Wisconsin Wage Garnishment Calculator
Wisconsin exempts 80% of disposable earnings and protects household income up to the federal poverty line — $33,000 a year for a family of four in 2026.
Household income decides
A Milwaukee parent in a household of four, paid $1,700.00 every two weeks with $220.00 withheld, faces $296.00 per check (20% of disposable pay) if the household earns $44,200.00 a year. If household income is $31,000.00 — below the $33,000 poverty line for four — the earnings are exempt and the garnishment is $0.00.
The poverty-line exemption
If the garnishment of 20 percent of the debtor’s disposable income under this subchapter would result in the debtor’s household income being below the poverty line, the amount of the garnishment is limited to the debtor’s household income in excess of the poverty line
Thirteen-week garnishments and support
- If your household income is already below the poverty line, all of your earnings are exempt from an ordinary earnings garnishment.§1
- Wisconsin garnishments run in 13-week periods; a later garnishment waits its turn after the one already in effect.§1
- Court-ordered support assignments take priority, and the creditor may take no more than 25% of disposable earnings minus the support assigned.§1
- You can petition the court for relief if the 80% exemption is not enough for the necessities of life for you and your dependents.§1