Bailiff calculator
How much of a salary can a bailiff withhold in Estonia
Enter the net income and the number of dependants to see how much of the income can be seized and how much the debtor keeps. The calculation follows § 132 of the Code of Enforcement Procedure (täitemenetluse seadustik).
- Minimum wage €946 a month from 1 April 2026
- Estimated subsistence minimum €361.40
- Each dependant raises the protected amount
- €946
- minimum wage
- €361.40
- subsistence minimum
Wage garnishment calculator
Up to 20% under TMS § 132(1²). The bailiff sets the percentage.
The formula does not apply to child maintenance claims: the debtor keeps half of the minimum wage whatever the income (TMS § 132(1¹)).
- Amount withheld
- 286.25 €
- Left to the debtor
- 913.75 €
- Fully protected part
- 361.40 €
- Generally protected part
- 946.00 €
Used in the calculation: minimum wage 946.00 €, estimated subsistence minimum 361.40 €.
- Fully protected part: the subsistence minimum plus one third of the minimum wage per dependant (TMS § 132(1²) and (1³)).
- Generally protected part: the minimum wage plus one third of it per dependant (TMS § 132(1) and (2)).
- Seizure percentage: up to 20% of income within the minimum wage (TMS § 132(1²)).
- Statistics Estonia publishes the estimated subsistence minimum in Ametlikud Teadaanded based on the previous year's data.
The result is an estimate. The exact amount is set by the bailiff in the seizure notice.
NB! The calculations are for information purposes only.
How the withheld amount is calculated
Income is not seized if it does not exceed the monthly minimum wage. For each dependant, this protected amount grows by one third of the minimum wage (TMS § 132(1) and (2)).
Within the protected amount the bailiff may seize up to 20 percent of the income, but only from the part above the estimated subsistence minimum plus one third of the minimum wage per dependant. Income below the subsistence minimum is not seized (TMS § 132(1²) and (1³)).
From income above the protected amount, two thirds may be seized up to five times the minimum wage, and everything above that in full. The total seized must not exceed two thirds of the whole income (TMS § 132(3)).
Frequently asked questions
It depends on the income and dependants. Within the minimum wage, up to 20% of the part above the subsistence minimum; above it, up to two thirds; above five minimum wages, the whole excess. In total, never more than two thirds of the income.
As a rule, the minimum wage: €946 a month from 1 April 2026. One third of the minimum wage is added for each dependant. Income below the subsistence minimum is not seized at all.
Statistics Estonia publishes the estimated subsistence minimum by 1 February each year based on the previous year's data. Based on 2025 data it is €361.40.
No. The formula does not apply to child maintenance claims, and the debtor keeps half of the minimum wage whatever the income.
No. The calculator gives an estimate. The bailiff sets the percentage and the amount in the seizure notice.