Updated for 2026 guidelines
Texas Child Support Calculator 2026
Texas support is a set percentage of the paying parent’s net resources. This page walks through the formula, the current cap, and a real worked example.
Reviewed by SupportDecode Editorial Team Page content reviewed Sources Methodology Update log
Estimate Texas child support
Estimated monthly child support: $839.83
The paying parent pays this amount to the receiving parent each month.
| Line item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Monthly net resources (Sec. 154.062)Tex. Fam. Code ch. 154 (Child Support Guidelines; incl. 154.061, 154.062, 154.125, 154.126, 154.128-129) (Texas Legislature) | $4,199.17 |
| Guideline percentage (Sec. 154.125(b))1 child: 20% of net resourcesTex. Fam. Code ch. 154 (Child Support Guidelines; incl. 154.061, 154.062, 154.125, 154.126, 154.128-129) (Texas Legislature) | 20% of net resources |
| Presumptive monthly child supportTex. Fam. Code ch. 154 (Child Support Guidelines; incl. 154.061, 154.062, 154.125, 154.126, 154.128-129) (Texas Legislature) | $839.83 |
Assumptions
- Guideline amount only; medical and dental support are ordered in addition (Sec. 154.064) and are not included.
- Texas has no formulaic parenting-time (overnight) adjustment and no childcare add-on; deviations are discretionary under Sec. 154.123.
- Gross-to-net conversion uses the 2026 OAG employed-persons tax chart parameters: OASDI 6.2%, Medicare 1.45%, federal income tax for a single person with the standard deduction. OASDI is applied without the annual wage-base ceiling, which cannot change any result at or below the net-resources cap.
Continue with this income in the PayDecode take-home calculator
PayDecode is a separate site. The link may not carry your numbers over; if its form opens blank, enter the income there again.
Estimate only. The court or state agency calculation controls.
Texas guidelines, effective 2026-01-01.
Texas guideline facts
- Guideline model
- Percentage of the paying parent’s net resourcessource
- Statute
- Tex. Fam. Code § 154.125source
- Guideline percentages
- 20% / 25% / 30% / 35% / 40% for 1 to 5 childrensource
- Net resources cap
- $11,700 per month, effective September 1, 2025source
- Low-income schedule
- Reduced percentages when net resources are under $1,000 a monthsource
- Next cap adjustment
- September 1, 2031 (adjusted for inflation every 6 years)source
- Parameter set effective
- January 1, 2026 (2026 tax charts)source
- Next scheduled data review
- January 1, 2027, when the 2027 tax charts are duesource
How Texas calculates child support
Texas uses a percentage of income model. The court looks only at the paying parent’s money, called net resources. The receiving parent’s income is not part of the guideline formula.
Net resources start with gross income from almost every source: wages, overtime, tips, bonuses, self-employment income, rental income, and more. The statute then subtracts social security taxes, federal income tax for a single person with the standard deduction, state income tax, union dues, and the health and dental insurance premiums the parent pays for the children.
The guideline percentage depends on how many children are in the case: 20 percent of net resources for 1 child, 25 percent for 2, 30 percent for 3, 35 percent for 4, and 40 percent for 5. For 6 or more children, the amount is at least the 5-child amount.
If net resources are under $1,000 a month, a lower schedule applies: 15 percent for 1 child, then 20, 25, 30, and 35 percent as the number of children grows.
The percentages stop at a ceiling. Guidelines apply only to the first $11,700 of monthly net resources. Above that, a court can add support only based on the proven needs of the child.
Worked example: $5,000 a month, 2 children
- Say the paying parent earns $5,000 a month gross as an employee, with 2 children in the case and no other deductions. Here is the full guideline math.
- First, taxes come off. Social security (OASDI) is 6.2 percent of $5,000, which is $310.00. Medicare is 1.45 percent, which is $72.50.
- Next, federal income tax. The 2026 tax charts from the Attorney General assume a single person with the standard deduction. For $5,000 gross, that is $418.33.
- Net resources are $5,000.00 minus $310.00 minus $72.50 minus $418.33, which equals $4,199.17.
- With 2 children, the guideline percentage is 25 percent. Support is 25 percent of $4,199.17, which is $1,049.79 a month.
- We checked this exact scenario against the official Attorney General calculator on August 6, 2026, and it returned the same $1,049.79.
The steps above follow the calculation method described on our methodology page.
Texas guideline history
- Cap on net resources raised from $6,000 to $7,500, with automatic inflation adjustments every 6 years.source
- Inflation adjustment set the cap at $9,200 in monthly net resources.source
- Low-income schedule added for parents with net resources under $1,000 a month (S.B. 286).source
- Inflation adjustment raised the cap from $9,200 to $11,700.source
- Attorney General filed the 2026 tax charts used to convert gross pay to net resources.source
Texas child support FAQs
What is the Texas child support cap in 2026?
The guideline percentages apply only to the first $11,700 of monthly net resources. That cap took effect September 1, 2025. If a parent has more, a court can order extra support only to meet the proven needs of the child. The cap adjusts for inflation every 6 years, next on September 1, 2031.
Does 50/50 custody change child support in Texas?
Texas has no formula that adjusts support for overnights. Equal time does not automatically reduce or end support. A judge may set a different amount using the deviation factors in the statute, which include time of possession, and parents can also present an agreement to the court.
I am self-employed. Can I still use this calculator?
Yes, with one extra step. Texas counts self-employment income in net resources, but self-employed parents pay different social security taxes than employees, so this tool does not convert self-employment gross pay to net. You can enter your monthly net resources directly, or use the official Attorney General calculator.
What if I already support children in another household?
The percentage drops. Texas has a multiple-family table for parents with a legal duty to support other children. For example, with 1 child in the case and 1 other child, the rate is 17.50 percent of net resources instead of 20 percent.
What counts as net resources in Texas?
Almost all income counts: wages, overtime, tips, bonuses, commissions, self-employment income, rental income, retirement, unemployment, and more. The statute then subtracts social security taxes, federal income tax for a single filer with the standard deduction, state income tax, union dues, and the children’s health and dental premiums the parent pays.
Is there a lower rate for low-income parents?
Yes. Since September 1, 2021, parents with monthly net resources under $1,000 use a reduced schedule: 15 percent for 1 child, rising to 35 percent for 5. Texas does not have a separate self-support reserve; this schedule is its low-income protection.
Does the other parent’s income matter in Texas?
Not in the formula. The Texas guideline uses only the paying parent’s net resources. The other parent’s income can still come up as a deviation factor when a judge decides whether the guideline amount fits the case.
Good to know in Texas
- The Office of the Attorney General runs the state child support program and publishes an official Monthly Child Support Calculator. It uses the same 2026 tax charts and $11,700 cap as this page.
- The tax charts that convert gross pay to net resources are re-published every year. The 2026 charts were filed with the Texas Register on December 10, 2025.
- Medical and dental support are ordered in addition to the guideline amount. The premium cost the paying parent covers for the children is deducted from net resources.
How to use this estimate
This tool follows the Texas guideline in Tex. Fam. Code chapter 154, using the 2026 tax charts, the $11,700 cap, the low-income schedule, and the multiple-family table. It gives you the presumptive guideline amount.
A judge can order a different amount. The statute lists deviation factors, including the child’s needs, parenting time, and child care costs. The guideline number is the starting point courts use, not a guarantee.
Texas also orders medical support and dental support on top of the guideline amount. Those are separate orders and are not part of the percentage math shown here.
What this estimate includes
- The 2026 tax chart conversion from gross pay to net resources for employees
- Guideline percentages for 1 to 5 or more children
- The $11,700 cap and the under-$1,000 low-income schedule
- The multiple-family adjustment when you support children in other households
- Deductions for union dues and the children’s health and dental premiums
What it leaves out
- Tax conversion for self-employment income (you can enter net resources directly)
- Medical and dental support orders, which are added separately
- Judge-ordered deviations, retroactive support, and arrears
- Support above the cap based on proven needs of the child
Official sources
Official sources last verified: .
- Tex. Fam. Code ch. 154 (Child Support Guidelines; incl. 154.061, 154.062, 154.125, 154.126, 154.128-129)
Texas Legislature Last checked
- OAG Monthly Child Support Calculator
Texas Office of the Attorney General Last checked
- Texas Register, Dec. 19, 2025 "In Addition": OAG 2026 Tax Charts (TRD-202504500, 50 TexReg 8354)
Texas Secretary of State / OAG Last checked
- 45 CFR 302.56 (state guideline requirements; quadrennial review)
HHS OCSS / eCFR Last checked
Reviewed by SupportDecode Editorial Team Page content reviewed Sources Methodology Update log
Changelog: page first published with the 2026 tax charts and the $11,700 cap. Material changes are dated in the update log.