A wage garnishment is like a levy, which is when the IRS seizes your property and assets. In wage garnishment, the IRS will seize part of your wages each pay period to pay off your overdue taxes.
The IRS will mail the wage levy and the IRS wage garnishment table to your employer to let them know how much will need to be garnished. Your employer will then give you a form (a Statement of Dependents and Filing Status) to complete and return within three days.
If you don’t return the form in time, your exempt amount is figured as if you are married filing separately with no dependents. If you make income outside of your main job, the IRS may allocate the exemptions to the other income source and levy on 100 percent of the income from a specific employer.