A legal process that takes part of a paycheck to pay overdue taxes.

"Wage" means money earned from work. "Garnishment" means a required deduction sent to a creditor before the worker gets paid. "For taxes" usually means the IRS or a state tax agency has moved past bills and warnings and is now collecting a tax debt straight from earnings. For federal taxes, the IRS generally uses a wage levy rather than a court-issued garnishment. Under the Internal Revenue Code, the IRS must usually send a Final Notice of Intent to Levy and give the taxpayer 30 days to request a Collection Due Process hearing before taking wages. Unlike many ordinary creditors, the IRS does not need to sue first.

Practically, this is a red-light moment, not a yellow one. Once a levy hits payroll, the money can keep coming out each pay period until the debt is paid, released, or resolved through an installment agreement, offer in compromise, or currently not collectible status. Fast action matters: call the IRS, confirm the balance, and ask payroll exactly when deductions will start.

For an injury claim, wage garnishment can muddy the numbers. If someone is claiming lost wages after a crash or other injury, a tax levy may reduce take-home pay but does not erase what was actually earned. And if a settlement is headed to a bank account, other tax collection tools may become a problem too.