Utah Wage Garnishment Calculator

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Utah Wage Garnishment Calculator

Calculate wage garnishment limits under Utah law. Utah Code Ann. § 78B-5-504, Utah Code § 62A-11-108, 15 U.S.C. 1671-1677. Estimates only.

Rules encoded (VERIFY): Utah follows federal CCPA limits: the lesser of 25% of disposable earnings or the amount by which disposable earnings exceed 30 times the federal minimum wage ($217.50 weekly) per Utah Code Ann. § 78B-5-504. Utah does not have a state minimum wage and defaults to the federal $7.25. Child support withholding follows CCPA tiers 50/55/60/65% per Utah Code § 62A-11-108. Federal student loan AWG uses 15%. Federal tax debts follow IRS Pub 1494. Utah State Tax Commission levies typically follow the 25% limit. Post-judgment interest is generally 8% (Utah Code § 15-1-112).

1. Mode, county and pay date

Stack uses the order boxes in section 3.
Utah uses federal $7.25 minimum wage for garnishment calculations.
District Court venue.
Federal 30x test runs weekly; scaled by 52 / periods.
Select a county to see the venue note and federal floor figures.

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.
Reduces the 25% aggregate room.
Shares the 25% ceiling.

4. Balance and payoff

Utah post-judgment interest: 8% (Utah Code § 15-1-112 – VERIFY).

How it works

  • Disposable = gross minus legally required withholding; voluntary shown separately.
  • Weekly conversion = 52 / periods (1, 2, 2.1667, 4.3333).
  • Utah Code Ann. § 78B-5-504 limits garnishment to the lesser of 25% of disposable earnings or the amount by which disposable earnings exceed 30 times the federal minimum wage ($217.50).
  • Consumer debts = up to 25% of disposable earnings per CCPA.
  • Support = lesser of ordered and CCPA tier 50/55/60/65% of disposable earnings per Utah Code § 62A-11-108.
  • Federal tax = up to 25% of disposable earnings per CCPA (IRS Pub 1494).
  • Student loan AWG = lesser of 15% disposable and above the federal 30x floor.
  • Chapter 13 = the confirmed plan payment, capped at disposable earnings.
  • Stack applies precedence in order.
  • Payoff amortizes at the entered rate and flags non-amortizing or zero-withholding cases.

Sources

  • Utah Code Ann. § 78B-5-504 (wage garnishment limits): le.utah.gov
  • Utah Code § 62A-11-108 (support withholding): le.utah.gov
  • Utah Code § 15-1-112 (post-judgment interest: 8%): le.utah.gov
  • 15 U.S.C. 1671-1677 (Consumer Credit Protection Act): dol.gov
  • DOL Fact Sheet 30 (wage garnishment protections): dol.gov
  • Utah State Tax Commission (tax.utah.gov)
  • IRS Pub 1494 and Form 668-W: irs.gov
  • 20 U.S.C. 1095a, 34 CFR 34.19 (student loan AWG): studentaid.gov

Test cases

TC1 Salt Lake County, 2026, weekly, consumer debt. Gross $1,000.00; required $200.00; disposable $800.00. 25% cap = $200.00. Withheld $200.00, take-home $600.00.
TC2 Utah County, 2026, weekly, consumer debt. Gross $300.00; required $50.00; disposable $250.00. Floor $217.50 leaves $32.50 reachable; 25% cap is $62.50. Withheld $32.50, take-home $217.50.
TC3 Davis County, 2026, biweekly, child support. Gross $2,400.00; required $560.00; disposable $1,840.00. With no second family and no arrears, the CCPA tier is 60% = $1,104.00. Withheld $1,104.00, take-home $736.00.
TC4 Weber County, 2026, semimonthly, federal student loan AWG. Gross $2,600.00; required $600.00; disposable $2,000.00. The 15% AWG cap is $300.00. Withheld $300.00, take-home $1,400.00.
TC5 Washington County, 2026, monthly, consumer debt. Gross $4,000.00; required $1,000.00; disposable $3,000.00. 25% cap = $750.00. Withheld $750.00, take-home $2,250.00.
Estimates only; not legal advice. All figures VERIFY, including the Utah wage garnishment limits under Utah Code Ann. § 78B-5-504, the CCPA support tiers, the federal student loan 15% cap, and the 8% post-judgment interest rate. Not modeled: contested exemption hearings, automatic stays, self-employment income, bonuses, severance, pensions, unemployment or workers compensation. Consult a Utah attorney or Utah Legal Services. Deploy: replace the block, Update, purge cache, hard refresh; verify document.getElementById(“utah-wage-garnishment-calculator”).getAttribute(“data-js-ready”) returns “true” with no SyntaxError.

What Is a Utah Wage Garnishment Calculator?

A Utah wage garnishment calculator estimates the amount that may be deducted from your earnings under the withholding rules programmed into the tool. It calculates disposable earnings, applies limits based on the selected debt type, and displays estimated withholding per pay period, weekly and annual equivalents, and remaining take-home pay. Results depend on your entered information.

Wage garnishment is a process in which an employer withholds part of an employee's earnings to satisfy a debt or legal obligation. Different limits can apply to consumer debts, medical debts, support payments, tax levies, and federal student loan collections.

The calculator offers three modes: Single order, Stacking, and Payoff timeline. Single-order mode estimates withholding for one selected obligation. Stacking mode models five categories of competing orders. Payoff mode estimates how many pay periods may be needed to satisfy a balance at an entered interest rate.

The tool uses stored legal assumptions and figures for 2024, 2025, and 2026. These figures require verification. Its results are estimates, not confirmation of what a court, creditor, tax agency, or employer must withhold.

How the Utah Wage Garnishment Calculation Works

The calculator first determines disposable earnings. It then calculates a withholding ceiling based on the selected order type. For some debts, it compares a percentage limit with the portion of earnings above a protected minimum.

Step 1: Calculate Disposable Earnings

Disposable earnings are gross earnings minus deductions the calculator treats as legally required.

D=G−min⁡(G,R)D=G-\min(G,R)

Where:

  • D = Disposable earnings for the pay period.
  • G = Gross earnings for the pay period.
  • R = Total required payroll deductions entered.

The calculator adds federal income tax, Utah income tax, Social Security and Medicare, mandatory retirement contributions, and other required withholding. If their combined amount exceeds gross pay, it limits required deductions to gross earnings, leaving zero disposable earnings.

Voluntary deductions, such as health insurance, voluntary 401(k) contributions, and dues, do not reduce the disposable earnings base. They are considered separately in the estimated take-home calculation.

Step 2: Calculate the Federal Wage Protection Floor

The calculator uses an encoded federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. It multiplies this amount by 30 to produce a weekly protection floor of $217.50, then scales the figure to the selected pay frequency.

F=30×7.25×52NF=30\times7.25\times\frac{52}{N}

F represents the protected amount for the selected pay period, and N is the number of pay periods per year.

Pay FrequencyPay Periods Per YearCalculated Protection Floor
Weekly52$217.50
Biweekly26$435.00
Semimonthly24$471.25
Monthly12$942.50

The calculator compares disposable earnings against this floor. For ordinary consumer and medical debt withholding, it uses the smaller of 25% of disposable earnings and the amount above the protected floor, subject to its other-garnishment adjustment.

Step 3: Calculate Consumer and Medical Debt Garnishment

For consumer and medical debts, the calculator applies its encoded general withholding ceiling:

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

Here, C is the calculated withholding ceiling, D is disposable earnings, F is the protection floor for the pay period, and O is the amount entered as other garnishments. The formula prevents a negative ceiling.

If the amount demanded is positive and smaller than this ceiling, the calculator uses the demanded amount. If the amount demanded is zero, the calculator uses the full calculated ceiling.

The tool separately displays remaining 25% room after subtracting both existing support withholding and other garnishments. However, its actual consumer and medical debt calculation subtracts only the entered other-garnishment amount. This distinction matters when interpreting the results.

Step 4: Apply the Rules for Other Order Types

Different obligations use different calculation methods.

Child support and alimony: The calculator uses percentage ceilings of 50%, 55%, 60%, or 65% of disposable earnings, depending on the support selections.

Csupport=rDC_{\text{support}}=rD

The rate r is 50% when support for a second spouse or child is selected and 60% otherwise. Selecting arrears 12 weeks or older adds five percentage points. The amount demanded can reduce withholding below the applicable ceiling.

Federal student loan administrative wage garnishment (AWG): The calculator compares 15% of disposable earnings with the amount above the federal protection floor.

Cstudent=min⁡(0.15D,max⁡(0,D−F))C_{\text{student}}=\min\left(0.15D,\max(0,D-F)\right)

The smaller figure becomes the student loan withholding ceiling. A positive demanded amount below the ceiling further reduces the calculation.

Federal tax debt: The calculator estimates an exempt amount using stored annual deduction values, filing status, dependents, and age-65 or blindness selections.

E=S+(5300d)+(1600a)NE=\frac{S+(5300d)+(1600a)}{N}

E is the estimated exempt amount per pay period, S is the stored annual deduction figure for the selected year and filing status, d is the number of dependents, a is the number of selected age-65 or blindness boxes, and N is annual pay periods. The $5,300 and $1,600 figures are built-in calculator assumptions, not independently verified IRS allowances.

CIRS=max⁡(0,D−E)C_{\text{IRS}}=\max(0,D-E)

A positive exempt-amount override replaces the calculated exemption. The calculator uses the resulting amount above the exemption, or a smaller positive amount demanded. Its displayed 25% reference does not cap this federal tax calculation.

Chapter 13 plan: The tool converts the entered monthly plan payment into a payment for the selected pay frequency and limits it to disposable earnings.

Cplan=min⁡(D,12MN)C_{\text{plan}}=\min\left(D,\frac{12M}{N}\right)

M is the entered monthly plan payment. A smaller positive demanded amount further limits withholding.

Utah State Tax Commission levy: This order type appears in the single-order menu, but the supplied calculation code does not give it a separate state-tax formula. Instead, that selection falls through to the monthly Chapter 13 plan calculation. It should not be used as a reliable standalone state-tax levy estimate. Stacking mode separately models state-tax withholding using 25% of disposable earnings, the requested amount, and remaining earnings.

Worked Example: Weekly Consumer Debt Garnishment

Suppose an employee enters the following hypothetical information:

  • Gross weekly earnings: $300.00
  • Required payroll deductions: $50.00
  • Other garnishments: $0.00
  • Voluntary deductions: $0.00
  • Order type: Consumer debt
  • Amount demanded: $0.00, which tells the calculator to apply its maximum

First, calculate disposable earnings:

D=300−50=250D=300-50=250

Next, calculate 25% of disposable earnings and the amount above the weekly floor:

0.25×250=62.500.25\times250=62.50
250−217.50=32.50250-217.50=32.50

The smaller limit is $32.50, so the calculator estimates $32.50 withheld per week. Estimated take-home pay is $217.50 because no voluntary deductions were entered.

This example illustrates the calculator's method. It is not a determination that a specific worker's earnings may legally be garnished by that amount.

How the Debt Payoff Formula Works

Payoff mode estimates repayment time using the entered balance, annual interest rate, and periodic withholding payment. The calculator first converts the annual percentage rate into a rate per pay period.

i=r100Ni=\frac{r}{100N}

Here, r is the entered annual interest rate as a percentage, i is the periodic rate, and N is annual pay periods.

When interest is positive and the payment exceeds the interest accruing on the balance, the calculator uses:

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

B represents the balance owed, P is withholding per period, and n is the number of whole payment periods rounded upward. For a zero-interest calculation, the calculator instead rounds the balance divided by the payment upward.

With positive interest, the program estimates total paid by multiplying the full periodic payment by the number of periods, then subtracts the original balance to estimate interest. This simplified approach does not adjust the final payment to the exact remaining balance. With zero interest, it reports total paid as the original balance.

The calculator displays no payoff timeline when the balance or withholding is zero, or when the payment cannot cover accruing interest.

How to Use the Utah Wage Garnishment Calculator

  1. Select the mode. Choose Single order, Stacking, or Payoff timeline.
  2. Choose the pay year and county. Select 2024, 2025, or 2026 and choose a Utah county option.
  3. Choose your pay frequency. Select weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, or monthly.
  4. Enter gross pay. Provide your earnings for the pay period, including applicable bonuses and commissions.
  5. Enter payroll deductions. Include federal and Utah income tax, Social Security and Medicare, mandatory retirement, and other required withholding. Enter voluntary deductions separately.
  6. Choose the order type and amounts. Enter the amount demanded, support already withheld, and other garnishments where applicable.
  7. Complete additional fields. For support, select the relevant support checkboxes. For federal tax, enter filing details or an exemption override. For Chapter 13, enter the monthly plan payment. Stacking mode has separate order amount fields.
  8. Enter payoff information if needed. Provide the balance owed and annual interest rate to examine repayment timing.
  9. Calculate. Check the required acknowledgment and press Calculate. Use Reset to restore the original inputs.

The main result shows estimated withholding per pay period for the selected single-order type, even when stacking mode is active. Below it, the tool displays payroll amounts, withholding limits, remaining room, take-home pay, and the percentage of disposable earnings withheld.

Stacking mode additionally displays its priority waterfall and a payoff panel based on total stacked withholding. Payoff mode displays a timeline based on the selected single-order withholding.

Gross pay must be greater than zero, a county must be selected, and the acknowledgment must be checked. Numeric inputs are checked against their configured minimum and maximum values. The interest-rate field accepts values from 0% to 40%, with 8% entered by default. That default should not be assumed to be the applicable legal rate for any particular debt.

Understanding Your Wage Garnishment Results

Withheld Amount and Take-Home Pay

The primary result represents estimated withholding for one pay period. The calculator also converts it into weekly and annual equivalents based on your selected pay frequency.

Estimated take-home pay is gross earnings minus required deductions, voluntary deductions, and calculated withholding. If that calculation becomes negative, the tool displays zero.

The percentage result shows withholding as a share of disposable earnings. A colored meter visualizes the share against a 65% reference scale, with color changes at 10% and 25%. These display thresholds are not independent legal findings.

How Multiple Garnishments Affect the Estimate

Stacking mode processes five order categories in a programmed sequence:

  1. Support withholding
  2. Federal tax withholding
  3. Utah state tax withholding
  4. Federal student loan AWG
  5. Consumer debt withholding

The calculator reduces remaining disposable earnings after each category. For state-tax withholding, it uses the smaller of the requested state-tax amount, 25% of original disposable earnings, and remaining disposable earnings. Consumer withholding uses its general consumer-debt calculation and is also limited by remaining earnings when that amount is positive.

One limitation deserves attention: the student loan step is calculated from the original disposable earnings without a separate cap against the amount remaining after earlier orders. Combined withholding can therefore exceed the remaining earnings in some stacking scenarios. The waterfall is a simplified model rather than a verified legal priority determination.

What the Selected County and Pay Year Change

The county selection changes the displayed court venue information. It does not change the calculator's numerical garnishment formulas. The menu offers named Utah counties and an option for other Utah counties.

The pay year determines which of the calculator's stored annual deduction figures is used for its federal tax exemption estimate. Other displayed wage-garnishment percentages and the encoded $7.25 minimum-wage figure do not change with the selected year.

Important Limits of the Estimate

The calculator supplies informational notes about Utah garnishment limits, court venue, exemption claims, employment protections, and interest. It does not resolve a legal dispute or determine whether an order is enforceable.

Actual withholding may depend on the order, valid exemptions, applicable law, agency instructions, and payroll circumstances. The calculator's stored federal tax exemption amounts, state-tax handling, repayment assumptions, and legal statements should be independently checked. The tool is not a substitute for advice from a qualified Utah attorney or the relevant collecting agency.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much of my paycheck can be garnished in Utah?

For consumer and medical debts, the calculator models a limit based on the smaller of 25% of disposable earnings or the amount above 30 times its encoded federal minimum wage. It also accounts for entered other garnishments. Different formulas apply to support payments, federal student loans, tax debts, and Chapter 13 plan payments.

What is the difference between gross pay and disposable earnings?

Gross pay is the full amount earned before deductions. Disposable earnings are calculated after subtracting legally required payroll deductions. The calculator includes entered federal and Utah income taxes, Social Security and Medicare, mandatory retirement, and other required withholding. Voluntary deductions reduce estimated take-home pay but not the garnishment calculation base.

Can child support withholding exceed 25% of disposable earnings?

Yes. The calculator applies separate support withholding ceilings of 50%, 55%, 60%, or 65% of disposable earnings. The percentage depends on the second-family and arrears selections. A lower positive amount demanded reduces the calculated withholding. The ordinary consumer-debt ceiling is not used for this support calculation.

Does the calculator include Utah income tax?

Yes. Utah income tax is a separate input in the required payroll deductions section. The entered amount reduces disposable earnings along with other required deductions. The calculator does not determine your Utah income tax automatically; you must enter the deduction amount yourself.

Does the calculator handle several garnishments at once?

Yes. Stacking mode lets you enter separate requested amounts for support, federal tax, Utah state tax, federal student loans, and consumer debt. It displays the calculated amount for each category, combined withholding, and estimated take-home pay. The calculation uses a fixed sequence and has limitations, so it should not be treated as an official allocation between creditors.

How does the Utah wage garnishment payoff estimate work?

The calculator estimates payoff time from the entered balance, interest rate, and periodic withholding amount. It rounds the number of payment periods upward and shows approximate calendar time, total paid, and interest. If withholding is zero or cannot cover accruing interest, the calculator does not produce a repayment timeline.

Does choosing a Utah county change the garnishment limit?

No. Selecting a county changes the venue information displayed by the calculator, but not its mathematical limits. The same encoded withholding formulas apply across its county options. County selection should not be interpreted as a determination that a particular court has jurisdiction over your case.

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