Texas Child Support Calculator 2026
Estimate guideline child support in Texas from the paying parent's gross wages. The calculator works out net resources the way the Attorney General's 2026 tax chart does, applies the statutory percentage and stops at the $11,700 cap. Calculated privately in your browser.
Estimate only — the court or the child support agency sets the order. Official source: Texas Attorney General monthly child support calculator.
Texas child support is a percentage of the paying parent's monthly net resources: 20% for one child rising to 40% for five or more, applied to the first $11,700 (the cap in force since September 1, 2025). This calculator turns gross wages into net resources the way the Texas Attorney General's 2026 tax chart does, then applies the guideline percentage.
How Texas Child Support Is Calculated
Texas is a percentage-of-income state: only the paying parent's income is used. The Office of the Attorney General publishes 2026 Tax Charts for turning gross pay into net monthly income. From gross wages it subtracts Social Security tax (6.2% on wages up to $184,500 a year), Medicare tax (1.45%) and federal income tax worked out for a single person taking the 2026 standard deduction of $16,100. The cost of the children's health and dental insurance, union dues and any state income tax are then taken off to reach net resources.
| Children in the case | Standard percentage | If net resources are under $1,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20% | 15% |
| 2 | 25% | 20% |
| 3 | 30% | 25% |
| 4 | 35% | 30% |
| 5 or more | 40% (6 or more: not less than this) | 35% |
If the paying parent has a legal duty to support children in another household, the percentage is reduced. This page uses the same multiple-family method as the Attorney General's monthly child support calculator.
Worked Example: Texas Child Support on $5,000 a Month
Gross wages of $5,000.00 a month are reduced by $310.00 Social Security tax, $72.50 Medicare tax and $418.33 federal income tax, leaving net resources of $4,199.17. For two children the guideline is 25%, so estimated support is $1,049.79 a month. A parent earning $15,713.51 a month or more reaches the $11,700 cap, where the guideline is $2,340 for one child and $2,925 for two.
Parenting Time, Insurance and Childcare in Texas
The Attorney General's calculator uses the paying parent's income only. It has no input for the other parent's income, for overnights or for childcare, and this page follows it: nothing is added or subtracted for those items. Insurance premiums the paying parent pays for the children reduce net resources before the percentage is applied.
Estimate Only: Who Sets the Texas Order
This page gives an estimate only — the court or the state child support agency sets the order, and either can depart from the guideline where the law allows. Before relying on any figure, run the same figures through the Texas Attorney General monthly child support calculator.
If your income, the parenting schedule or the children's needs change, ask the court or the agency to review the order, and keep paying the ordered amount until it is changed. Last updated: October 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is child support calculated in Texas?
Texas applies a percentage to the paying parent's monthly net resources: 20% for one child, 25% for two, 30% for three, 35% for four and 40% for five or more. Net resources are gross income minus Social Security and Medicare tax, federal income tax for a single person, and the cost of the children's health and dental insurance. The percentage applies to the first $11,700.
What is the Texas child support cap in 2026?
The guidelines apply to monthly net resources up to $11,700, a cap that took effect on September 1, 2025 (it was $9,200 before). At the cap, guideline support is $2,340 a month for one child and $4,680 for five or more. A court decides any support on income above the cap.
What if the paying parent has a very low income in Texas?
When monthly net resources are under $1,000, lower percentages apply: 15% for one child, 20% for two, 25% for three, 30% for four and 35% for five or more. The Texas Attorney General applies these low-income guidelines in actions filed on or after September 1, 2021.
How do other children affect Texas child support?
If the paying parent has a legal duty to support children in another household, the percentage is reduced. This calculator uses the same multiple-family method as the Attorney General's calculator: a credit for the other children is taken off before the percentage for the children in this case is applied.
Is this the amount a Texas court will order?
No. It is an estimate for a single source of wage income. The court or the Office of the Attorney General sets the order and may consider other income, self-employment and evidence about the child's needs. Check your figures with the Attorney General's monthly child support calculator.