Income Withholding for Support

Not your employee?
If the employee or independent contractor named on an IWO does not work for you, complete the NOTIFICATION OF TERMINATION on the last page and return it to

NYS Child Support Processing Center
PO Box 15368
Albany, NY 12212-5368

Withholding by employers accounts for more than 70% of child support collected—more than $1 billion dollars each year. Almost 1,000,000 children receive child support services through New York State.

New York State's Income Withholding for Support (PDF) is based on the federally required income withholding order (IWO).

Follow the steps below to process an Income Withholding for Support notice quickly and accurately:

  1. Check the identifying information
  2. Determine when you must begin withholding
  3. Note the total amount to withhold
  4. Calculate the amount you can withhold
  5. Remit the payment as directed

For the amount to withhold from a lump sum payment, please email nysdulumpsum@otda.ny.gov or call the Child Support Helpline at 1-888-208-4485 (TTY: 1-866-875-9975).

Check the identifying information

First, check the identifying information at the top of the first page.

View illustration: information at the top of the IWO form View illustration: information at the top of the IWO form

This information includes

If any of this information is not correct, you should immediately call the Child Support Helpline at 1-888-208-4485 (TTY: 1-866-875-9975).

If the person named does not work for you, proceed to the last page of the IWO, complete the NOTIFICATION OF TERMINATION and mail the completed notification to the Child Support Processing Center. See also the Report Terminations page.

top of page

Determine when you must begin withholding

View Illustration: Calendar with withholding date View illustration: calendar with withholding date

You should begin withholding as soon as possible after you receive an IWO. Most often, you can begin withholding on your next pay date. However, we understand that it may take time to arrange this deduction.

In accordance with New York State law and regulations, the IWO states, "you must begin withholding no later than the first pay period that occurs 14 days after the date of service of the order/notice.…"

Suppose you receive the IWO on the 10th day of the month, and your next pay date is the 13th. You may not be able to start withholding in only three days. The IWO date is the 6th of the month. Fourteen days after the 6th is the 20th, and your next pay date after that is the 27th. Therefore, you must begin withholding on the 27th of the month.

top of page

Note the total amount to withhold—for your pay cycle

View Illustration: amounts ordered on a withholding notice View illustration: amounts ordered on withholding notice

The total amount you are to withhold is shown on the first page of the IWO. It includes various amounts and frequencies, such as "$100.00 biweekly" and "a Total Amount to Withhold of $341.54 per biweekly."

Before you begin to calculate withholding for your employee or independent contractor, be sure to choose the total amount that matches your pay cycle. As shown in the illustration, an IWO may direct you to withhold $341.54 biweekly. If your pay period is weekly, however, the amount you should withhold is $170.77. When you calculate the withholding, use the $170.77 weekly figure as the total amount to withhold for this IWO.

For more information about converting amounts to different pay periods, visit the online calculator and the Withholding Limitations Worksheet page.

top of page

Calculate the amount you can withhold

For detailed information about withholding calculations, visit the online calculator or the Withholding Limitations Worksheet page. This section summarizes the information you will need to complete the support withholding calculation.

Information from the IWO

View Illustration: Arrears over 12 weeks check box View illustration: Arrears over 12 weeks check box

First, you will need the following order amount information from the first page of the IWO.

  1. the employee or independent contractor's arrears status for this IWO
    • Look for "Arrears greater than 12 weeks?"
    • If the Yes box is checked, the Maximum Withholding percentage will be higher.
  2. the employee's obligation amounts for
    1. current child support
    2. past-due child support
    3. current cash medical support
    4. past-due cash medical support
    5. current spousal support
    6. past-due spousal support
    7. other (payments to a third or fourth party)

The sum of the obligation amount totals should equal the Total Amount to Withhold, adjusted to match your pay cycle, if necessary. For help with converting amounts to different pay periods, visit the Withholding Limitations Worksheet page or the online calculator.

top of page

The employee's allowed deductions from gross pay

View Illustration: New York State deductions on withholding worksheet Illustration: New York State deductions on withholding worksheet

You will need the amounts of the following deductions for the employee:

Only these deductions are used to calculate the employee's disposable income for child support.
This amount is often NOT the same as the employee's net pay.

Health insurance premium

Finally, you may also need the amount of the employee or independent contractor's health insurance premium (including dependents), if the employee is ordered to provide dependent health insurance. The amount of the premium is determined by the health insurance provider.

top of page

Amounts you need to calculate

View Illustration: composite of calculator results Illustration: composite of calculator results

Using the total obligation amounts and the employee's deductions, you must then calculate or determine these amounts for the employee:

Check your answer: Total of all obligations or Maximum Withholding?

For each child support payment, you will withhold either the total obligations for all IWOs plus the health insurance premium or the Maximum Withholding according to the CCPA limitation. You cannot withhold more than the Maximum Withholding, but you may withhold less if the total of all obligations is less.

top of page

Remit payments

NYS Child Support
Processing Center
PO Box 15363
Albany, NY 12212-5363

Employers are responsible for remitting the amounts they withhold for child support directly to the NYS Child Support Processing Center. Please note these requirements for child support payments:

Employers in New York State may NOT collect any fees to defray the cost of withholding.

For more information about remitting payments, including electronic submissions, visit the Remit Payments page.

Health insurance premiums must be sent to the health insurance provider.