Texas Child Support Calculator (2026)

How Texas calculates child support

Texas uses a percentage-of-income model. Unlike most states, only the paying parent's income matters for the guideline amount; the receiving parent's income does not change the formula. The court starts with the obligor's gross income from every source, subtracts a fixed list of deductions to reach monthly net resources, applies the guideline percentage for the number of children, and caps the result at the statutory ceiling.

The percentages in Texas Family Code section 154.125 are 20% of net resources for one child, 25% for two, 30% for three, 35% for four, and 40% for five or more. Six or more children can never be less than the amount for five.

What counts as net resources

Section 154.062 defines resources broadly: wages, overtime, tips, bonuses, commissions, self-employment income, rental income, interest and dividends, retirement and pension payments, unemployment benefits, disability and workers' compensation, and spousal maintenance received. Return of capital, accounts receivable, and public assistance are excluded.

From that total the court deducts only what the statute allows: Social Security taxes (or a nontaxable equivalent), federal income tax for a single person claiming one personal exemption and the standard deduction, state income tax (none in Texas), union dues, and the cost of health and dental insurance or cash medical support for the child. The Attorney General publishes tax charts each year that convert gross income to net resources using exactly these assumptions, which is what this calculator reproduces.

Children in other households

When the paying parent has a legal duty to support children who are not part of the case, section 154.129 lowers the percentages. One child before the court and one other child, for example, uses 17.5% instead of 20%. The reductions grow with each additional child in another household. Select the number of other children in the calculator to apply the table.

Income above the cap

The guideline percentages apply only to the first $11,700 of monthly net resources. Above that, section 154.126 lets the court order additional support only if the child's proven needs justify it, and the extra amount can never exceed the child's needs. In practice, high-income cases often settle at the capped guideline amount plus specific expenses such as private school or extracurriculars.

Medical and dental support

Texas orders medical and dental support in addition to child support. Usually the paying parent must provide health insurance for the child if it is available at a reasonable cost, meaning premiums for the child of no more than 9% of the obligor's annual resources. When the receiving parent carries the insurance instead, the court orders the obligor to reimburse the premium as cash medical support.

When the court can order a different amount

The guideline amount is presumed to be in the child's best interest, but section 154.123 lists factors that can justify a deviation: the child's age and needs, the parents' ability to contribute, possession time and travel costs, childcare expenses, alimony, benefits either parent receives, and debts. A judge who deviates must make written findings.

Unemployed or underemployed parents do not escape support. Under section 154.068, if no evidence of income is available, the court presumes the parent earns the federal minimum wage for a 40-hour week, and it can impute higher income to a parent who is intentionally underemployed.

Changing an existing order

Either parent can ask to modify child support when circumstances have materially and substantially changed. Section 156.401 also allows a review after three years if the guideline amount would differ from the current order by 20% or $100 per month. The Attorney General's Child Support Division offers a free review process for cases it handles.