CoreParent™

New York child support under the CSSA: percentages, the cap, and a worked example

New York sets support with the Child Support Standards Act. Both parents' incomes are pooled, a fixed percentage is taken from the pool up to a cap of $193,000 a year, and the result is divided by income. Unlike most states, New York keeps paying support until a child turns 21.

Estimate free

At a glance

ModelPercentage of combined parental income, prorated between the parents (Family Court Act 413; Domestic Relations Law 240(1-b))
Percentages17% for one child, 25% for two, 29% for three, 31% for four, no less than 35% for five or more
Income cap$193,000 of combined parental income a year since March 1, 2026; above it the court decides using the statutory factors
Low incomeSelf-support reserve $21,546 a year (135% of the $15,960 poverty guideline); minimum orders of $25 or $50 a month
Shared custodyNo time-based credit; with equal time the higher earner is treated as the paying parent
Support endsAge 21, unless the child is emancipated earlier
ModificationSubstantial change, 3 years since the last order, or a 15% change in either parent's gross income

The three CSSA steps

Step one is income. New York starts from the gross income a parent reported, or should have reported, on a federal tax return, and adds items such as workers' compensation, disability, unemployment and Social Security benefits, pensions and investment income. It then subtracts only a short list of items: FICA (Social Security and Medicare) taxes actually paid, New York City or Yonkers income taxes actually paid, maintenance paid to the other parent, and support actually paid for other children. Federal and state income tax are not subtracted.

Step two adds the two parents' figures into combined parental income and multiplies it, up to the cap, by the percentage for the number of children. Step three prorates that basic obligation: each parent's share equals their portion of the combined income, and the noncustodial parent's share becomes the order.

Social Services Law 111-i resets the cap every two years on March 1 by the change in the consumer price index, and the state publishes a new Child Support Standards Chart each spring. The 2026 chart lists the $193,000 cap, which applies through February 2028.

Worked example: New York

  1. Parent A earns $6,000 a month and Parent B $4,000, both already net of FICA and with no city income tax. Combined parental income is $10,000 a month, or $120,000 a year, well under the $193,000 cap.
  2. For two children the statute takes 25%: 25% of $10,000 is a basic obligation of $2,500 a month. In New York this figure comes straight from the percentage, not from a lookup table.
  3. Parent A has 60% of the combined income, so if the children live mainly with Parent B, Parent A pays $1,500 a month ($18,000 a year). Parent B's $1,000 share is not paid to anyone; it stays with the household where the children live.
  4. Child care, health insurance premiums and uninsured health costs are then added and split in the same 60/40 proportion. CoreParent's calculator applies the CSSA percentages, the cap and the low-income rules, and subtracts FICA from gross pay; it does not subtract New York City or Yonkers income tax, so a city resident should check its number with the state's worksheet.

This is an estimate, not legal advice. Figures are rounded to the dollar and leave out the insurance, childcare, and other adjustments your case may have. Try your own numbers in CoreParent's calculator, then confirm with the state's official calculator.

Equal time does not cancel support in New York

The CSSA has no parenting-time formula. In Bast v. Rossoff (1998) the Court of Appeals held that the standard three-step calculation applies in shared custody cases too, and it rejected a proportional offset based on time with the child. Courts then name a custodial parent: the one with more time, or, when the schedule is truly equal, the parent with the lower income.

So in the example, a week-on, week-off schedule still leaves Parent A, the higher earner, owing about $1,500 a month. A parent who wants less can ask the court to deviate under the statutory factors, which include extraordinary expenses of visitation and non-monetary contributions toward the children's care.

Income above the $193,000 cap

The percentage is applied automatically only to the first $193,000 of combined income. For the part above it, the court either applies the same percentage or sets an amount using the factors in the statute, such as the children's needs, the standard of living they would have enjoyed, tax consequences and the gap between the parents' incomes, and must explain its reasons.

Low income: the $25 and $50 floors

If paying the basic obligation would push the noncustodial parent's income below the federal poverty guideline for one person, $15,960 in 2026, the order is $25 a month unless that is unjust. If it would push income below the self-support reserve of $21,546 but not below the poverty line, the order is the greater of $50 a month or the income left above the reserve.

Child care, health care and education

Reasonable child care the custodial parent needs in order to work, or to attend school or training that leads to work, is prorated between the parents by income. Health insurance premiums for the children and their reasonable health costs not covered by insurance are prorated the same way. The court may also order a share of private, special or college education costs when it is appropriate.

Support for other children

Support a parent actually pays under an existing order for other children comes off that parent's income before the percentage is applied. The needs of other children the paying parent supports at home are not deducted automatically; they are one of the factors a court can weigh to deviate.

Until 21, and how to change an order

Parents are chargeable with support of a child under 21. Support can end sooner only if the child becomes emancipated, and a court decides whether that has happened.

Either parent can petition to modify on a substantial change in circumstances, or without proving one when three years have passed since the order was entered or last changed, or when either parent's gross income has changed by 15% or more. Incarceration is not treated as voluntary unemployment.

Collection

The Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance runs the state child support program through local support collection units in each county. Orders themselves come from Family Court, or from Supreme Court in a divorce.

Documents you will need

New York child support FAQ

What is the child support percentage in New York?

17% of combined parental income for one child, 25% for two, 29% for three, 31% for four, and at least 35% for five or more, applied to the first $193,000 a year and split between the parents by income.

What is the New York child support cap for 2026?

$193,000 of combined parental income a year, effective March 1, 2026. It is adjusted every two years, so the next change is due March 1, 2028.

Who pays child support with 50/50 custody in New York?

The parent with the higher income is treated as the noncustodial parent and pays the full CSSA share, with no reduction for time. In our example that is about $1,500 a month.

Does child support stop at 18 in New York?

No. The duty runs until 21 unless the child is emancipated earlier.

Are taxes deducted from income for New York child support?

Only FICA and New York City or Yonkers income taxes actually paid. Federal and state income taxes are not subtracted, which is why CSSA income is higher than take-home pay.

Next steps

Sources

Verified against these official sources in October 2026:

Child support in every other state

All states

This is general educational information, not legal advice, and official figures change. Last verified: October 2026. Consult a licensed family-law attorney in New York.