All property on which the Service has a tax lien is subject to levy by the Service. IRC § 6334 sets out the following as exempt property:
- Wearing apparel and school books;
- Fuel, provisions, furniture, and personal effects in the household, livestock, and poultry of the taxpayer that does not exceed $6,250 in value (indexed for inflation to $8,230 for 2009);
- Books and tools necessary for the trade, business, or profession of the taxpayer that does not exceed $3,125 in value (indexed for inflation to $4,120 for 2009);
- Unemployment benefits;
- Undelivered mail;
- Certain annuity and pension payments;
- Worker’s compensation;
- Judgments for support of minor children;
- Minimum exemption for salary, wages, and other income;
- Certain service-connected disability payments;
- Certain public assistance payments;
- Assistance under Job Training Partnership Act;
- Residences in small deficiency cases (where the levy does not exceed $5,000), and the taxpayer’s principal residence in the absence of certain judicial approval or jeopardy.
The exempt amount of wages, salary, or other income is an amount equal to the sum of the standard deduction and the aggregate amount of the deductions for personal exemptions, roughly minimum wage.