Minnesota Statutes § 571.921 - DEFINITIONS

For purposes of sections 571.921 to 571.927, the following terms have the meanings given them: (a) "Earnings" means: (1) compensation paid or payable to an employee, independent contractor, or self-employed person for personal service whether denominated as wages, salary, commissions, bonus, payments, profit-sharing distribution, severance payment, fees, or otherwise, and includes periodic payments pursuant to a pension or retirement program; (2) compensation paid or payable to the producer for the sale of agricultural products; livestock or livestock products; milk or milk products; or fruit or other horticultural products produced when the producer is operating a family farm, a family farm corporation, or an authorized farm corporation, as defined in section 500.24, subdivision 2; or (3) maintenance as defined in section 518.003, subdivision 3a. (b) "Disposable earnings" means that part of the earnings of an individual remaining after the deduction from those earnings of amounts required by law to be withheld. (c) "Employee" means an individual, whether currently or formerly employed, who is owed earnings and who is treated by an employer as an employee for federal employment tax purposes. (d) "Employer" means a person who owes or will owe earnings to an employee or independent contractor. (e) "Independent contractor" means an individual who (1) receives or is owed earnings from an employer through periodic payments, and (2) is not treated by the employer as an employee for federal employment tax purposes.