Virginia Wage Garnishment Calculator

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Virginia Wage Garnishment Calculator

Calculate wage garnishment limits under Virginia law. Virginia Code § 34-29, Virginia Code § 20-79.1, 15 U.S.C. 1671-1677. Estimates only.

Rules encoded (VERIFY): Virginia provides a greater exemption than the federal CCPA. Under Virginia Code § 34-29, the maximum garnishment for consumer debts is the lesser of 25% of disposable earnings or the amount by which disposable earnings exceed 40 times the federal minimum wage ($290.00 weekly). Child support withholding follows CCPA tiers 50/55/60/65% per Virginia Code § 20-79.1. Federal student loan AWG uses 15%. Federal tax debts follow IRS Pub 1494. Virginia Department of Taxation levies typically follow the 25% limit. Post-judgment interest is generally 8% (Virginia Code § 6.1-330.32).

1. Mode, county/city and pay date

Stack uses the order boxes in section 3.
Virginia uses federal $7.25 minimum wage for garnishment calculations.
Circuit or General District Court venue.
Federal 30x test runs weekly; scaled by 52 / periods.
Select a county/city 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

Virginia post-judgment interest: 8% (Virginia Code § 6.1-330.32 – VERIFY).

How it works

  • Disposable = gross minus legally required withholding; voluntary shown separately.
  • Weekly conversion = 52 / periods (1, 2, 2.1667, 4.3333).
  • Virginia Code § 34-29 limits garnishment to the lesser of 25% of disposable earnings or the amount by which disposable earnings exceed 40 times the federal minimum wage ($290.00).
  • 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 Virginia Code § 20-79.1.
  • 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

  • Virginia Code § 34-29 (wage garnishment limits): law.virginia.gov
  • Virginia Code § 20-79.1 (support withholding): law.virginia.gov
  • Virginia Code § 6.1-330.32 (post-judgment interest: 8%): law.virginia.gov
  • 15 U.S.C. 1671-1677 (Consumer Credit Protection Act): dol.gov
  • DOL Fact Sheet 30 (wage garnishment protections): dol.gov
  • Virginia Department of Taxation (tax.virginia.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 Fairfax 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 Richmond City, 2026, weekly, consumer debt. Gross $300.00; required $50.00; disposable $250.00. Floor $290.00 leaves $0.00 reachable; 25% cap is $62.50. Withheld $0.00, take-home $250.00.
TC3 Norfolk City, 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 Arlington 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 Henrico 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 Virginia wage garnishment limits under Virginia Code § 34-29, 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 Virginia attorney or Virginia Legal Aid. Deploy: replace the block, Update, purge cache, hard refresh; verify document.getElementById(“virginia-wage-garnishment-calculator”).getAttribute(“data-js-ready”) returns “true” with no SyntaxError.

What Is a Virginia Wage Garnishment Calculator?

A Virginia wage garnishment calculator estimates how much of an employee's earnings may be withheld for a selected debt or support obligation. It subtracts required payroll deductions from gross pay, applies the calculator's withholding limits, and displays estimated garnishment amounts, protected earnings, and remaining take-home pay based on the information entered.

Wage garnishment is a process in which an employer withholds part of an employee's earnings to satisfy a debt or legal obligation. The amount withheld can depend on disposable earnings, the type of debt, and applicable restrictions.

The calculator includes consumer debt, medical debt, child support, spousal support, federal student loan administrative wage garnishment (AWG), federal tax debt, a Virginia Department of Taxation levy selection, and Chapter 13 plan payments.

Three modes are available: Single order, Stacking, and Payoff timeline. You can estimate one withholding amount, model five categories of competing orders, or calculate a possible repayment period using an outstanding balance and annual interest rate.

The calculator follows programmed assumptions that require verification. Its results are estimates, not confirmation of what a court, creditor, government agency, or employer is legally required to withhold.

How the Virginia Wage Garnishment Calculation Works

The calculator first determines disposable earnings. It then applies a withholding formula based on the selected order type. For consumer and medical debts, the calculation compares a 25% earnings limit with the amount remaining above a Virginia-specific protection floor.

Step 1: Calculate Disposable Earnings

Disposable earnings are gross earnings minus deductions that 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 includes federal income tax, Virginia income tax, Social Security and Medicare, mandatory retirement contributions, and other required withholding in its deduction total.

If the combined required deductions exceed gross earnings, the calculator limits them to gross pay. This prevents disposable earnings from becoming negative.

Voluntary deductions, such as health insurance payments, voluntary 401(k) contributions, and dues, are excluded from the disposable earnings calculation. They are subtracted separately when estimating take-home pay.

Step 2: Calculate the Virginia Earnings Protection Floor

For consumer and medical debt withholding, the calculator uses an encoded Virginia protection floor equal to 40 times the federal minimum wage per week. The programmed federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, producing a weekly floor of $290.00.

F40=40×7.25×52NF_{40}=40\times7.25\times\frac{52}{N}

F represents the calculated Virginia earnings floor for one pay period, and N represents the number of pay periods per year.

The calculator also uses a separate 30-times federal minimum wage floor for federal student loan AWG calculations.

F30=30×7.25×52NF_{30}=30\times7.25\times\frac{52}{N}
Pay FrequencyPeriods Per Year40x Virginia Floor30x Federal Floor
Weekly52$290.00$217.50
Biweekly26$580.00$435.00
Semimonthly24$628.33$471.25
Monthly12$1,256.67$942.50

These amounts are calculated from the constants in the tool, not retrieved from live government data. The precise pay-period figures are used in calculations before currency formatting.

For consumer and medical debt, the amount above the Virginia protection floor is calculated as:

H=max⁡(0,D−F40)H=\max(0,D-F_{40})

H is the portion of disposable earnings above the 40-times floor. If disposable earnings do not exceed that amount, H becomes zero.

Calculator display limitation: Some result labels refer to a 30-times federal floor even though the corresponding displayed values use the 40-times Virginia calculation. The student loan calculation separately uses the 30-times federal floor. These two calculations should not be confused.

Step 3: Calculate Consumer and Medical Debt Garnishment

For consumer and medical debt, the calculator compares three amounts: 25% of disposable earnings, the amount above the Virginia protection floor, and remaining 25% room after other garnishments.

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

Where:

  • C = Calculated withholding ceiling.
  • D = Disposable earnings.
  • H = Disposable earnings above the 40-times protection floor.
  • O = Other garnishments entered for the pay period.

The smallest of these figures determines the withholding ceiling. If the amount demanded is positive and below that ceiling, the calculator uses the smaller demanded amount. An entered demand of zero applies the full calculated ceiling.

The tool also displays a separate remaining-room amount after subtracting both existing support withholding and other garnishments from 25% of disposable earnings. However, the consumer and medical debt withholding formula itself subtracts only the entered other-garnishment amount. This difference can affect how the results should be interpreted.

Step 4: Calculate Child Support and Spousal Support Withholding

The calculator applies separate support withholding percentages rather than the ordinary consumer debt ceiling.

Csupport=r×DC_{\text{support}}=r\times D

In this formula, r is the selected support withholding rate, and D is disposable earnings.

Support SituationCalculator Rate
Supporting a second spouse or child50%
Second family supported, with arrears 12 weeks or older55%
No second family selected60%
No second family selected, with arrears 12 weeks or older65%

The calculator chooses the applicable rate through its second-family and arrears checkboxes. Withholding is limited to the calculated support ceiling or a smaller positive amount demanded. The code also ensures the withholding does not exceed disposable earnings.

Step 5: Calculate Federal Student Loan Garnishment

For federal student loan administrative wage garnishment, the calculator uses the smaller of 15% of disposable earnings and earnings above the 30-times federal minimum wage floor.

Cstudent=min⁡(0.15D,max⁡(0,D−F30))C_{\text{student}}=\min\left(0.15D,\max(0,D-F_{30})\right)

Here, D is disposable earnings, and F represents the 30-times federal minimum wage floor for the selected pay period.

A positive amount demanded below this ceiling further reduces the estimated withholding. This calculation uses the 30-times floor rather than the 40-times Virginia consumer debt floor.

Step 6: Calculate Federal Tax Levy Withholding

The calculator estimates a federal tax levy exemption using stored annual deduction figures for the selected pay year and filing status, plus its programmed adjustments for dependents and age-65 or blindness selections.

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

Where E represents the estimated exempt amount per pay period, S is the stored annual deduction value, d is the number of dependents, a is the number of selected age-65 or blindness boxes, and N is annual pay periods.

The calculator stores deduction figures for 2024, 2025, and 2026. Its $5,300 dependent adjustment and $1,600 age-or-blindness adjustment are programmed assumptions, not independently verified IRS levy allowances.

It then calculates the amount above the estimated exemption:

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

Entering a positive exempt-amount override replaces the calculated per-period exemption. A smaller positive amount demanded reduces the modeled withholding. The calculator does not apply its ordinary 25% consumer debt ceiling to this federal tax calculation.

Step 7: Calculate Chapter 13 Plan Withholding

For a Chapter 13 plan, the calculator converts the entered monthly plan payment into an amount for the selected pay frequency.

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

M represents the entered monthly plan payment, N represents annual pay periods, and D represents disposable earnings. The calculated amount cannot exceed disposable earnings. A smaller positive amount demanded can reduce withholding.

Virginia state tax levy limitation: The single-order menu includes a Virginia Department of Taxation levy selection, but the supplied code does not implement a separate state-tax calculation branch. Instead, the selection falls through to the Chapter 13 monthly plan calculation. With the default monthly plan amount of zero, it produces zero withholding. This should not be treated as a reliable standalone Virginia state tax levy estimate. Stacking mode handles entered Virginia state tax requests separately.

Worked Example: Weekly Consumer Debt Garnishment

Suppose a Virginia employee enters the following hypothetical paycheck information:

  • Gross weekly earnings: $350.00
  • Required payroll deductions: $50.00
  • Voluntary deductions: $0.00
  • Other garnishments: $0.00
  • Order type: Consumer debt
  • Amount demanded: $0.00, applying the calculator's full ceiling

First, calculate disposable earnings:

D=350−50=300D=350-50=300

Next, calculate 25% of disposable earnings:

0.25×300=750.25\times300=75

Then calculate earnings above the Virginia weekly protection floor:

300−290=10300-290=10

Because $10.00 is smaller than $75.00, the earnings-floor restriction controls the estimate. With no other garnishments or voluntary deductions, the calculator produces these results:

  • Withheld per week: $10.00
  • Estimated annual withholding: $520.00
  • Estimated weekly take-home pay: $290.00
  • Share of disposable earnings withheld: 3.33%

This example demonstrates the calculator's programmed arithmetic. It does not determine whether a particular employer can legally withhold that amount.

How the Debt Payoff Formula Works

Payoff mode estimates repayment time using the outstanding balance, annual interest rate, calculated withholding amount, and pay frequency.

The calculator first converts the annual percentage rate into a periodic interest rate:

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

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

When the interest rate is positive and the payment exceeds the interest accruing on the balance, the calculator estimates the required number of whole pay periods with:

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 the periodic withholding payment, and n is the number of payment periods rounded upward. When the entered interest rate is zero, the calculator instead rounds the balance divided by the periodic payment upward.

For positive-interest calculations, it estimates total paid by multiplying the full periodic payment by the number of periods. Estimated interest equals that total minus the original balance. This simplified method does not adjust the final payment to the precise remaining balance. When interest is zero, the displayed total paid equals the original balance.

The calculator displays an explanatory message instead of a positive payoff timeline when the balance is zero, withholding is zero, or the payment is insufficient to cover accruing interest.

How to Use the Virginia Wage Garnishment Calculator

  1. Select the calculation mode. Choose Single order, Stacking, or Payoff timeline.
  2. Choose the pay year and location. Select 2024, 2025, or 2026, then choose a Virginia county or independent city option.
  3. Choose your pay frequency. Select weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, or monthly.
  4. Enter gross pay. Provide your earnings for one pay period, including applicable bonuses and commissions.
  5. Enter required payroll deductions. Include federal income tax, Virginia income tax, Social Security and Medicare, mandatory retirement, and other required withholding. Enter voluntary deductions separately.
  6. Select an order type. Choose the debt, support, tax, student loan, or Chapter 13 category you want to examine.
  7. Enter withholding information. Provide the amount demanded per pay period, support already withheld, and other garnishments where applicable.
  8. Complete additional fields. For support orders, use the second-family and arrears checkboxes. For federal tax, enter filing details or an exempt-amount override. For Chapter 13, enter the monthly plan payment.
  9. Provide stacking or payoff details if needed. Stacking mode has separate requested amounts for five order categories. For a meaningful payoff calculation, enter a positive balance and an annual interest rate.
  10. Calculate the estimate. Check the required acknowledgment and select Calculate. Use Reset to restore the original input values.

The main result shows estimated withholding per pay period for the selected single-order category. The details include disposable earnings, withholding ceilings, protected earnings, estimated take-home pay, and the share of disposable earnings withheld.

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

The calculator requires a county or city selection, gross earnings greater than zero, and the acknowledgment checkbox. It checks numeric inputs against their configured limits. The interest-rate field accepts values from 0% to 40%, with 8% entered by default. That default is a calculator assumption, not confirmation of the applicable interest rate for a particular judgment or debt.

Understanding Your Wage Garnishment Results

Estimated Withholding and Take-Home Pay

The primary withholding result represents the amount calculated for one pay period. The calculator also displays weekly and annual equivalents based on the selected pay frequency.

Estimated take-home pay is calculated by subtracting required deductions, voluntary deductions, and calculated withholding from gross earnings. If that result is negative, the calculator displays zero instead.

Dollar amounts are displayed with two decimal places. The share of disposable earnings withheld appears as a percentage with two decimal places.

A colored meter illustrates withholding against a 65% reference scale. Its color changes at 10% and 25%. These thresholds are visual settings rather than separate legal findings.

How Stacking Mode Handles Multiple Garnishments

Stacking mode models five withholding categories in this programmed order:

  1. Support withholding
  2. Federal tax withholding
  3. Virginia Department of Taxation withholding
  4. Federal student loan AWG
  5. Consumer debt withholding

The calculator starts with disposable earnings and reduces the remaining amount after processing each category. Support uses the selected support ceiling. Federal tax uses earnings remaining above the estimated IRS exemption.

The state-tax step uses the smallest of the requested state-tax amount, 25% of original disposable earnings, and remaining earnings. The student loan step applies the smaller of its requested amount and the 15% or federal earnings-floor ceiling calculated from original disposable earnings. Consumer debt withholding is then limited by its calculated ceiling and any positive earnings remaining.

Important stacking limitation: The student loan step does not separately restrict withholding to the earnings remaining after earlier orders. Some combinations can therefore produce total modeled withholding above disposable earnings. The calculator limits displayed take-home pay to zero, but the waterfall should not be treated as an official legal priority allocation.

How Existing Garnishments Affect the Result

The calculator displays remaining 25% room after subtracting existing support withholding and other garnishments from 25% of disposable earnings, with a minimum of zero.

However, the actual single-order consumer and medical debt formula reduces its available 25% room using the entered other-garnishment amount only. Existing support withholding affects the separately displayed room figure rather than directly reducing that order's calculated withholding.

Support, federal tax, student loan, and Chapter 13 calculations follow their own programmed formulas. The remaining-room figure should therefore not be treated as the controlling limit for every debt category.

What the County, City, and Pay Year Selections Change

The county or independent city selection supplies venue information related to Virginia Circuit or General District Courts. It does not change the calculator's numerical withholding limits.

The pay year determines which stored annual deduction figures are used in the federal tax exemption estimate. The calculator's general withholding percentages and encoded minimum-wage-based floors remain the same across its available years.

Important Legal and Calculation Limitations

The calculator includes informational notes about Virginia garnishment limits, court venue, exemption claims, employment protections, and post-judgment interest. These notes reflect programmed assumptions and do not establish an individual's legal rights, deadlines, or eligibility for an exemption.

Actual withholding may depend on the garnishment order, applicable exemptions, current laws, agency instructions, other collection actions, and payroll circumstances. The calculator's legal references, tax exemption values, state-tax handling, and interest assumptions require independent verification.

Because the results are estimates, they should not replace instructions from the relevant court or collecting agency or advice from a qualified Virginia attorney.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much of my paycheck can be garnished in Virginia?

For consumer and medical debts, the calculator uses the smallest of 25% of disposable earnings, earnings above its 40-times federal minimum wage floor, and remaining 25% room after other garnishments. Different calculations apply to support orders, federal student loans, federal tax levies, and Chapter 13 payments. The amount shown is an estimate rather than a legally binding determination.

What is the difference between gross pay and disposable earnings?

Gross pay is the full amount earned before deductions. Disposable earnings are what remains after deductions the calculator classifies as legally required. These include entered federal and Virginia income taxes, Social Security and Medicare, mandatory retirement, and other required withholding. Voluntary deductions affect estimated take-home pay but not the disposable earnings base.

Why does the calculator use 40 times the federal minimum wage in Virginia?

The calculator uses a programmed Virginia protection floor of 40 times the federal minimum wage for consumer and medical debt withholding. With its encoded $7.25 hourly figure, that equals $290.00 per week. Federal student loan AWG uses a separate 30-times floor. Some result labels incorrectly describe the Virginia calculation as 30 times, even though the numerical calculation uses 40 times.

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 rate depends on whether a second family is supported and whether the arrears checkbox is selected. A smaller positive amount demanded reduces withholding below the modeled ceiling.

Does the calculator include Virginia state income tax?

Yes. Virginia income tax is a separate field in the required payroll deductions section. The amount entered reduces disposable earnings along with other required withholding. The calculator does not automatically calculate Virginia income tax from your wages. You must provide the deduction amount yourself.

Can the calculator estimate multiple garnishments at once?

Yes. Stacking mode accepts separate requested amounts for support, federal tax, Virginia state tax, federal student loans, and consumer debt. It displays calculated withholding by category, total withholding, and estimated take-home pay. Results follow a fixed programmed sequence and should not be treated as an official determination of creditor priority.

How does the Virginia wage garnishment payoff estimate work?

The payoff calculation uses the outstanding debt balance, entered annual interest rate, pay frequency, and calculated periodic withholding. It estimates the number of payment periods, approximate calendar time, total paid, and interest. When the payment is zero or cannot cover accruing interest, the calculator displays an explanatory message instead of a positive payoff timeline.

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