CoreParent™

Texas child support: percentages, the $11,700 cap, and how to estimate yours

Texas does not add both parents' incomes together. It applies a fixed percentage to the paying parent's monthly net resources, up to a cap that rose to $11,700 on September 1, 2025. Here is the math, with examples at three income levels.

Estimate free

At a glance

ModelPercentage of the obligor's monthly net resources (Tex. Fam. Code 154.125)
Guideline percentages1 child 20%, 2 children 25%, 3 children 30%, 4 children 35%, 5 children 40%, 6 or more not less than 40%
Net resources cap$11,700 a month since September 1, 2025 (was $9,200); the next inflation adjustment is due in 2031
Low-income scheduleUnder $1,000 net a month: 15%, 20%, 25%, 30% and 35% for 1 to 5 children
Support endsAt 18 or high school graduation, whichever is later; can continue indefinitely for a disabled child
ModificationMaterial and substantial change, or 3 years since the last order and a 20% or $100 difference from the guidelines
AgencyOffice of the Attorney General of Texas, Child Support Division

How Texas calculates child support

Texas uses a percentage-of-income guideline. Only the paying parent's income (the obligor's) goes into the formula; the other parent's income does not change the presumptive amount. The percentage depends on how many children are before the court, from 20% for one child to 40% for five.

The percentage applies to net resources, not take-home pay. Net resources start with all wages, overtime, commissions, tips, bonuses, self-employment income, interest, dividends and net rental income, then subtract Social Security taxes, federal income tax figured as if the parent were a single person taking the standard deduction, state income tax, union dues, and what the parent pays for the child's health insurance, dental insurance or cash medical support. A new spouse's income is never added.

Because the federal tax figure is a standardized one, the Attorney General publishes tax charts every year to convert gross income to net resources. The 2026 charts appeared in the Texas Register on December 19, 2025. If a parent gives no evidence of income at all, the court presumes a full-time federal minimum wage income.

Worked example: Texas

  1. A parent with $5,000 a month in net resources and two children before the court owes 25%: $1,250 a month, or $15,000 a year.
  2. The cap in action: a parent with $14,000 in net resources and one child owes 20% of the first $11,700 only, which is $2,340 a month, not the $2,800 that 20% of the full amount would be. A court can order more above the cap only on proof of the child's needs.
  3. The low-income schedule: with $900 a month in net resources and one child, the rate is 15%, or $135 a month.
  4. Starting from a paycheck instead: CoreParent's calculator estimates a single filer grossing $6,000 a month at about $4,461 in net resources, which puts guideline support for two children near $1,115. Its tax step is an approximation; the Attorney General's 2026 tax charts are the official conversion.

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.

50/50 and other shared schedules in Texas

Texas has no shared-custody formula and no overnight threshold. The percentage guideline still produces the presumptive amount, and the time each parent has with the children is one of the factors a court may weigh to set support above or below the guideline (154.123(b)(4)). Child care costs a parent pays to keep working are another of those factors rather than a line-item add-on.

A joint managing conservatorship by itself is not grounds to change an existing support order. If you are negotiating an equal schedule, put the support terms and the reasons for any departure from the guideline in writing so the judge can make the findings Texas requires.

Medical and dental support

Health insurance for the child is ordered on top of base support. Coverage is considered reasonable in cost if it does not exceed 9% of the obligor's annual resources, and cash medical support is capped at the same 9%. Dental coverage is reasonable up to 1.5%. Deductibles, copays and other unreimbursed health, vision and dental costs are allocated between the parents by the court according to their circumstances; there is no fixed percentage split.

Children in more than one household

When the obligor also supports children from another relationship, Texas offers two methods: a credit calculation (154.128) or the multiple-family table in 154.129. On the table, a parent with two children before the court and one other child pays 22.50% of net resources instead of 25%. Below $1,000 in net resources a separate low-income version of the table applies.

When support ends and how to change it

Support runs until the child turns 18 or graduates from high school, whichever is later, as long as the child stays enrolled and meets attendance rules; it can end in the month of graduation. Support for a child with a disability can continue indefinitely.

An order can be modified when circumstances have materially and substantially changed, or when three years have passed since the order and the guideline amount now differs by 20% or $100. An agreed order that departed from the guidelines can only be changed on a material and substantial change. Incarceration of more than 180 days counts as one.

Collection and enforcement

The Child Support Division of the Office of the Attorney General is the Texas child support agency. It establishes and enforces orders, and its online calculator applies the guideline to net resources up to $11,700. Past-due support accrues 6% simple interest a year.

Documents you will need

Texas child support FAQ

Is there a Texas child support calculator for 2026?

Yes. The Attorney General's monthly child support calculator applies the guideline percentages to net resources up to the $11,700 cap that took effect September 1, 2025. Use the AG's 2026 tax charts to turn gross pay into net resources.

How is child support calculated in Texas?

Take the paying parent's monthly net resources, cap them at $11,700, and multiply by the guideline percentage for the number of children: 20% for one, 25% for two, 30% for three, 35% for four, 40% for five. Health insurance is ordered on top.

How much is child support for 2 kids in Texas?

25% of the paying parent's net resources. At $5,000 a month in net resources that is $1,250 a month. The most the guideline produces for two children is 25% of $11,700, or $2,925, unless a court finds the children's proven needs call for more.

Does 50/50 custody mean no child support in Texas?

No. Texas has no equal-time formula, so the guideline amount is still the starting point. Equal possession is a factor the judge may use to order less than the guideline, but it does not cancel support automatically.

What is the maximum child support in Texas?

There is no absolute maximum, but the guideline percentage stops at $11,700 of monthly net resources. For one child that is $2,340 a month. Above the cap, a court may add more based on the parents' income and the child's proven needs.

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 Texas.