Is a housing allowance considered earnings for purposes of figuring a wage garnishment on a pastor?

We have a pastor that has been presented with a wage garnishment due to a medical debt. I am calculating the amount of garnishment and I am not finding an answer as to whether a housing allowance is subject to the garnishment calculation.

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Mar 04, 2016

Is housing allowance considered earnings when figuring a wage garnishment?
by: Lewis in NC

This is a legal question, and an attorney I am not. I am just guessing that it would not be considered earnings for this purpose (whether the housing allowance is within a pastor's salary or in addition to the salary), because the housing allowance is mandated to be used for the pastor's housing by the government to be considered for the income tax exclusion on it in the first place. I would call the government agency issuing the wage garnishment order or the IRS to get conclusive facts before making this decision.

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