This feature is in beta for select customers. Contact your CSM for more information.
A garnishment deducts wages from an employee’s pay to satisfy a legal order, such as child support, a tax levy, or a creditor judgment.
Use the Garnishment Wizard in the employee record to create and manage garnishments.
All garnishment setup is completed manually in the Garnishment Wizard. Payment imports may be available only in limited cases.
Security
Users must have the following permission to create a garnishment:
Labor → Employees → Payroll → Deductions → Edit Deductions
These permissions can be added to custom user roles or individual users. The Permission Access report can be used to determine which user roles or users already have these permissions assigned. For more information, see User Setup and Security.
Create a Garnishment
Before creating a garnishment, ensure the following are available:
The employee record open and ready to edit
Payroll deduction edit permissions enabled
Court or agency order details available for reference during setup
Phase 1: Select Employee and Garnishment (Steps 1-6)
Click steps to expand for additional information and images.
1) Navigate to the Payroll tab of the employee’s record.
2) Scroll to the Benefit & Deductions section.
3) Select Add Deduction.
4) Select a legal entity.
5) Select a Garnishment.
Expand Wage Garnishment and Legal Orders to view available garnishment options.
6) Select Next.
Phase 2: Enter Order Information (Steps 7-13)
7) Review garnishment details.
The selected deduction code and legal entity auto-fill from the previous step.
Verify the correct deduction code.
Enter a description, if needed.
8) Enter a date for the ‘Date of Receipt.’
The Date of Receipt determines garnishment priority when:
Multiple orders of the same type exist
A federal tax levy is involved
This date reflects when the employer receives the garnishment order.
Child support orders are not affected by the receipt date.
9) Enter Agency Details.
Enter the agency information provided in the court or agency order.
If the agency is located in Texas, the Cause Number field appears.
10) Enter the Issuing Court Details.
After selecting the agency state, the system auto-fills the issuing state.
11) Enter an ID number for the order.
Enter at least one of the following:
Case ID
Order ID
Remittance Number
At least one ID number is required.
12) Upload a copy of the garnishment order.
Attachments must be in JPG, GIF, PDF, or PNG format and no larger than 5 MB.
13) Select Next.
If Next is unavailable, review the previous step for required fields and complete missing values.
Phase 3: Configure Deduction Rules (Steps 14-23)
14) Select an Amount Type.
Available options include:
Flat $ Amount
% of Disposable Earnings
Disposable earnings are the employee’s wages after legally required deductions.
15) Enter an Amount.
The field label changes based on the selected amount type:
If Flat $ Amount is selected, enter the Deduction Amount.
If % of Disposable Earnings is selected, enter the percentage of disposable earnings.
16) Check if the order includes dependents, arrears, or cash medical support. (Optional)
Select the applicable options if they are listed in the garnishment order.
17) Enter a limit type (optional).
Only enter a limit if the garnishment order specifies one (for example, $500 maximum per month).
Federal limits for all garnishment types and state limits for child support are built into the system and do not require manual entry.
Available limit types include:
Flat $ amount monthly limit
Flat $ amount each payroll payment limit
Maximum % of disposable earnings
18) Enter a limit value (optional).
The limit value field updates based on the selected limit type. Depending on the limit type, enter either a dollar amount or a percentage.
19) Select Next.
If Next is unavailable, review the previous step(s) for required fields and complete missing values.
20) Select an effective start date.
21) Select the deduction end type.
Select the deduction end type. This setting determines how long the garnishment remains active.
When total amount is paid — Use when the order specifies a total dollar amount to be collected. The garnishment stops automatically when that amount is reached.
Set effective end date — Use when the order includes a specific end date. Enter the date in the field that appears.
Ongoing until manually updated — Use when the order has no defined end date or total. The garnishment remains active until manually ended.
If no end date or total is provided in the order, select Ongoing until manually updated.
22) Select Next.
If Next is unavailable, review the previous step(s) for required fields and complete missing values.
Phase 4: Finalize and Verify (Steps 23-24)
23) Indicate if the employee has received written notice of garnishment. (Optional)
If selected:
Enter the Date of Notification.
Upload supporting documentation, if available.
These fields are not required. They provide a record of when the employee was notified.
If not selected, additional fields do not appear.
24) Select Add Garnishment.
The wizard closes and the garnishment record appears in the Benefit & Deductions table with a status of Active.
Confirm the new row displays the correct deduction type, start date, and deduction amount before leaving the employee record.
FAQ
The order has an earlier effective date than when we received it. Which date should I enter?
Enter Date of Receipt as the date the employer actually received the order. It can be later than the effective start date in the order.
I only have one identifier from the order. Can I still continue?
Yes. You can continue as long as you enter at least one ID value: Case ID, Order ID, or Remittance Number.
Should I enter custom limits for every garnishment to be safe?
No. Enter a limit only when the garnishment order explicitly provides one.
Federal limits (all garnishments) and state limits for child support are already built into the system.
If I am unsure whether to mark Written Notice of Garnishment, what is the safe default?
Leave it unselected unless you have confirmed written notice details.
Those fields are optional and used to document notification date and supporting records when available.