Texas calculates child support as a straight percentage of 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. Those percentages apply only up to a statutory cap, and that cap changed recently. Effective September 1, 2025, the cap on monthly net resources under Texas Family Code Section 154.125 rose from $9,200 to $11,700. That makes the maximum guideline support for one child $2,340 per month in 2026, up from $1,840.

If you are reading older articles, calculators, or even an existing order, check the number. A great deal of published Texas child support content still uses the $9,200 figure, which has been outdated since September 2025.

What Are the Texas Child Support Percentages?

Texas is unusual. Most states use an income shares model that combines both parents’ incomes. Texas applies a percentage to the paying parent’s income alone.

The guideline percentages under Section 154.125, applied to net resources of $1,000 or more per month:

Children Percentage Maximum at the $11,700 cap
1 20% $2,340
2 25% $2,925
3 30% $3,510
4 35% $4,095
5 or more 40% $4,680

Two adjustments to know about:

  • Low income schedule. For net resources under $1,000 per month, Section 154.125(c) applies reduced percentages starting at 15% for one child
  • Multiple households. If you support children in more than one household, Section 154.129 applies an adjusted percentage table that reduces the rate applied to each household

What Are “Net Resources” and How Are They Calculated?

This is where the actual dispute happens, because net resources is not your take-home pay and it is not your gross salary.

Under Section 154.062, you start with all income from all sources, including:

  • Wages, salary, commissions, overtime, tips, and bonuses
  • Self-employment income
  • Rental income, net of legitimate expenses
  • Interest, dividends, and royalties
  • Severance, retirement, and pension benefits
  • Unemployment, disability, and workers’ compensation
  • Gifts and prizes
  • Spousal maintenance received

Then you subtract only these specific deductions:

  • Social Security and Medicare taxes
  • Federal income tax based on the tax rate for a single person claiming one personal exemption and the standard deduction
  • State income tax, if any
  • Union dues
  • The child’s health insurance premium and dental insurance premium

Notice what is not deductible: your mortgage, car payment, credit card debt, 401(k) contributions, or the cost of supporting a new spouse. Those do not reduce net resources.

The federal income tax deduction is calculated on a standardized basis rather than your actual withholding, which is why the Texas Attorney General publishes annual tax charts converting gross income to net resources. Your paycheck’s net pay is almost never the same as your net resources.

What Happens If You Earn More Than the Cap?

The guideline stops at $11,700, but the court’s authority does not.

Under Section 154.126, when net resources exceed the cap, the court applies the percentages to the first $11,700 and may order additional support based on the proven needs of the child. The key word is proven. A high income alone does not justify support above the guideline. The requesting parent must document actual needs.

What courts consider above the cap:

  • Documented expenses reflecting the child’s established standard of living
  • Private school tuition
  • Specialized medical, therapeutic, or educational needs
  • Competitive athletic or arts costs
  • Travel required by the possession schedule

The cap is adjusted every six years for inflation. The current $11,700 figure took effect September 1, 2025, and the next scheduled adjustment is around 2031 under Section 154.125(a-1).

For high-income cases, the increase from $9,200 to $11,700 is a 27% jump in the guideline ceiling. Any order entered before September 2025 was calculated against the old cap, which is worth examining if you are on either side of one.

What Else Gets Added to the Support Order?

Guideline support is not the whole obligation.

  • Medical support. Section 154.008 requires the order to address health insurance for the child. Typically, one parent carries the coverage and the premium is either deducted from net resources or reimbursed
  • Dental support, treated similarly
  • Uninsured medical expenses, usually allocated between the parents by percentage
  • Childcare costs, which may be addressed by agreement or order

Health insurance is not included in the base percentage. It is handled separately, which is a common source of confusion when parents compare their order to a calculator result.

When Can a Texas Child Support Order Be Modified?

Under Section 156.401, you must show either:

  1. A material and substantial change in circumstances of the child or a person affected by the order; or
  2. That it has been at least three years since the order was rendered or last modified and the guideline amount now differs from the current order by either 20% or $100

That second path is the practical one, and the 2025 cap increase makes it newly relevant. A parent earning above $9,200 in net resources under an order entered before September 2025 may now clear the 20% or $100 threshold on the cap change alone.

Two procedural points:

  • Modification is effective from the date of filing, not from when circumstances changed. Waiting is expensive in either direction
  • Informal agreements are unenforceable. If you agree to reduce payments without a court order, arrears accrue at the ordered amount regardless

Texas Child Support FAQs

Does the amount of time I have the child reduce my support?

Not under the guideline formula. Unlike Colorado and most states, Texas percentages do not adjust for possession time. Courts can deviate, but the guideline itself does not account for it.

Is child support based on gross or net income?

Net resources, which is a specific statutory calculation, not your take-home pay and not your gross.

Does my new spouse’s income count?

No. Only your income is considered. Supporting a new spouse does not reduce your net resources either.

What if I am unemployed or underemployed?

Texas can impute income based on earning capacity if a court finds you are intentionally unemployed or underemployed. Section 154.066 addresses this.

Are bonuses and commissions included?

Yes. They are income under Section 154.062. Courts often average variable income over several years.

Running the Numbers on Your Own Case

The calculation is mechanical, but the inputs are where cases are won.

  1. Use the current $11,700 cap. Verify any calculator or article you rely on reflects the September 2025 change
  2. Build net resources properly, using the statutory deductions rather than your pay stub’s net figure
  3. Document variable income across several years if bonuses or commissions fluctuate
  4. Address health and dental insurance separately from the base percentage
  5. Check whether an older order now qualifies for modification under the 20% or $100 test
  6. Get a valuation of self-employment income if a business is involved, since this is the most contested input

Flatiron Legal Advisors handles child support establishment, modification, and enforcement through our Texas family law team, including collection matters.

Schedule a consultation to have your order recalculated under the current cap.