Wage Garnishment

IRS Wage Garnishment – IRS Wage Levy for Tax Debt

Taxpayers are often shocked to learn that up to 90% of their salary can be withheld and forwarded to the IRS on each and every paycheck!

An IRS Wage Garnishment remains in effect until the tax debt is paidIt starts when a taxpayer misses filing a return or two, or by failing to pay taxes owed. The economy has been in recession since 2007 and times are admittedly tough. In fact, it is routinely reported that one in six Americans faces tax problems. That equates to 50 million taxpayers in some sort of trouble with the IRS! These reported ‘tax problems’ include unfiled tax returns, tax debt and IRS audits.

It often gets more dicey when taxpayers —depressed by their seemingly hopeless circumstances— make the choice to save IRS mail unopened or dodge the phone calls as they think: “What can I possibly do considering my current financial circumstances?”

IRS usually gives sufficient warning prior to a Bank Levy or Wage Garnishment

Some of those unopened letters were probably warnings to the taxpayer that a lien was going to be filed or assets levied. If one of those unopened (or unaccepted) letters was sent certified mail, that was probably the last attempt to get the taxpayer’s attention prior to the actual levy or wage garnishment. The IRS will follow through on their lien threat notices by the actual process to attach your money or property called a “levy.” If the IRS sees adequate cash balances in your checking or savings account that will be their first target, and if not, a wage garnishment will be another attractive target for collecting past due tax debt.

An IRS Wage Garnishment remains in effect until the tax debt is paid

When the IRS attaches a taxpayer’s wages, it is called a wage garnishment or wage levy. Not only is a wage garnishment very effective for the government, it is equally one of the most humiliating of all big brother collection techniques. The IRS forces the taxpayer’s employer to get involved by holding back a percentage of the taxpayer’s earnings and then sending those monies to the IRS. If you act quickly and contact our Tax Resolution Lawyers right away, we can work towards preventing or stopping the IRS or state wage garnishment. If you do nothing, a wage garnishment typically remains in effect until the taxpayer’s IRS back taxes, interest, and any penmalties are paid in full. The exception to this is when a tax lawyer negotiates a wage garnishment release with the IRS by substituting another agreement to settle the tax debt, or providing to the IRS evidence of hardship.

Amount that the IRS Will Garnish Your Wages

The actual amount withheld from a taxpayer’s check to be sent to the IRS depends on your filing status, the number of exemptions claimed, and how often paid per month. Here is a worksheet that an employer might have to use to calculate the smount to withhold from a taxpayer’s paycheck (PDF). If the IRS is able to leave you but a small fraction of your earnings, the result could lead to financial collapse for a normal families’ household. The specific formula for deciding the amount to send the IRS is explained on IRS Levy on Wages, Salary, and other Income Form 668-W. If you do nothing, your employer will be required to to send money deducted from your paycheck until the IRS debt is satisfied in full. The other choice is to have an experienced Tax Resolution Lawyer contact the IRS on your behalf and make another arrangement that is less severe, less-humiliating, and would likely allow you sufficient income to live on.

Tax Resolution Lawyers Can negotiate with the IRS to Stop Wage Garnishment

The Tax Resolution Lawyers at Vincent W. Davis & Associates, can come the the aid of taxpayers to advocate on your behalf with the IRS to release your paycheck from garnishment before their next payday by negotiating another form of payment such as an IRS Installment Agreement, or an Offer in Compromise (OIC), or proving to the IRS that the garnishing of wages creates a hardship for the garnishee.

Petitioning For IRS to cease Wage Garnishment for Hardship

While the IRS is legally permitted to garnish a taxpayer’s wages until your outstanding taxes are fully repaid, the IRS is known to treat hardship cases with a high priority. The Tax Resolution Lawyers at Vincent W. Davis & Associates, have in excess of 60 years legal experience and they can help you make an argument of hardship to the IRS, and if well-received we can often have the wage garnishment released immediately. Then we can negotiate a more equitable collection alternative that the taxpayer can afford to pay.

Facing an Embarrassing Wage Garnishment? We Can Help!

Contact Tax Resolution Lawyers

The Tax Resolution Lawyers at Vincent W. Davis & Associates, provides a no-obligation, confidential consultation and have appointments available for evenings and weekends. Moreover, we accept all major credit cards and can make other payment arrangements on a case by case basis. We have seven convenient offices throughout Southern California, including Los Angeles County, Orange County, Riverside County and San Bernardino County. To schedule a confidential consultation with one of our Tax Resolution Lawyers, call 626-446-6442.


Arcadia Office
150 N. Santa Anita Ave,
Suite 200
Arcadia, CA 91006
Phone: (626) 446-6442
Fax: (626)-446-6454


Beverly Hills Office
9465 Wilshire Blvd.
Suite 300
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
Phone: (310)-880-5733


La Mirada Office
Cerritos Towne Center
17777 Center Court Drive ,
Suite 600
Cerritos, California, 90703
Phone: 888-888-6542


Los Angeles Office
Gas Company Tower
555 West Fifth Street,
31st Floor
Los Angeles, California, 90013
Phone: (213)-400-4132


Long Beach Office
Landmark Square
111 West Ocean Blvd.,
Suite 400
Long beach, California, 90802


Irvine Office
Oracle Tower
17901 Von Karman Avenue,
Suite 600
Irvine, California, 92614
Phone: (949)-203-3971
Fax: (949)-203-3972


Ontario Office
Lakeshore Center
3281 E. Guasti Road,
7th Floor
City of Ontario, California, 91761
Phone:(909)-996-5644


Riverside Office
Turner Riverwalk
11801 Pierce Street,
Suite 200
Riverside, California, 92505
Phone: (909)-996-5644


San Diego
Emerald Plaza
402 West Broadway,
Suite #400
San Diego, California, 92101
Phone: (619)-885-2070


Aliso Viejo
Ladera Corporate Terrace
999 Corporate Drive,
Suite 100
Ladera Ranch, California, 92694
Phone: (714) 721-3822