How To Deal With an IRS Wage Garnishment and Protect Your Paycheck
5 minute read • Upsolve is a nonprofit that helps you get out of debt with education and free debt relief tools, like our bankruptcy filing tool. Think TurboTax for bankruptcy. Get free education, customer support, and community. Featured in Forbes 4x and funded by institutions like Harvard University so we'll never ask you for a credit card. Explore our free tool
If you have unpaid federal tax debt, the IRS will send multiple warning letters. If you don’t respond or arrange a payment plan, the IRS can take action to collect, including a tax levy that may garnish your wages. This means your employer will withhold a portion of your wages and send it to the IRS. In this article, we’ll explain how IRS wage garnishment works, how much they can take from your paycheck, and what options taxpayers have to stop or prevent it.
Written by Mae Koppes. Legally reviewed by Jonathan Petts
Updated March 25, 2025
When Will the IRS Start Garnishing Your Wages?
The IRS won’t start garnishing your wages right away. Before the IRS takes any collection actions, it must follow procedures to ensure your taxpayer rights under federal law. These are often referred to as collections due process (CDP) rights.
This means the IRS must send you multiple notices and give you a chance to resolve your tax debt before garnishing your wages.
💡Wage garnishment is a type of tax levy. But not all tax levies involve wage garnishment. The IRS can also freeze your bank account or record a tax lien against you.
The process starts when the IRS determines that you owe back taxes. You’ll receive an initial Notice and Demand for Payment, which outlines your balance and due date. If you don’t respond or make a payment, the IRS will send additional warning letters.
The final notice before garnishment is called the Final Notice of Intent to Levy and Notice of Your Right to a Hearing (LT11 or Letter 1058). Once you receive this letter, you have 30 days to respond. If you don’t take action within this time frame, the IRS can move forward with wage garnishment. Actions you could take include:
Paying the debt
Requesting a hearing
Once the 30-day period expires, the IRS will send a Wage Levy Notice to your employer. At this point, your employer is legally required to withhold a portion of your paycheck and send it to the IRS.
How Long Can the IRS Take Your Paychecks?
Once the IRS starts garnishing your wages, it won’t stop until one of the following happens:
Your tax debt is fully paid off.
You set up an installment agreement or another payment plan.
You successfully appeal or request a levy release.
The 10-year statute of limitations on collections expires.
The IRS can also garnish other sources of income, such as tax refunds, pensions, and commissions. If you’re facing financial hardship, you may qualify for currently not collectible (CNC) status, which temporarily stops collections.
🔑 The key to avoiding garnishment is to communicate with the IRS as soon as you receive a notice, and explore your available options.
Can the IRS Take Your Whole Paycheck?
No, the IRS can’t take your entire paycheck. They can only take a portion of your wages. But the IRS doesn’t follow the federal wage garnishment law that limits how much other types of creditors and lenders can take from your paycheck with a court order.
The IRS has its own formula for calculating how much of your paycheck it can take. The calculation is based on the number of dependents you have, your tax filing status, and the standard deduction. You can find your exemption amount in the IRS’s exemption table.
For example, let’s say you’re a single mother of two filing as a head of household on your tax return, and you’re paid biweekly. This means $1,084.61 of your biweekly take-home pay is safe from the IRS levy. Any amount you make above that will be levied until:
You pay the back taxes in full.
You contact the IRS to make other payment arrangements.
You request a levy release.
If you make court-ordered child support payments directly instead of having your employer deduct these payments from your paycheck, it’s important to inform the IRS. In this case, the IRS will reduce your garnishment by the amount of your child support payments.
How To Stop an IRS Garnishment
If the IRS is garnishing your wages due to unpaid federal tax debt or unpaid state taxes, you still have options. The best way to stop an IRS garnishment depends on your situation. Let’s explore the options you have if you owe but can’t pay in full, if you don’t owe, or if too much time has passed.
If You Owe Taxes but Can’t Pay in Full
If you can’t afford to pay your full tax bill or you owe back taxes, you may be able to:
Set up a payment plan. If you owe less than $50,000 in federal tax debt, you can apply online for a monthly installment agreement.
Settle for less than you owe. The IRS may accept a lower payment through an offer in compromise (OIC), but you must meet certain requirements. You’ll need to prove you can’t afford to pay the full amount.
Request hardship status. If you are facing economic hardship and can’t cover basic living expenses, you can apply for currently not collectible (CNC) status. This stops collection efforts, but interest and penalties will keep adding up.
These options can help you stop wage garnishment or a bank levy before it starts. But if your wages or bank account are already being garnished, you’ll need to contact the IRS to set up a payment plan or request relief.
If You Don’t Think You Owe the Debt
If you believe the IRS made a mistake, you can:
File an appeal: If you already paid the tax debt, you can ask the IRS to release the levy.
Request an audit reconsideration: This asks the IRS to review how they calculated your tax liability (what you owe).
Apply for innocent spouse relief: If the debt belongs to your spouse, you may not be responsible for it.
If Too Much Time Has Passed
The IRS has time limits on collecting tax debt:
The IRS has three years to assess federal tax after you file your tax return. This extends to six years if you underreport income by 25% or more.
The IRS has 10 years to collect unpaid taxes. After that, they can’t garnish your wages or take other collection actions.
There’s no time limit if the IRS believes you filed a false or fraudulent return. If you think your debt is too old to collect, you may be able to challenge the garnishment.
The key to stopping a wage garnishment is acting quickly. Ignoring IRS notices can make things worse, but contacting the IRS and exploring your options can help you find a solution.
Can Bankruptcy Stop an IRS Wage Garnishment?
Yes, filing for bankruptcy can temporarily or permanently stop an IRS wage garnishment. When you file for bankruptcy, an automatic stay goes into effect. This stops most collection actions, including wage garnishments, while your case is active.
Chapter 7 bankruptcy can eliminate certain federal tax debts if they meet specific rules. But it won’t remove a federal tax lien if one has already been placed on your property.
Chapter 13 bankruptcy allows you to set up a repayment plan for your tax debt over 3–5 years. This can reduce your monthly financial burden and stop the IRS from garnishing your wages.
Bankruptcy isn’t the right solution for everyone. But if you’re in a difficult financial situation and you can’t afford your living expenses due to IRS collections, it may be an option. Consider speaking with a bankruptcy attorney to see if it’s an option for your tax situation.
📱Upsolve can connect you with a local bankruptcy attorney for a free consultation.
How To Get Help With an IRS Wage Garnishment
If the IRS is garnishing your wages, you don’t have to face it alone. A tax professional can help you understand your options and negotiate with the IRS.
Tax attorneys can give you legal advice about your options, including bankruptcy, and may help negotiate your tax situation with the IRS. Many offer free consultations.
Certified public accountants (CPAs) can assist with tax filings and financial planning but may not specialize in tax debt negotiations.
Enrolled agents (EAs) are IRS-certified tax professionals who can represent you in tax disputes. Many EAs are former IRS employees and have experience dealing with collections and garnishments.
If you’re not sure which option is best for you, consider setting up a free consultation with a tax attorney or enrolled agent to discuss your tax problems and explore possible solutions.
Let’s Summarize…
If you don’t pay back taxes, the IRS can garnish your wages, freeze your bank account, or place a lien on your property. Before this happens, the IRS must send you notices and give you a chance to respond. You can prevent a tax levy by setting up a payment plan or negotiating a settlement through an offer in compromise. If the IRS has already started garnishing your wages but you believe the debt is incorrect, you can file an appeal or request an audit reconsideration.
In some cases, bankruptcy may help. Chapter 7 bankruptcy can erase certain tax debts if they meet specific requirements, but it won’t remove a tax lien. If your debt doesn’t qualify for discharge, Chapter 13 bankruptcy can help you repay it over time while stopping IRS collection efforts.
