Extract Data From Legal Pennsylvania Garnishment Forms For Free

While your wages can be garnished in Pennsylvania, there are very limited situations where it is allowed. Garnishment may happen only if the appropriate legal procedures are adhered to for the following debts: A judgment for spousal or child support. Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) student loans.

At the federal level under Title III of the Consumer Credit Protection Act, the maximum amount of wages that can be withheld for garnishment purposes is 25%. Pennsylvania imposes even stricter limits: garnishment due to state taxes or missed residential rent payments is capped at 10%.

Act quickly to prevent wage garnishment You can file a Claim of Exemption any time after wage garnishment has started, but you'll only get wages back from the time after you submit the claim. If you act quickly, you can stop it before it even starts. By law, your employer cannot fire you for a single wage garnishment.

States and local governments might also be able to garnish your wages to collect unpaid state and local taxes. Under Pennsylvania law, garnishments by the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue can't exceed 10% of your net wages, and your wages must be above poverty guidelines. (72 Pa. Stat.

Pennsylvania does permit what is called "bank garnishment." This means if you have money in a bank, a creditor may obtain a judgment against you in court and garnish whatever money is deposited there ? even if that money is from a direct deposit of wages. Once the money is in the bank, it is subject to garnishment.

These only take precedence over federal law when the state law is more restrictive. For example, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Texas don't allow wage garnishment for debts owed to creditors although federal law allows it.