Garnishment table 2022/2023 with garnishment exemption limits

On the basis of the following Garnishment table 2022/2023 you can see how much of your income can be garnished in the event of a wage garnishment. You can use the garnishment table 2022/2023 in the event of a Wage garnishment as well as with a Account garnishment use. You can find the differences of both garnishments in the section Account garnishment vs. wage garnishment. Alternatively, to calculate the garnishment amount you can also use our Garnishment calculator use.

With the 2022/2023 garnishment table, €1,340 to €4077.72 is protected from garnishment measures

But did you know that you can claim additional allowances if you're married or have children you're obligated to support?

The basic exemption amount in the 2022/2023 garnishment table then increases by 500,62 € for the first person and by 278,90 € for each additional person. Even if you receive a citizen's allowance or basic income support for persons in your community of need, you can apply for additional allowances. At most, you can have income up to the upper limit of 4077.72 € protected from garnishment. Above this limit, any further income will be completely seized.

The regulation benefits debtors and creditors alike: The debtor has an incentive to earn more, while the creditor may seize more from better-earning debtors or persons without children.

But that's not all! Also child support is protected. In addition, one-time social benefits such as for the Initial furnishings for the apartment or school trips are just as Back payments exempt from seizure. If you are receiving cash benefits to compensate for an additional expense due to a physical injury or damage to your health, such as Care allowancethese payments are also not attachable.

If you are entitled to more than the basic tax-free amount, you must submit a P-Konto certificate to your bank. This shows your personal allowance including all additional benefits. You can obtain this certificate from your debtor and insolvency advice center, among others. You can use the garnishment table 2022/2023 to determine your amount in advance.

Garnishment table 2022/2023

All amounts above 4,077.74 euros are fully attachable according to the garnishment table 2022/2023!

Garnishment table 2022/2023 as PDF

Here you can find the garnishment table 2022/2023 as a PDF file. You can also download the garnishment table 2022/2023 as a Download as PDF. Alternatively, you can also find the current garnishment table as a Excel file here.

Read garnishment table 2022/2023

On the left side of the garnishment table 2022/2023 you can find your monthly net income. Net income as defined in the garnishment table includes: Net wage, pension, unemployment benefit 1 and unemployment benefit 2. However, half of the Christmas bonus (if granted), but not more than 500 €, vacation pay and overtime pay do not count as net wage. However, allowances from the employer, such as one-off allowances or capital-forming benefits such as the employee savings allowance, are also not to be taken into account in the garnishment table.

The amount of the garnishable income depends on the number of dependants. This includes biological children, spouses without income or divorced spouses to whom you pay maintenance.

Account garnishment vs. wage garnishment: Static and dynamic basic allowance in the 2022/2023 garnishment table

All cash receipts above the P-Konto exemption amount of € 1,340 the bank seizes in full

To use P-Konto basic protection, you just need to have your account converted. At P-Konto from Paycenter* this is done with one click.

If you have maintenance obligations, you can have the tax-free amount increased up to €2,956.

The increase can be made by employers, family insurance funds, social benefit agencies, lawyers and recognized debtor counseling agencies in accordance with Section 903 (1) of the Code of Civil Procedure.

With an application to the enforcement court, you can have further amounts protected

Protecting additional amounts on the P-Konto is suitable for people with higher incomes or multiple children. Note that low repayment of the debt extends the duration of repayment.

If you earn more than the Static basic allowances (table below), therefore, on your P-Konto over the surplus there is no protection and the money is transferred to creditors. This case occurs with the Double garnishment and in the case of sole account garnishment, if you have a higher income than the basic static allowance. The 2022/2023 garnishment table protects P accounts up to the following amount after converting and setting up the appropriate garnishment allowance via a P-Konto form:

Extended protection through application to the enforcement court

Amounts above the basic allowance are not protected with a P-Konto. The bank will pay these amounts in full to the creditors without an application to the enforcement court (section 850c (2) ZPO). By filing a corresponding application with the enforcement court, you can have your salary above the exemption limits protected on a pro rata basis. The non-garnishable portion between P-Konto exemption limit (€1,340) and maximum amount (€4,077) depends on the maintenance obligations. Up to a net income of €4,077, the bank may then only garnish the income on a pro rata basis after the application has been approved by the enforcement court.

However, the debtor may, upon application to the enforcement court (competent district court), have amounts above the basic allowances protected on the Pfändungsschutzkonto. Only by this double protection, all amounts of the garnishment table 2022/2023 are to be protected on the P-Konto.

In summary, you first set up the corresponding static basic allowances on the P-Konto using the P-Konto form. In the second step, you can protect additional amounts by filing an application with the enforcement court and submitting the last 3 pay slips to the enforcement court. This makes sense if your income is above the respective P-Konto allowance (e.g. higher than 1340 € if you have no children).

Example based on the current garnishment table 2022/2023

• Dirk has a Net income of 2295,00 €. Since Dirk is single and does not have to pay alimony, may 229,61 € be distrained.
• If Dirk were to live with his wife without an income of his own or pay her alimony, only €72.13 of his income could be garnished according to the 2022/2023 garnishment table. However, with the income above the garnishment exemption limit, there could be a Double garnishment come.

Attention: In the case of a double garnishment, more may be garnished than is permissible according to the garnishment table 2022/2023.

Since Dirk's income is above the garnishment exemption amount, a double garnishment may occur in the event of a wage and account garnishment.

In the case of a wage garnishment, the income above the garnishment limit is garnished proportionally. If your income is higher than € 4,077, it will then be garnished in full.

The purpose of the regulation is to create an incentive that makes additional earnings worthwhile for both the creditor and the debtor.

In the case of a double garnishment, all amounts above the exemption amount are completely seized

You can avoid a double garnishment by filing an application with the enforcement court so that only the amount of the wage garnishment is paid to the creditor.

The double garnishment proceeds as follows

1. The employer transfers the attachable share of the earned income to the creditor of the employee. For this purpose, the employer uses the garnishment table.
   • in the Example of the garnishment table Dirk's employer would transfer € 229.61 to Dirk's creditor from his monthly net of € 2,295.
2. Now the employer transfers the non-attachable portion of the earned income to the employee.
   • Dirk himself receives the remaining amount of € 2,065.39 from his monthly net of € 2,295.
3. If, in addition to the wage garnishment, the account is also garnished, the amount above the garnishment allowance of €1,340 (according to the 2022/2023 garnishment table) will be garnished again.
   • Dirk then has only €1,340 of his paid-out wage of €2,065.39 at his disposal. This results in a double garnishment of the surplus, which is paid to the creditor in addition to the wage garnishment.
4. The risk of a double garnishment therefore always exists if the statutory garnishment allowance (according to current garnishment table) is higher than the (static basic) allowance protected on the P-Konto. This is the case when exceeding the static P-Konto exemption limits (see table above) depending on the maintenance obligations.

What should you do if you have a double garnishment?

In the event of a double garnishment of wages and an account, the debtor must file an application with the enforcement court if he/she wishes to have amounts above the allowances on the Pfändungsschutzkonto protected. Subsequently, the doubly garnished amount can be released. This leaves you with more money to live on.

However, the repayment of the debt is also prolonged, since only a smaller amount is spent on it. A double garnishment therefore has advantages and disadvantages.

The address of the competent enforcement court can be found in the garnishment and transfer order (PfÜB). The competent enforcement court (local court) is entered there, which can extend the P-Konto protection in accordance with the garnishment table 2022/2023.

Is a double garnishment legal even though the 2022/2023 garnishment table protects a higher amount?

In principle, a double garnishment of wages (with the employer) and account (with the bank) by a creditor is permissible. This is because the creditor has a right to enforce his claim, i.e. to get his money. A double garnishment of wages and account allows creditors to get their money faster, because many debtors are overwhelmed with the establishment of the garnishment protection and the increase of the allowances at the bank.

On the other hand, multiple attachment of one and the same attachment object is not legal. For example, a P-Konto cannot be garnished twice on the basis of one claim.

Validity of the garnishment table 2022/2023

The garnishment allowances in the garnishment table have been valid for one year since an amendment to section 850c of the German Code of Civil Procedure (ZPO) (May 8, 2021). Previously, the garnishment tables were updated every two years. 

When is the new garnishment table coming? The garnishment table is adjusted annually on the first of July in accordance with section 850c (2a) of the German Code of Civil Procedure (ZPO). Thus, the garnishment table 2022/2023 is valid from 01.07.2022 until 30.06.2023. On 01.07.2023 it will be replaced by the garnishment table 2023/2024.

What services may not be garnished?

Simplified we can say that Lohn and wage replacement benefits attachable and social benefits, on the other hand, are not.

Therefore, social benefits such as: social assistance, child-raising allowance, maternity allowance and social benefits to compensate for additional expenses due to physical and health impairments, such as nursing allowance, are not attachable.

However, certain wage components such as overtime and some allowances are also not attachable, which is why the above note often falls short. Wages, pension and social benefits with Wage replacement function on the other hand, are attachable. The table below gives you a complete picture of which benefits can be garnished and which cannot.

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Disclaimer: This is well researched but non-binding information.

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