Wage garnishment and enforcement in 2026

How much can they take at all?

The core idea of the Judicial Enforcement Act is that recovery must not deprive the debtor of a minimum standard of living. So garnishment is not unlimited: both percentage and monetary limits protect the salary.

The basis is the net salary – what you would actually receive after tax and contributions. From this, generally at most 33% can be deducted. That is the main rule for the most common debts: loans, utilities, tax arrears, fines.

There is, however, a narrow set where the deduction can reach 50%. This includes alimony, child support, and the recovery of unlawfully received salary or social-security benefit. Here the legislator is stricter, because these typically serve someone else's subsistence – often a child's.

The protected minimum no one can take

Alongside the percentage there is an absolute floor, and this rule changed on 1 July 2025 – many older articles still quote the old figure. The protected part used to be a fixed HUF 60,000; since then it is 60% of the net minimum wage. As the 2026 gross minimum wage is HUF 322,800, its net is HUF 214,662, so the protected part is HUF 128,797 per month. You must receive at least this much – unless the debt relates to child support.

There is an upper threshold too, and here the protection works the other way round. If more than HUF 200,000 would remain with you after the deduction, the part above HUF 200,000 can be enforced without limit. So at higher incomes the actual deduction may exceed 33%.

Let's be concrete, because this is not obvious. For a net salary of HUF 350,000, the 33% is HUF 115,500, which would leave HUF 234,500. That is more than HUF 200,000, so the difference – HUF 34,500 – can also be taken. The actual deduction is therefore HUF 150,000, and exactly HUF 200,000 remains with you. For a HUF 250,000 salary, however, the 33% (HUF 82,500) leaves HUF 167,500, which sits between the HUF 128,797 and HUF 200,000 thresholds – so there the plain 33% stands.

One important addition many people miss: in proceedings started after 1 July 2025, the family tax credit is entirely exempt from garnishment. The part of your net salary that arises from the family credit must be disregarded when calculating the garnishment base – meaning you must receive it in full. The wage garnishment calculator follows this same logic: enter your net salary and the type of debt, and it shows the maximum deduction and what remains for you.

What cannot be deducted at all

Certain benefits are entirely exempt – nothing can be deducted from them. Typically:

• the family allowance and other benefits payable for children;
• a specified part of childcare benefits;
• certain social benefits and assistance.

These are exempt because they specifically serve the subsistence of children or those in need. There is a practical pitfall here too: the exemption attaches to the purpose of the benefit. If the family allowance lands in your bank account and mixes with your other money, it is worth being able to prove its source, otherwise it is harder to assert the exemption against a seizure.

Several debts at once

It is common to have several debts with several deductions running in parallel. In that case the deductions together may not exceed the statutory maximum – you cannot deduct a separate 33% for each claim. The bailiff allocates the deductible amount according to the ranking and the rules.

If the deductible part does not cover all the debts, the statutory order decides: certain claims, such as child support, take priority, and the rest are satisfied proportionally from what remains.

The employer, incidentally, has no discretion: they are obliged to act on the garnishment order, deduct, and transfer to the bailiff or creditor. If they fail to do so, they may themselves become liable for the amount they failed to deduct.

How it starts, and what you can do

Enforcement begins when the creditor, holding an enforceable instrument – a final court decision or notarial deed – requests recovery. The court appoints a bailiff, who maps out the debtor's assets and income, then typically hits the salary with a garnishment order: contacting the employer and instructing them to deduct.

An important practical point: garnishment follows the person. If you change jobs, the new employer is also bound by the deduction obligation once it learns of the enforcement – so changing jobs does not, by itself, free you from it.

If you receive a garnishment order, first check whether the deduction complies with the statutory limits. If you think it exceeds the maximum, or that an exempt benefit is being deducted, you can object to the bailiff or seek legal help. In some cases an instalment agreement can be reached, easing the monthly burden. The calculator is for information only – the actual deduction is always set by the bailiff in the order, based on individual circumstances.

Frequently asked questions