What is the legal process where income is deducted from an employee’s paycheck?

Wage garnishments refer to the legal process in which a portion of an employee's earnings is withheld by an employer to pay off a debt, usually in response to a court order or legal obligation. This process is often utilized for various types of debts, including child support, tax obligations, or consumer debts. Wage garnishments occur after the proper legal procedures are followed, ensuring that the rights of both the employer and employee are respected.

The other choices have distinct meanings that do not specifically refer to the legal withholding of income for debts. Income taxes involve amounts deducted from paychecks for government revenue purposes but are not classified under the same legal framework as garnishments. Salary docking implies reducing an employee's pay due to reasons such as absence or poor performance but does not carry the legal connotation of garnishments. Paycheck withholding typically refers to deductions made for taxes and contributions, which are standard and not related to debt recovery processes. This makes wage garnishments the most accurate choice in describing the legal process of income deduction from an employee's paycheck to satisfy a debt.