Wage Garnishment Calculator Canada (2026): Protected Paycheck

Start with what changed on your paycheque. The tool asks who appears to be taking the money before it applies any rule. It provides a numeric screening comparison only for an Ontario ordinary civil wage garnishment using take-home pay from the same pay period.

CRA collection, support, payroll or benefit deductions, gross-only inputs, unknown mechanisms, and other provinces receive an explanation and next action instead of a generic percentage. That boundary is intentional: a plausible-looking number can be more dangerous than an incomplete answer.

How to Use This Calculator

Select what happened, choose your province, and enter take-home pay plus the deduction from the same pay period. For the supported Ontario path, the result shows the 80% protected baseline, 20% screening ceiling, and difference from your current deduction. Compare it with the actual notice or court order before taking action.

The calculation is a bounded screening comparison, not a legal determination. It does not read your order or decide whether an exception applies. Use the output to identify questions for the creditor, court, payroll department, CRA, or a Licensed Insolvency Trustee.

Who Should Use This Tool

Use this calculator if a private creditor or civil court process appears to be deducting from your Ontario paycheque and you need a first-pass comparison before reviewing the notice. If you received a garnishment notice from your employer or a court, compare the result with the document and get province-specific advice. If you are considering a consumer proposal or bankruptcy, use the result to prepare questions rather than to predict a payment or outcome.

If the CRA is collecting tax debt, select CRA so the tool does not apply an Ontario civil percentage. Self-employed, benefit, support, payroll, hardship, and multiple-order cases can follow different rules. If a deduction makes your income unlivable, save the notice and budget evidence for a qualified review.

What the Ontario screening result means

For the supported path, the tool uses an Ontario ordinary civil baseline: 80% of wages protected and a 20% screening ceiling, subject to the actual order, income definition, exceptions, and court decisions. The source is the Ontario Wages Act, section 7.

This is not a universal Canadian rule. Provinces use different exemptions, formulas, thresholds, and procedures. The current release deliberately refuses an exact number for other provinces until each mechanism and primary source has been reviewed.

Do not use the screening result to challenge: CRA collection, child or spousal support, payroll/tax/benefit deductions, multiple or conflicting orders, self-employment/invoice payments, or any case where the notice is unclear.

Court discretion: Some orders and provinces allow court review or hardship arguments, but the procedure and evidence vary. The issuing court or a lawyer can confirm whether a review is available in your case.

CRA Garnishment vs Private Creditor Garnishment

The Canada Revenue Agency uses collection processes that differ from ordinary private-creditor garnishment, including notices that may be sent to an employer or payer. The actual authority and amount depend on the account and notice.

CRA Special Powers

CRA may use a Requirement to Pay (RTP) and other collection tools under federal tax law. Do not apply a private-creditor percentage to an RTP, and do not assume that an employment-income estimate applies to invoices, benefits, bank accounts, refunds, or other assets.

The account type, notice, income source, and prior contact with CRA matter. This page intentionally does not promise a standard percentage or timeline for a CRA file.

Private Creditor Garnishment Process

Many private creditors need a court process before garnishing wages, but the steps and timing depend on the province, creditor, debt, and any existing order. Read the document that your employer or court sent you rather than relying on a generic timeline.

Provincial limits apply differently: ordinary consumer debt, family support, CRA collection, and multiple orders may use different rules. The screening result is not a determination that a creditor has exceeded its authority.

When CRA and Private Creditors Compete

If both CRA and a private creditor are collecting, do not assume that one percentage or priority rule resolves the case. A formal insolvency filing may trigger a stay of proceedings, but the effect, notice steps, and exceptions should be confirmed with a Licensed Insolvency Trustee.

How to Stop Wage Garnishment

Possible routes include resolving the account, negotiating a payment arrangement, asking the issuing court to review an order, or getting advice about a consumer proposal or bankruptcy. Which route fits depends on the documents, debt type, assets, income, and province.

File a Consumer Proposal (Fastest, Most Effective)

A consumer proposal can trigger a legal stay of proceedings, but the effect on a particular deduction and the timing of notice to an employer or payer should be confirmed with the Licensed Insolvency Trustee handling the filing. A proposal is negotiated with creditors; this page does not promise a reduction, payment, or acceptance result.

Asset treatment, creditor voting, credit reporting, and completion terms are case-specific. Ask the trustee to model the proposal against your assets, income, and debts before comparing it with garnishment.

May be worth comparing when: you have unsecured debts, a garnishment or collection pressure, and enough income or assets to support a negotiated plan. Eligibility and terms must be confirmed for your file.

File Bankruptcy (Nuclear Option)

Bankruptcy may trigger a stay of proceedings and can address eligible unsecured debts, subject to statutory conditions and exceptions. Asset treatment and surplus-income obligations depend on the province and your facts.

Surplus income, discharge timing, asset exemptions, tax refunds, and credit reporting should be explained using your current income, assets, and family circumstances. This calculator cannot compare those outcomes reliably.

May be worth comparing when: a negotiated proposal is not workable or your assets and income point toward a different formal process. A trustee can explain eligibility and consequences.

Challenge Garnishment in Court

If garnishment exceeds provincial limits, file a motion with the court that issued the garnishment order. Provide evidence of financial hardship: detailed budget showing essential expenses, proof of dependents, other debt obligations, and documentation that garnishment leaves you unable to afford basic necessities.

Court review procedures, hardship evidence, and hearing timing vary by province and order. Check the issuing court’s process before assuming that a challenge will pause deductions.

May be worth exploring when: the documents appear inconsistent with the governing rule or the deduction creates documented hardship. Get procedural advice before missing a filing deadline.

Negotiate Payment Arrangement

Contact the creditor or CRA collections department directly to propose a voluntary payment plan. Offer monthly payments lower than garnishment that fit your budget. Provide income and expense documentation to support your offer.

CRA and private creditors assess payment arrangements using their own rules and the facts of the account. Interest, settlement amount, term, and approval are not predictable from this calculator; get any agreement in writing and confirm whether it releases the garnishment.

May be worth exploring when: you can document a sustainable payment and the creditor confirms the arrangement and release steps in writing.

Use the Wage Garnishment Calculator now to create a screening estimate and organize the documents and questions you need for a province-specific review.

If you are facing an active garnishment, gather the notice, pay stubs, creditor correspondence, and a basic budget before seeking advice. Compare formal options through a Consumer Proposal or Bankruptcy review; if you have CRA tax debt, use the CRA Debt Calculator as a scenario tool. Learn provincial rules: Ontario, Alberta, or BC. Read the complete guide: How to Stop Wage Garnishment in Canada.