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Yes. The IRS routinely faxes a levy release to your employer while you are still on the phone, and it takes effect immediately. State-court garnishments need a judge-signed release order first, then the signed release can travel by fax for speed. Keep the fax confirmation: it is your proof the employer was told.
Three things to keep straight before you act:
Call the IRS at the number on your levy notice. Once the revenue officer verifies your identity and confirms the levy should be released (for example, you entered an installment agreement or the debt is paid), the officer will ask for your employer's payroll fax number and send Form 668-D, the release of levy, while you wait. Employers generally process it before the next payroll run. The faxed release has the same effect as the mailed one; the fax is the same form, just faster.
Court-ordered garnishments are released differently. The creditor (or the debtor's attorney) files a satisfaction or release with the court, gets a judge-signed order, and then delivers that signed order to the employer. Fax is the fastest delivery channel, but the order itself must exist first. Some courts require the release to be filed with the clerk before the employer is told; in others, faxing the signed copy to payroll is enough.
| Type | Who signs the release | How fax fits in |
|---|---|---|
| Federal tax levy (IRS) | IRS revenue officer (Form 668-D) | IRS faxes it to your employer on the call |
| State court garnishment | The judge (satisfaction or release order) | You fax the signed order to payroll for speed |
| Child support income withholding | The issuing agency or court | Fax to the payroll office; confirm receipt in writing |
| Voluntary wage assignment | The creditor | Ask the creditor to fax a release confirmation |
The release must identify the employee (full name, last four of the SSN), the employer, the case or tax period, and state clearly that the levy or garnishment is released. Include the date, the signature of the person with authority, and a phone number for payroll to call back. A cover sheet that says "time-sensitive payroll matter" gets it to the right desk faster than a bare page landing in a shared tray.
Call payroll the same day and get a name. If withholding continues into the next paycheck, that is the employer's problem to unwind, not yours to absorb: withheld money after a release usually has to be returned to you, either by the employer or by the levying agency. The fax confirmation page is your evidence that the employer had notice before that paycheck ran.
Canadian wage attachments come from courts or agencies (CRA requirement-to-pay notices, provincial maintenance enforcement). The mechanics are the same: the issuing authority signs the release, and fax remains the fastest way to put it in the payroll office's hands. Confirm the payroll fax number directly; in Canada, large employers often route through an HR shared-services fax that needs the employee's full name and employee number on the cover sheet.
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