Setting up Deductions

Last updated: March 15, 2026

To set deductions from an employee's salary to address wage garnishment or other outstanding debts, follow the instructions provided below.

Handling Deducted Garnishments:

Child Support Garnishments (All States except South Carolina):

1. Niural will handle the child support garnishment on your behalf.

2. The garnishment amount is subtracted from your company's bank account.

3. If your company uses multiple bank accounts, the deduction will be made from the account used for processing that particular payroll.

Child Support Garnishments (South Carolina):

1. The deducted funds stay in your company's bank account.

2. If your company uses multiple bank accounts, the funds remain in the account used for processing that specific payroll.

3. If you've been instructed to forward garnishment payments to any agencies, this responsibility falls on you.

Other Garnishments (All Except Child Support):

1. The deductions are retained in your company's bank account.

2. If your company uses multiple bank accounts, the funds remain in the account used for processing that specific payroll.

3. If you've been directed to remit garnishment payments to any agencies, this is your responsibility.

Adding a Child Support Garnishment

To add a child support garnishment, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the Team section under Payroll.

2. Locate and click on your employee's name.

3. Click on "Add Garnishment" from the bottom right corner.

4. Select "Child Support" as the Garnishment Type.

5. In the Agency field, pick the state agency mentioned in the received order.

6. If applicable (only for Florida, New York, and Illinois), select the county mentioned in the order.

7. Enter the CSE Case Number as indicated on the order.

- Contact the agency directly if the case number is not readily available.

8. Ensure the Total Amount to Withhold matches the amount specified on the order.

9. Choose the 'Per' pay period that corresponds to the Total Amount to Withhold.

- If the pay period differs from your company's normal schedule, the system will calculate the per paycheck amount using the withholding order information and your employee's regular pay schedule.

10. Click on Save

11. The next time you process payroll, this amount will be deducted from your employee's wages post-tax.

12. This deduction will continue on all subsequent payrolls until the garnishment is removed from the employee's profile.

13. The deduction will appear as a separate line item on the employee's paystub.

Legal requirement: Federal rules indicate you may not withhold more than 50% of the disposable income if your employee is supporting another family, or 60% of the disposable income if your employee is not supporting another family. If your employee is behind in their child support payments (in "arrears") greater than 12 weeks, those limits can increase to 55% and 65%. Check the income withholding order to see if it indicates that your employee is in arrears for greater than 12 weeks. State maximum withholding requirements can vary from federal guidelines so contact the state directly for more information.

Case ID reference

State	Case ID format
Alabama	Enter Case ID as shown on the child support order.
Alaska	Enter Case ID as shown on the child support order.
Arizona	Case ID is 12 digits and only numeric.
Arkansas	Case ID is 9 digits—court docket numbers cannot be used to identify a case.
California	Case ID is 12–15 digits.
Colorado	Include the 8-digit Case Identifier Number or the Child Support Family Support Registry (FSR) when setting up a child support garnishment. Do not provide the longer court number, which may contain a JV or DR in the middle. Additionally, avoid reporting under the employee's Social Security Number (SSN), as employees can have multiple cases.
Connecticut	Case ID is the employee’s SSN.
Delaware	Enter Case ID as shown on the order.
District of Columbia	Employee’s 10 digit case number.
Florida	Case ID is 13 digits (employee’s remittance ID/depository number). This can be located on the employee's Income Deduction Order.
Georgia	Case ID is 9 digits, all numeric.
Hawaii	No asterisks (*) and backslashes (\).
Idaho	Case ID is 6 digits in length and must contain any leading zeros.
Illinois	Do not use the Case ID that start with a "C.” Alphanumeric (upto 17 digits)
Indiana	In Indiana, the case identifier number should be represented as follows: If it's an all-numeric format with leading zeros, it should consist of 10 digits. Without leading zeros, the case identifier can vary in length, ranging from 4 to 7 digits. Importantly, payments will process correctly whether the case identifier includes leading zeros or not.
Iowa	All numeric.
Kansas	12 digits and is a mandatory field
Kentucky	Exactly as shown on the support order.
Louisiana	Exactly as shown on the support order.
Maine	Exactly as shown on the support order.
Maryland	9 digits- only numeric.
Massachusetts	9 digits
Michigan	9-digit Case ID number OR 10-digit Order ID number.
Minnesota	You should use either the MCI number, which is 10 digits in length, or the case number, which is 12 digits long. Please exclude any dashes and include the preceding zeros. Typically, these numbers end with 01, 02, or 03.
Mississippi	Utilize the 9 numeric digits referred to as the METSS case number. Ensure that you exclude any special characters, letters, or the word "METSS.”
Missouri	8 digits number—numeric only.
Montana	7 digits
Nebraska	As shown on the support order.
Nevada	10 characters—9 numbers, with one alpha at the end (usually an A or B).
New Hampshire	As shown on the support order.
New Jersey	2 letters, 8 numbers, and a letter.
New Mexico	No alpha characters allowed
New York	NYS child support account number is required. It should contain 2 Letters 5 Numbers 1 Letter 1 Number.
North Carolina	MPI number is in the MPI. No letters allowed.
North Dakota	Numeric only and can be up to 10 digits.
Ohio	SETS case number: 10-digit; begins with the number 7.
Oklahoma	12 digits, numbers only. The identifier you should use is the Case Remittance ID or Family Group Number, which is represented as "FGN" on the Income Withholding Order (IWO). It typically consists of nine digits, starting with "000" followed by six additional numeric characters. There may also be an extension, usually ending in numbers like 001, 002, 003, and so forth.
Oregon	Starts with zero and ends with 41
Pennsylvania	Numeric only
Rhode Island	As shown on the support order.
South Carolina	As shown on the support order.
South Dakota	9 numbers followed by a letter
Tennessee	9 digits long; alphanumeric
Texas	10 digits starting with a zero or an “N”
Utah	10 digits; starts with the letter “C” are followed by 9 numbers.
Vermont	10 digits; first 9 digits are SSN.
Virginia	As shown on the support order
Washington	As shown on the support order.
West Virginia	Nuimeric only.
Wisconsin	Always numeric; from 4 to 7 seven digits. Generally referred to as the remittance ID or the KIDS Participant PIN on the state withholding order.
Wyoming	Numeric only.

Garnishment payments

When to remit payments to state agencies yourself

If the garnishment originates from the state of South Carolina, a tribal support agency, or a US territory, it is essential to remit all employee deductions directly to the respective agency. Additionally, if the garnishment was collected on an off-cycle payroll, special attention and appropriate remittance procedures should be followed as required by the relevant authority or regulations.

To self-submit a payment, follow the garnishment order instructions or contact the agency directly for guidance.

When Niural remits payments to state agencies for you

To make a payment, follow the instructions on the garnishment order or contact the agency directly.

Regular payrolls
Transition payrolls
Dismissal payrolls

Agency payment timeline

Garnishment payments are typically sent to state agencies two business days after the payroll's check date. However, for Alabama child support agency payments, the timeline extends to five business days after the check date.

Bank transactions

Aside from the regular payroll deductions (net pay, taxes, reimbursements), all child support garnishments will be consolidated and presented as a distinct debit and bank transaction line item in the company's bank account.

Payments in arrears

Child support garnishments will appear as a separate debit in the company's bank account, in addition to regular payroll deductions.

Lump-sum payments

Lump-sum payments, like bonuses and commissions, are one-time payouts to employees. Some of these payments may be subject to garnishment if there are active child support orders. The rules vary by state and payment type, and Niural does not automatically calculate these garnishments for lump-sum payments. Employers must verify garnishment amounts with the child support agency. Learn more about this and state-specific requirements.

Handling Garnishments for Dismissed or Rehired Employees

When Dismissing an Employee with a Garnishment:

Legal Requirement: If you terminate an employee with a garnishment order, you must, by law, promptly inform the relevant agency of the dismissal. State rules may differ, but it is advisable to contact the agency within 5 days after learning of the employee's termination or within 5 days after the termination itself, whichever is earlier.
Note: The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services form can fulfill termination requirements in some states, but not all. Additional state-specific information or actions may be necessary. For more details, refer to our article on dismissing or terminating employees with garnishments.

When Rehiring an Employee with a Garnishment:

When rehiring an employee, any previous garnishments will be deactivated. You will need to re-enter them in the employee's profile based on the court order issued. Depending on the state, you may be required to notify authorities of the rehire.

Employer Responsibilities for Child Support Orders:

Once a child support order is in place, employers must meet various requirements, including:

1. New Hire and Rehire Notification: Niural provides the option to file new hire reports when hiring or rehiring employees.

2. Verification of Employment: Ensuring accurate employment verification.

3. Handling Medical Support Orders: Complying with medical support orders.

4. Garnishments on Lump Sum/Bonus Payments: Managing garnishments on one-time payments like bonuses. Niural calculates the withholding based on your setup.

5. Income Withholding: Verifying that the garnished amount aligns with the child support order.

6. Remitting Payments to the Agency: Niural automatically handles child support payments in all states except South Carolina when the deduction is correctly set up.

7. Dismissal Notification to the State: Informing the state promptly if an employee is dismissed.

Handling Garnishments for Injured Employees with Active Garnishments:

If an employee is injured or ill and unable to work, notify the court or agency mentioned in the withholding notice. Provide the employee's name and the name/address of any entity handling workers' compensation or disability benefits.

Usually, if the employer isn't responsible for paying these benefits, they may not have withholding duties. Questions about withholding responsibility should be directed to the agency in question.