The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has more power and authority than the average creditor when it comes to collecting on the money that is owed. One way that the IRS can demand payment is to garnish a taxpayer's wages. For example, if you work for the Tulsa branch of the Bank of Oklahoma, the IRS can order the Bank to garnish a large portion of your earnings.

How Much Can the IRS Take from Your Paycheck?

If you find yourself subject to a wage garnishment, the first thing that you are probably wondering is how much the IRS can take. Following is an overview of how wage garnishment works and how much you may be left with to live on each week:

1. Employers have no choice but to comply with IRS wage garnishments.
2. The IRS can garnish more than an ordinary creditor can—the IRS is not subject to the state and federal garnishment limitations.
3. As a result, you may be left with very little money to live on. As an example, in 2013, a single parent living with two children could potentially be left with as little as $397 per week. If the parent, filing as head of household, earns $1,000 per week, the IRS can take $613 of it.
4. Ultimately, the specific amount of the wage garnishment depends on the amount of tax owed to the IRS.

Whether you are facing a wage garnishment or some other type of IRS tax problem, remember that you can get past these issues. To get started, we encourage you to view our free guide, The Ultimate Survival Guide for IRS Problems. In our book, you will learn more about your options and how you can fight back against these problems.