Wage garnishment (which Texans call wage attachment) is a court order or government instruction to divert some of your paycheck to your creditors. Your employer must withhold the garnished amount and forward it to the recipient. Texas is a state that limits the types of debt that can be garnished and the amounts subject to garnishment. In particular, only the following debts can lead to garnishment in Texas: Child support/alimony: When a court orders child support in Texas, the paying parent’s income is automatically withheld. But if that parent falls behind, the other parent can request the court to order wage garnishment. Texas law allows up to 50% of a person’s disposable earnings to be garnished for domestic support obligations. The state defines disposal earnings as those remaining after tax and other deductions, as well as payments for certain types of insurance. Student loans: Defaulted student loans can lead to an administrative garnishment from the U.S. Department of Education or one of its collection agencies. The garnished amount is limited to 15% of disposable income, but no more than 30 times the minimum wage. Unpaid taxes: The IRS can garnish your wages for unpaid taxes without requiring a court order. The amount that can be garnished depends on your deduction rate and number of dependents. State and local governments can also garnish for unpaid taxes.