If I Am the Head of Household & Hold a Job Can My Wages Be Garnished?

You normally have to file a head of household exemption with your state after wage garnishment notification.

Wage garnishment is a common action courts take against people who owe taxes, child support and certain other debts. If you are a legally designated head of household, your income is often protected against wage garnishment. A head of household is someone who contributes 50 percent of more of a child or dependent's care.

Head of Household Garnishment

According to the NOLO legal website, states usually have one of three approaches to head of household garnishment. A few states make your income fully exempt, including Florida. Others, including Missouri, only allow creditors to garnish up to 10 percent of your income. The third approach is for the garnishment to leave you with enough funds to reasonably care for your family or dependents.

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References

NOLO: What Is the Head of Household Exemption for Wage Garnishment?

About the Author

Neil Kokemuller has been an active business, finance and education writer and content media website developer since 2007. He has been a college marketing professor since 2004. Kokemuller has additional professional experience in marketing, retail and small business. He holds a Master of Business Administration from Iowa State University.