What Is a California State Franchise Tax Board Wage Garnishment?

Graham Snelgrove
Expert Contributor
Last Updated:
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  • Find out how CA state Franchise Tax Board wage garnishment works.
  • You can take steps to avoid wage garnishment.
  • Get advice on how to find assistance to resolve your back taxes.

If you fail to file your tax return or if you owe back taxes, a CA State Franchise Tax Board wage garnishment, known as an Earnings Withholding Order for Taxes (EWOT), may be imposed upon you. This is where a portion of your wages is withheld and paid to the Franchise Tax Board.

A wage garnishment can cause you undue financial hardship if the money left after the deduction is not sufficient for you and your family to live on. If the garnishment is placed because you failed to file, a substitute return may have been filed for you by the Franchise Tax Board, which could mean that the tax assessment is wrong. If you are suffering hardship, you should seek advice on how to stop the garnishment.

How Does an Earnings Withholding Order for Taxes Work?

Firstly, a wage garnishment order should not come as a surprise to you. If you haven’t filed your tax return or you haven’t paid your taxes on time, you will have received a number of letters from the Franchise Tax Board. It must also follow specific guidelines before starting to garnish your wages:

  • Whether you file your tax return or the tax board files a substitute return for you, it will assess your tax and send you notice of how much you owe and a demand for payment.
  • If you don’t pay your tax or respond to communications from the tax board, you will receive a notice of its intent to issue an earnings withholding order for taxes and a notice of your right to a hearing.
  • If you still fail to take action within 30 days, the EWOT will be sent to your employer, who must provide you with a copy within 10 days.
  • The garnishment of your wages will begin in the first pay period occurring at least 15 days after your employer received the EWOT.

Your employer is legally obligated to withhold a portion of your wages and pay it to the Franchise Tax Board. The deduction can be up to 25 percent of your wage. Trying to come to a deal with your employer to be paid “under the table” is not a good move. That would be a felony, leaving both you and your employer open to criminal prosecution.

As a further incentive for your employer to make the EWOT payments, failing to do so could render them liable for your back taxes. They can also deduct $1.50 for themselves from your paycheck for each payment they make.

What Is a California State Franchise Tax Board Wage Garnishment?

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The garnishment of your wages doesn’t end until you have paid your tax back taxes in full, along with any penalties and interest the back taxes have incurred.

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How Can a Wage Garnishment Order Be Stopped?

If you are subject to an EWOT but you can prove that the deductions from your wages are causing you immediate financial hardship, the garnishment may be stopped. You are considered to be in financial hardship when you are not able to meet basic reasonable living expenses or if you have no money remaining after paying for reasonable living expenses.

A formal process is involved to prove financial hardship, and the Franchise Tax Board will require full financial disclosure from you. It will review your income, expenses, and any savings and assets you might have. If financial hardship is proved, your back taxes may be given the status of “currently not collectible.”

This doesn’t make your back taxes go away, however. The tax board will review your financial status every year, and if your situation improves, you will still have to pay your back taxes, plus late penalties and interest.

How Can an EWOT Be Avoided?

A CA State Franchise Tax Board wage garnishment can be avoided altogether by communicating with the tax board and responding to notices. Even if you can’t pay your tax liability in full, payment plans are available to ease the burden. The tax board prefers to work out an arrangement for you to pay your tax than to take enforcement action.

If you are unable to pay your taxes in full, the options for payment that you may be eligible for include the following:

  • An installment agreement
  • An offer in compromise

Installment Agreement

You can apply to pay off your back taxes by monthly installments. You may be approved for a payment plan if the following are true:

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  • You have filed your tax returns
  • Your back tax owed amount is less than $25,000
  • The period over which you agree to pay is no more than 60 months

You will end up paying more with an installment agreement, as interest will be added and compounded daily on the outstanding balance. The back taxes will also incur late payment penalties. You should pay as much as you can up front and agree to the shortest payment period you can reasonably afford.

You are not eligible for an installment agreement if you are already subject to an Earnings Withholding Order for Taxes.

Offer in Compromise

If you don’t have the income or assets to pay your back taxes, and you are unlikely to in the foreseeable future, you may be a candidate for an offer in compromise (OIC). An OIC allows you to pay less than the amount you owe in back taxes.

The tax board will accept an OIC when the offer is the most it can expect to collect from you within a reasonable amount of time. It will consider the following factors:

  • Your ability to pay
  • The equity in your assets
  • Your present and future income and expenses
  • The potential for a change in your circumstances
  • If it is in the best interest of the state to accept the offer

If your OIC is accepted, you can’t pay in installments; you must pay the offered amount as a lump sum.

If you have any concerns about back taxes, you are not alone. Solvable can match your individual needs with trusted back tax assistance providers who can advise you about your options.

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Graham Snelgrove
Expert Contributor
Last Updated: