Bradenton Wage Garnishment Lawyer

Bradenton Wage Garnishment Attorney

If you owe the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax debt, the agency can take several actions to collect the money it is owed. One of the collection actions the IRS can take is wage garnishment. While most creditors have to get court approval to garnish your wages, the IRS and Florida Department of Revenue (DOR) do not. If you are facing wage garnishment, you need a Bradenton wage garnishment lawyer to guide you through the process of resolving it.

Hire a Wage Garnishment Lawyer in Bradenton Today

When you need exceptional and comprehensive tax law support, TaxSmith, LLC, offers the guidance you need. We have combined decades of experience in tax codes. Our firm understands the many emergencies and financial surprises that can cause you to get behind on your tax payments and lead to debt you can’t repay.

We help you deal with collection actions and the tax debt causing your financial issues. There are options to negotiate and even resolve the debt you owe, especially when you have limited financial ability. Our team helps you assess what is right for your situation and how to try to stop wage garnishment or other collection actions. Working with an attorney to address your tax debt can end up saving you money overall.

Understanding Wage Garnishment in Bradenton

In 2024, the IRS collected nearly $301.4 billion from individual taxpayers in Florida. The IRS will not garnish your wages the moment you fail to pay taxes. Instead, the agency will send you a tax bill and request for payment. If this bill and the attempts to contact you are ignored, the agency may take actions, such as wage garnishment, liens, and levies.

The IRS made nearly 313,800 requests to third parties in 2024 to levy property, which includes requests for levying bank accounts, wages, and other assets. If the IRS garnishes your wages after nonresponse, the agency will notify your employer of the debt you owe and the amount that must be deducted from your paycheck.

If you do nothing, your wages could be garnished for this amount continually until the debt is paid. The IRS may collect through other methods, too, especially if your debt is significant.

The median household income in Bradenton was just under $61,000 in 2023. Wage garnishment can affect your wages, salary, benefits, pension payments, and many other forms of income. For many people, this causes an immense financial hardship. You want to act quickly if you are aware of wage garnishment, before the financial strain worsens.

How Can You Resolve Wage Garnishment?

The fastest method to stop wage garnishment is to pay the IRS or DOR the debt you owe. If this isn’t financially possible, then there may be other methods to handle your tax debt and wage garnishment, like:

• Head of household exemption. For state tax debt and other non-federal debts, you can apply for Florida’s head of household exemption. This exemption applies if you provide more than half the financial support for a child or other dependent living in your home. You can file for this exemption and prevent disposable earnings of $750 or less from being garnished. Anything over this amount can only be garnished if you agree to the garnishment in writing.
• Negotiating the garnishment. You can negotiate how much the IRS or DOR takes from your wages.
• Negotiating the debt. You can resolve the debt by negotiating with the tax agency for an alternate way to pay, such as an installment agreement or offer in compromise.
• Filing for bankruptcy. This can prevent some creditors from garnishing your wages, depending on the type of bankruptcy. You should also get legal guidance to determine if bankruptcy is right for your financial situation.

When you hire a wage garnishment lawyer, they can assess each of these options to determine what is relevant to your needs and what will be the most helpful for your finances.

FAQs About Bradenton, FL Wage Garnishment Law

Can I Get a Lawyer to Stop Wage Garnishment?

A lawyer can help you stop wage garnishment and provide you with personalized advice on your ideal options for dealing with your debt. If your wage garnishment was created by the IRS, it is important that you work with a lawyer who is licensed to deal with tax laws and agencies. They can negotiate with the IRS for you, such as by representing you in meetings at the IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center Office in Sarasota, the closest location to Bradenton.

Can I Negotiate a Payment Plan to Stop Garnishment?

Yes, you might be able to negotiate a payment plan to stop garnishment. When the creditor garnishing your wages is the IRS, you can reach out and try to negotiate the tax debt you owe. The IRS is open to compromise when paying the debt would put you in financial hardship. Negotiating another method to resolve your debt could stop collection actions, including wage garnishment. As long as you follow the payment plan, you can avoid facing collection actions.

What Is the Maximum Amount That Can Be Garnished From a Paycheck?

Under federal laws, creditors are limited to how much they can garnish from someone’s paycheck. They are limited to either 25% of your paycheck, or however much your paycheck exceeds 30 times the federal minimum wage, whichever is lower.

This limitation does not apply to all creditors or all types of debt, however. Unpaid support and state or federal taxes are not limited by this law. An experienced Bradenton wage garnishment lawyer can help you determine what limits apply to you.

What Qualifies as a Reason to Stop Wage Garnishment?

Wage garnishment done by the IRS can be stopped if it is causing financial hardship, if you pay the debt back in full, or if you negotiate an installment agreement to pay back the debt. In Florida, you may be able to stop wage garnishment for state tax debt or other non-tax debts through the head of household exemption. Creditors can also usually not garnish your wages if you make less than 30 times the federal minimum wage.

Bradenton Wage Garnishment Attorney at TaxSmith, LLC

It can feel like you have no options when the IRS or DOR begins garnishing your wages, but that isn’t the case. Reach out to TaxSmith, LLC, today, and learn how we can help.