnings. The calculator uses 60% without a second family and 50% when the second-family box is checked. The arrears box adds 5 percentage points, producing the encoded 50%, 55%, 60%, or 65% tiers.

Csupport=rDC_{support}=rD

Federal student loan AWG uses the smaller of 15% of disposable earnings and disposable earnings above the same 30-times-$7.25 weekly floor.

CAWG=min⁡(0.15D,H)C_{AWG}=\min(0.15D,H)

An IRS levy uses disposable earnings above the calculator's estimated exempt amount. A positive override replaces that estimate. Otherwise, the code uses the selected year's built-in standard deduction, adds $5,300 for each dependent and $1,600 for each age-65-or-blind box, then divides by pay periods per year. Michigan Treasury garnishment is modeled at 25% of disposable earnings. Chapter 13 converts the entered monthly plan amount to the selected pay frequency and caps it at disposable earnings.

CIRS=max⁡(0,D−E),CTreasury=0.25D,CCh13=min⁡(D,12Mp)C_{IRS}=\max(0,D-E),\qquad C_{Treasury}=0.25D,\qquad C_{Ch13}=\min\left(D,\frac{12M}{p}\right)

Here, E is the IRS exempt amount, M is the monthly Chapter 13 payment, and p is the number of pay periods per year. These branches are implemented separately rather than being forced through the ordinary consumer-judgment formula.

Worked example

Suppose weekly gross pay is $1,000 and legally required deductions total $200. Disposable earnings are $800. The 25% limit is $200. The amount above the $217.50 weekly floor is $582.50. With no other non-support garnishments, the calculator therefore uses the smaller amount, $200.

min⁡(0.25×800, 800−217.50)=min⁡(200,582.50)=200\min(0.25\times800,\ 800-217.50)=\min(200,582.50)=200

With no voluntary deductions, displayed take-home pay is $1,000 minus $200 of required withholding minus $200 of garnishment, or $600. The garnishment equals 25.00% of disposable earnings. This matches a test case included in the calculator code.

How payoff mode estimates the timeline

Payoff mode treats the calculated withholding as a recurring payment. For a positive APR, the code converts the annual percentage rate into a per-period rate and uses an amortization formula. If one payment does not exceed the interest added during a period, the tool reports that the balance does not amortize.

i=APR100p,n=⌈−ln⁡(1−BiP)ln⁡(1+i)⌉i=\frac{APR}{100p},\qquad n=\left\lceil\frac{-\ln\left(1-\frac{Bi}{P}\right)}{\ln(1+i)}\right\rceil

B is the balance, P is the payment per period, i is the periodic interest rate, and n is the number of pay periods. With positive interest, the calculator displays total paid as n × P, so it does not reduce the final modeled payment to an exact remaining balance. At 0% APR, it uses the ceiling of balance divided by payment and displays total paid as the original balance.

How to Use the Michigan Wage Garnishment Calculator

  1. Select Single order, Stacking, or Payoff timeline mode.
  2. Choose the wage year, Michigan county, and pay frequency.
  3. Enter gross pay plus federal tax, Michigan tax, Social Security and Medicare, mandatory retirement, and any other required withholding that applies.
  4. Enter voluntary deductions separately if you want them reflected in displayed take-home pay.
  5. Select the order type and enter an amount demanded per period if applicable. A zero amount uses the calculated maximum in single-order mode.
  6. Complete any additional support, IRS, Chapter 13, stacking, balance, or APR fields that apply to the selected calculation.
  7. Check the required acknowledgment and select Calculate.

The main result is “Withheld per pay period.” The results also show disposable earnings, the protected floor, applicable caps, room remaining, weekly and annual withholding, take-home pay, the share of disposable earnings withheld, and a text description of the binding factor. Currency values are displayed with two decimal places, while the withholding percentage is also shown to two decimal places.

Understanding the Calculator's Inputs and Modes

Pay frequency changes the conversion between weekly rules and each paycheck. The code uses 52 annual periods for weekly pay, 26 for biweekly pay, 24 for semimonthly pay, and 12 for monthly pay. The ordinary protected floor itself remains based on the encoded federal $7.25 rate rather than the Michigan minimum-wage figures shown for context.

The year selector contains 2024, 2025, and 2026 Michigan minimum-wage values, but those state amounts do not determine the ordinary garnishment floor. The year does affect the built-in IRS exemption estimate because the code contains different standard-deduction amounts for each selectable year. The county selection affects the displayed court venue text rather than the numeric withholding formula.

Most money inputs allow values from $0 through $10,000,000. The balance field allows up to $100,000,000, and APR accepts 0% through 40%. IRS dependents allow 0 through 20 and the age-65-or-blind count allows 0 through 2. The code floors those count values to whole numbers when calculating the IRS estimate.

Gross pay must be greater than zero. Required selections must be completed, and the acknowledgment box must be checked. The balance field is marked as required in payoff mode, but a value of zero still passes the numeric minimum check and causes the payoff section to display its “Enter a balance” state rather than a positive payoff period.

What stacking mode does

Stacking mode processes five order boxes in this sequence: support, IRS levy, Michigan Treasury garnishment, federal student loan AWG, and consumer judgment. Support is limited by its support tier and remaining disposable earnings. The IRS step uses remaining earnings above the estimated IRS exemption. Treasury is limited to 25% of original disposable earnings and the amount still remaining.

The AWG step is limited by its 15% and federal-floor tests. The code then gives the consumer judgment whatever remains within its consumer cap and the 25% non-support ceiling after AWG. One implementation detail matters in extreme cases: the AWG step is not separately capped to the disposable earnings remaining after the earlier support, IRS, and Treasury steps. The displayed take-home amount is nevertheless floored at $0.00.

Because this calculator handles legal and financial withholding, use its result as an estimate rather than a final determination. Actual orders, exemptions, court procedures, interest, tax levy rules, priority dates, and later legal changes can affect real-world withholding. The calculator's own text specifically marks many of these items for verification.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much can this calculator withhold for an ordinary Michigan judgment?

The calculator uses the smallest applicable amount among 25% of disposable earnings, disposable earnings above its 30-times-$7.25 weekly floor, and the remaining 25% room after other non-support garnishments. A lower positive amount demanded can reduce the final result further.

Does Michigan minimum wage change the calculator's ordinary garnishment floor?

No. The code displays Michigan minimum-wage figures for the selected year as context, but the ordinary garnishment floor uses the encoded federal minimum wage of $7.25 multiplied by 30. That produces a $217.50 weekly protected floor before adjustment to the chosen pay frequency.

Are voluntary deductions subtracted before the garnishment cap is calculated?

No. The calculator does not subtract its voluntary health, 401(k), or dues field when computing disposable earnings. It subtracts voluntary deductions later when displaying take-home pay. Required tax, FICA, mandatory-retirement, and other required-withholding fields are part of the disposable-earnings calculation.

What does zero in the amount demanded field mean?

In single-order calculations, zero tells the calculator to use the maximum produced by that order type's formula. If a positive demanded amount is lower than the calculated cap, the lower demand is used. In the five stacking-order fields, however, zero means no amount is requested for that step.

How does the calculator handle child support arrears?

The support calculation starts at 60% of disposable earnings when the second-family box is not checked and 50% when it is checked. Selecting the 12-weeks-or-older arrears box adds 5 percentage points, giving the calculator's four possible support tiers of 50%, 55%, 60%, and 65%.

Why can payoff mode show no payoff timeline?

The calculator shows no positive payoff period when the balance is zero, withholding is zero, or a positive-interest payment does not cover one period's interest. In the last case, the code reports that the balance never amortizes because the recurring payment cannot reduce the balance.

Does selecting a Michigan county change the dollar result?

No. County is a required selection, but the code uses it to populate venue and procedure text. The mathematical withholding amount comes from the pay, deduction, frequency, order, and order-specific inputs rather than a county-specific percentage or wage floor.

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