Assigning United States employee garnishments

For wages to be garnished, you must assign garnishments to the appropriate employees. You must define the garnishment and the deduction used for the garnishment. In addition, you can override deduction setup and garnishment rules for the specific garnishment.

Once you add an employee garnishment, you cannot change the deduction code. If you have not processed the garnishment through a payroll cycle, you can delete the employee garnishment record and then re-add it. If you have processed the garnishment and you need to change the employee garnishment, you must create a new employee garnishment.

Before you assign garnishments to employees, you must load federal garnishment rules and define any needed U.S. state garnishment rules. Loading U.S. Federal garnishment rules Defining U.S. garnishment rules You also must define the deductions you want to use for garnishments. Related reports and inquiries

Procedure flow: Assigning United States Employee Garnishments

Assign United States employee garnishments

Access United States Employee Garnishment (PR26.1).
Select the employee to which you want to assign a garnishment in the Employee field.
Define information for the garnishment. Specify this information:

Case Number

You must type the case number for this garnishment. Each garnishment has a unique case number. In child support cases, for example, the case number might be a Social Security number.

FIPS Code

Type the Federal Information Processing Standards code.

The FIPS code is required for electronic processing of garnishments and court-ordered payments in some states. This code prints on Garnishment History Report (PR277) and United States Employee Garnishment Listing (PR226), as well as on the Accounts Payable pay stub created by the Accounts Payable system, and is used for reference only.

File Number

Type the file number (if any) for the garnishment. File numbers are used to distinguish separate garnishment orders under the same case number. For example, case number 123 might have file number 1 for child support and file number 2 for spousal support.

Description

You must type a description of the garnishment. This description prints on garnishment reports.

Governing Tax Authority

Select the tax authority (state, county, or other locality) governing the case.

Note: The Governing tax authority and the Type determine which garnishment rule Payroll uses to calculate this garnishment. The Governing tax authority can be defined for use with garnishments only.

Type

Select the garnishment type determining which rules apply to this garnishment.

Note: The Governing tax authority and the Type determine which garnishment rule Payroll uses to calculate this garnishment.
If this garnishment is not a court identified arrears garnishment you must define the deduction used for the garnishment on the Garnishment tab. On the Garnishment tab, specify this information:

Deduction

Select the deduction code for the system to use in withholding the garnishment amount.

Note: You can use Garnishment deduction codes on multiple garnishments. The system creates separate Employee Deduction (PR14.1) records with different sequence numbers.

Amount – or – Percent

If you want to override the amount or percent defined for the garnishment, type the amount or percent to deduct from the employee's earnings for this garnishment.

Note: The calculation type defined for the deduction determines whether the value is an amount or a percent.

Addl or Minimum Amt, Pct (Additional or Minimum Amount or Percent)

Use this field to override the additional amount to define for the deduction.

If you select calculation type 7, type the pay period amount that is excluded from the garnishment calculation.

Monthly Limit

If you want to override the monthly amount for the deduction, type the maximum amount that can be taken for the garnishment in a single month.

Original Balance

For garnishments that are for a total amount to be paid in installments, type the beginning balance.

Balance Type

If you want to override the balance type defined for the deduction, select the balance type.

Balance Amount

If you want to override the balance amount defined for the deduction, type the balance amount.
Define when Payroll takes the garnishment. Specify this information:

Sub-priority

You must select a sub-priority that applies to the garnishment, arrears, and fees defined on this form.

Effective Date

You must type a beginning effective date that applies to the garnishment, arrears, and fees defined on this form.

Deduction Cycles

If you want to override the deduction cycles for the garnishment, arrears, and fees, select the cycles.

Note: You can set up both a garnishment and an arrears deduction for the garnishment, but the deduction codes cannot be the same.
If a court has indicated there are arrears for this garnishment, you must define the arrears on the Arrears tab. Specify this information:

Deduction

Select the deduction code that the system should use in withholding the arrears amount.

Amount – or – Percent

If you want to override the amount or percent defined for the arrears, type the amount or percent to deduct from the employee's earnings.

Note: The calculation type defined for the deduction determines whether the value is an amount or a percent.

Addl or Minimum Amt, Pct (Additional or Minimum Amount or Percent)

Use this field to override the additional amount to define for the deduction.

Monthly Limit

If you want to override the monthly amount for the deduction, type the maximum amount that can be taken for the arrears in a single month.

Original Balance

If you want to override the original balance for the deduction, type the amount.

Balance Type

If you want to override the balance type defined for the deduction, select the balance type.

Balance Amount

If you want to override the balance amount defined for the deduction, type the balance amount.

Over 12 Weeks

If the court indicates that this arrears is over 12 weeks, select Yes.

Note: The deduction code that displays on the fees tab defaults from the fees deduction code attached to the garnishment rule on United States Garnishment Rules (PR25.2).
If you need to override the fee defined on the garnishment rule, override the fees on the Fees tab.
If this is a support order, you must define the employee's number of dependents and family status on the Family tab.
If this is an IRS levy, you must define additional employee tax information on the IRS Levy tab.
If you want to override the disposable income defined on the garnishment rules, select the pay or deductions to exclude from disposable income on the Disposable Income tab.
If you need to override the formula defined on the garnishment rule, override the formula on the Formula tab. If the formula is overridden, the entire formula definition must be entered. Specify this information:

Override Formula

If you want to override the formula defined for the garnishment rule, select a formula.

Rate

If you want to override the rate defined for the garnishment rule, type a rate.

Factor 1-4

If you want to override the wage formula factors defined for the garnishment rule, type the factors.

Second Family, Yes

If you want to override the percentage to exclude from garnishments if an employee has a second family, type the percentage.

Second Family, No

If you want to override the percentage to exclude from garnishments if an employee does not have a second family, type the percentage.

Addl%, Arrears over 12 Weeks

If you want to override the additional percentage that should be taken if outstanding arrears are over 12 weeks old, type the percentage.

Per Dependent

If you want to override the amount or percent per dependent that should be used in calculating exempt earnings, type the amount or percent.

Calc Type

If you typed a value in the Per Dependent field, select whether the value is an amount or percent.

Related reports and inquiries


To	Use
Display an employee's garnishments	United States Employee Garnishment Inquiry (PR26.2)
List garnishment setup information from United States Employee Garnishment (PR26.1)	Employee Garnishment Listing (PR226)
Review how garnishments were calculated	Garnishment History Report (PR277) Select Garn Audit Report in the Report Option field.
Review how garnishments interacted with the Accounts Payable application.	Garnishment History Report (PR277) Select Garn AP Report in the Report Option field.
List employees for whom garnishments are set up, but no garnishment amount was withheld for a specific date range	Garnishment History Report (PR277) Select Garn Exception Report in the Report Option field.