Wisconsin Wage Garnishment Calculator

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Wisconsin Wage Garnishment Calculator

Calculate wage garnishment limits under Wisconsin law. Wis. Stat. § 812.38, Wis. Stat. § 767.511, 15 U.S.C. 1671-1677. Estimates only.

Rules encoded (VERIFY): Wisconsin limits consumer debt garnishment to 20% of disposable earnings or the amount by which disposable earnings exceed 30 times the federal minimum wage ($217.50 weekly), whichever is less (Wis. Stat. § 812.38). Child support withholding follows CCPA tiers 50/55/60/65% per Wis. Stat. § 767.511. Federal student loan AWG uses 15%. Federal tax debts follow IRS Pub 1494. Wisconsin Department of Revenue levies typically follow the 25% limit. Post-judgment interest is generally 12% (Wis. Stat. § 138.04). Wisconsin has a state income tax.

1. Mode, county and pay date

Stack uses the order boxes in section 3.
Wisconsin uses federal $7.25 minimum wage for garnishment calculations.
Circuit 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

Wisconsin post-judgment interest: 12% (Wis. Stat. § 138.04 – VERIFY).

How it works

  • Disposable = gross minus legally required withholding; voluntary shown separately.
  • Weekly conversion = 52 / periods (1, 2, 2.1667, 4.3333).
  • Wis. Stat. § 812.38 limits garnishment to the lesser of 20% of disposable earnings or the amount by which disposable earnings exceed 30 times the federal minimum wage ($217.50).
  • Consumer debts = up to 20% of disposable earnings.
  • Support = lesser of ordered and CCPA tier 50/55/60/65% of disposable earnings per Wis. Stat. § 767.511.
  • 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

  • Wis. Stat. § 812.38 (wage garnishment limits): legis.wisconsin.gov
  • Wis. Stat. § 767.511 (support withholding): legis.wisconsin.gov
  • Wis. Stat. § 138.04 (post-judgment interest: 12%): legis.wisconsin.gov
  • 15 U.S.C. 1671-1677 (Consumer Credit Protection Act): dol.gov
  • DOL Fact Sheet 30 (wage garnishment protections): dol.gov
  • Wisconsin Department of Revenue (revenue.wi.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 Milwaukee County, 2026, weekly, consumer debt. Gross $1,000.00; required $200.00; disposable $800.00. 20% cap = $160.00. Withheld $160.00, take-home $640.00.
TC2 Dane County, 2026, weekly, consumer debt. Gross $300.00; required $50.00; disposable $250.00. Floor $217.50 leaves $32.50 reachable; 20% cap is $50.00. Withheld $32.50, take-home $217.50.
TC3 Waukesha 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 Brown 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 Racine County, 2026, monthly, consumer debt. Gross $4,000.00; required $1,000.00; disposable $3,000.00. 20% cap = $600.00. Withheld $600.00, take-home $2,400.00.
Estimates only; not legal advice. All figures VERIFY, including the Wisconsin wage garnishment limits under Wis. Stat. § 812.38, the CCPA support tiers, the federal student loan 15% cap, and the 12% post-judgment interest rate. Not modeled: contested exemption hearings, automatic stays, self-employment income, bonuses, severance, pensions, unemployment or workers compensation. Consult a Wisconsin attorney or Wisconsin Legal Services. Deploy: replace the block, Update, purge cache, hard refresh; verify document.getElementById(“wisconsin-wage-garnishment-calculator”).getAttribute(“data-js-ready”) returns “true” with no SyntaxError.

What Is a Wisconsin Wage Garnishment Calculator?

A Wisconsin wage garnishment calculator estimates how much of your paycheck may be withheld for a selected debt or support obligation. It calculates disposable earnings from gross pay and required deductions, applies the withholding limits programmed for the selected order type, and displays estimated garnishment, protected earnings, and remaining take-home pay.

Wage garnishment is a process in which an employer withholds part of an employee's earnings to satisfy a debt or legal obligation. Different calculation limits can apply depending on the type of debt.

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

It offers three calculation modes: Single order, Stacking, and Payoff timeline. Single-order mode calculates 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 debt balance at an entered interest rate.

The results are estimates based on the calculator's programmed assumptions. They are not legal determinations and do not confirm what a court, creditor, tax agency, or employer must withhold.

How the Wisconsin Wage Garnishment Calculation Works

The calculator first determines disposable earnings. It then applies a formula based on the selected order type. For consumer and medical debts, its Wisconsin-specific calculation compares 20% of disposable earnings with the amount above a protected earnings 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 entered required payroll deductions.

The calculator adds federal income tax, Wisconsin income tax, Social Security and Medicare, mandatory retirement contributions, and other required withholding.

If the entered deductions exceed gross earnings, the calculator limits the required deduction total to gross pay. Disposable earnings therefore cannot become negative.

Voluntary deductions, such as health insurance payments, voluntary 401(k) contributions, and dues, do not reduce the disposable earnings base. They are subtracted separately when estimating take-home pay.

Step 2: Calculate the Protected Earnings Floor

The calculator uses an encoded federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. For its consumer and medical debt calculations, it multiplies this amount by 30 to produce a weekly earnings floor of $217.50.

The calculator converts the weekly floor to the selected pay frequency using this formula:

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

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

Pay FrequencyPeriods Per YearCalculated Earnings Floor
Weekly52$217.50
Biweekly26$435.00
Semimonthly24$471.25
Monthly12$942.50

These figures come from the calculator's programmed constants. They do not change when you select a different pay year.

The amount of disposable earnings above the floor is calculated as follows:

H=max⁡(0,D−F)H=\max(0,D-F)

H represents earnings above the protected amount. If disposable earnings are at or below the floor, H becomes zero.

Step 3: Calculate Consumer and Medical Debt Garnishment

For consumer and medical debts, the calculator uses a programmed Wisconsin withholding ceiling of 20% of disposable earnings. It also applies the earnings-floor calculation and adjusts for entered other garnishments.

C=min⁡(0.20D,H,max⁡(0,0.20D−O))C=\min\left(0.20D,H,\max(0,0.20D-O)\right)

Where:

  • C = Calculated withholding ceiling.
  • D = Disposable earnings.
  • H = Earnings above the protected floor.
  • O = Other garnishments entered for the pay period.

The calculator uses the smallest of these three amounts. If the amount demanded is positive and smaller than the calculated ceiling, it uses that lower amount. An entered demand of zero tells the calculator to use the full calculated ceiling.

The calculator also displays a separate remaining-room figure. That figure subtracts both existing support withholding and other garnishments from 20% of disposable earnings. However, the actual consumer and medical debt formula subtracts only the amount entered as other garnishments.

Step 4: Calculate Child Support and Spousal Support Withholding

Support obligations use separate percentage ceilings rather than the 20% consumer debt limit.

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

Here, r is the selected support withholding rate, and D represents disposable earnings.

Support SituationCalculator Rate
Supports 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 from the second-family and arrears checkboxes. A smaller positive amount demanded reduces withholding below the calculated ceiling. The result is also limited to 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−F))C_{\text{student}}=\min\left(0.15D,\max(0,D-F)\right)

D represents disposable earnings, and F represents the protected amount for the selected pay period.

If the amount demanded is positive and below this ceiling, the calculator uses the lower demanded amount. If disposable earnings do not exceed the protected floor, the calculated student loan withholding is zero.

Step 6: Calculate Federal Tax Levy Withholding

For federal tax debt, the calculator estimates an exempt amount using stored annual deduction values for the selected pay year and filing status. It also applies 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 is 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 the number of annual pay periods.

The calculator includes stored deduction figures for 2024, 2025, and 2026. Its $5,300 adjustment per dependent and $1,600 adjustment per age-65 or blindness box are built-in assumptions. They should not be treated as independently verified IRS levy allowances.

The calculator then determines the amount of disposable earnings above the estimated exemption:

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

A positive exempt-amount override replaces the estimated exemption for the pay period. A smaller positive amount demanded reduces the calculated withholding. The tool does not apply its ordinary 20% consumer debt ceiling to the 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 is the number of pay periods per year, and D is disposable earnings.

The calculated amount cannot exceed disposable earnings. A smaller positive amount demanded may further reduce the result.

Wisconsin state tax levy limitation: The single-order menu includes a Wisconsin Department of Revenue levy option, but the code does not implement a separate calculation branch for that selection. Instead, it uses the Chapter 13 monthly plan calculation. With the default monthly plan payment of zero, the result is zero withholding. This should not be treated as a reliable standalone state tax levy estimate. Stacking mode calculates entered Wisconsin Department of Revenue requests separately.

Worked Example: Weekly Consumer Debt Garnishment

Suppose a Wisconsin employee enters the following hypothetical paycheck information:

  • Gross weekly earnings: $300.00
  • 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=300−50=250D=300-50=250

Next, calculate the 20% withholding ceiling:

0.20×250=50.000.20\times250=50.00

Then calculate earnings above the weekly protection floor:

250−217.50=32.50250-217.50=32.50

The smaller amount is $32.50. Because no other garnishments or voluntary deductions were entered, the calculator produces these results:

  • Estimated withholding per week: $32.50
  • Estimated annual withholding: $1,690.00
  • Estimated weekly take-home pay: $217.50
  • Share of disposable earnings withheld: 13.00%

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

How the Debt Payoff Formula Works

Payoff mode estimates repayment time from the debt balance, annual interest rate, calculated withholding payment, and pay frequency.

The calculator first converts the annual interest percentage into a periodic 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 interest is positive and the periodic payment exceeds accruing interest, the calculator estimates the number of payment periods using:

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 outstanding balance, P is the periodic withholding payment, and n is the number of whole payment periods rounded upward.

When the entered interest rate is zero, the calculator instead uses:

n=⌈BP⌉n=\left\lceil\frac{B}{P}\right\rceil

For positive-interest calculations, estimated total paid equals the number of periods multiplied by the full periodic payment. Estimated interest equals that total minus the original balance. This simplified method does not adjust the final payment to the exact outstanding amount. With zero interest, the tool reports total paid as 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 cannot cover accruing interest.

How to Use the Wisconsin Wage Garnishment Calculator

  1. Select a calculation mode. Choose Single order, Stacking, or Payoff timeline.
  2. Choose the pay year and county. Select 2024, 2025, or 2026, then choose an available Wisconsin county option.
  3. Select your pay frequency. Choose weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, or monthly.
  4. Enter gross pay. Provide earnings for one pay period, including any applicable bonuses and commissions.
  5. Enter required payroll deductions. Include federal income tax, Wisconsin 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 details. Provide the amount demanded per period, support already withheld, and other garnishments where applicable.
  8. Complete additional fields. For support orders, select the second-family and arrears checkboxes as appropriate. For federal tax, enter filing details or an exemption override. For Chapter 13, enter the monthly plan payment.
  9. Enter stacking or payoff information if needed. Stacking mode has five requested-order fields. To estimate debt payoff time, enter the outstanding balance and review the annual interest rate.
  10. Calculate your estimate. Check the required acknowledgment and select Calculate. Use Reset to restore the original inputs.

The main result shows estimated withholding per pay period for the selected single-order category. Detailed results include disposable earnings, protected income, the applicable withholding ceiling, projected take-home pay, and the share of disposable earnings withheld.

Stacking mode additionally displays a priority waterfall and a 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 selection, gross pay greater than zero, and the acknowledgment checkbox. It checks numeric entries against configured minimum and maximum values. The annual interest-rate field accepts values from 0% to 40%, with 12% entered by default. That default is a programmed assumption, not confirmation of the interest rate applicable to a particular debt.

Understanding Your Wisconsin Garnishment Results

Withholding Amount and Estimated Take-Home Pay

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

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

T=max⁡(0,G−R−V−W)T=\max(0,G-R-V-W)

T represents take-home pay, G is gross earnings, R is required deductions after the calculator's gross-pay limit, V is voluntary deductions, and W is calculated withholding.

Dollar amounts are displayed to two decimal places. The percentage of disposable earnings withheld is also displayed 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, not separate legal determinations.

How Stacking Mode Handles Multiple Garnishments

Stacking mode models five withholding categories in this programmed order:

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

The calculator starts with disposable earnings and subtracts the modeled withholding after each category. Support uses the selected support percentage ceiling. Federal tax uses the earnings remaining above the estimated IRS exemption.

The Wisconsin Department of Revenue step uses the smallest of the requested amount, 20% of original disposable earnings, and remaining earnings. The student loan step uses its requested amount and its 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 limit withholding to the earnings remaining after earlier orders. Certain combinations can therefore produce total modeled withholding greater than disposable earnings. Although the calculator limits displayed take-home pay to zero, the stacking result should not be treated as an official allocation between creditors.

How Existing Garnishments Affect the Estimate

The calculator displays remaining 20% room after subtracting existing support withholding and other garnishments from 20% of disposable earnings, with a minimum of zero.

However, its actual single-order consumer and medical debt formula adjusts the available 20% amount using only the entered other-garnishment figure. Existing support withholding changes the separately displayed remaining-room amount rather than directly reducing that order's calculated withholding.

Support, federal tax, student loan, and Chapter 13 calculations use different formulas. The displayed remaining-room figure therefore does not control every order type.

What the County and Pay Year Selections Change

County selection supplies Wisconsin Circuit Court venue information in the result notes. It does not change the numerical garnishment limits. The menu includes named counties and an option for other Wisconsin counties.

The selected pay year determines which stored annual deduction values are used in the federal tax exemption estimate. The calculator's consumer debt percentage, support percentages, and minimum-wage-based earnings floor do not change across its available years.

Important Legal and Calculation Limitations

The calculator includes informational notes about Wisconsin 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, federal tax exemption values, state-tax handling, and interest assumptions require independent verification.

The result should not replace instructions from the relevant court or collecting agency or advice from a qualified Wisconsin attorney.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much of my paycheck can be garnished in Wisconsin?

For consumer and medical debts, the calculator uses the smallest of 20% of disposable earnings, earnings above its 30-times federal minimum wage floor, and remaining 20% room after other garnishments. Separate formulas apply to support orders, federal student loans, federal tax debts, and Chapter 13 payments. The result is an estimate, not a binding legal 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 treats as legally required. These include federal and Wisconsin income taxes, Social Security and Medicare, mandatory retirement, and other required withholding. Voluntary deductions affect estimated take-home pay but not the disposable earnings calculation base.

Why does the calculator use a 20% limit instead of 25%?

The calculator uses a programmed Wisconsin consumer debt ceiling of 20% of disposable earnings. It compares that figure with earnings above the protected floor and its adjustment for other garnishments. The 20% figure comes from the calculator's encoded Wisconsin rule. It should be verified against the rules applicable to the specific order.

Can child support withholding exceed 20% of disposable earnings?

Yes. The calculator applies separate support withholding ceilings of 50%, 55%, 60%, or 65% of disposable earnings. The selected 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 Wisconsin income tax?

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

Can the calculator estimate several garnishments at once?

Yes. Stacking mode accepts separate requested amounts for support, federal tax, Wisconsin Department of Revenue collections, federal student loans, and consumer debt. It displays modeled withholding by category, total withheld, and estimated take-home pay. The result follows a fixed programmed sequence rather than a verified determination of legal creditor priority.

How does the Wisconsin wage garnishment payoff estimate work?

The payoff calculation uses the outstanding debt balance, entered annual interest rate, pay frequency, and calculated withholding payment. 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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