Pennsylvania Child Support Calculator

Pennsylvania child support calculator is the official online estimator provided by the PA Child Support Program allowing parents to estimate monthly child support amounts based on combined monthly net income and number of children, though it's only an estimator that doesn't provide results for alimony pendente lite or spousal support or for combined child support and spousal support/alimony pendente lite orders, with actual support obligations determined by Courts of Common Pleas using Pennsylvania child support guidelines incorporating factors like custody time, additional expenses, and special circumstances that may affect the basic child support obligation calculated from the income shares model.

Pennsylvania Child Support Estimator Overview

The official Pennsylvania child support calculator is a free online tool provided by the PA Child Support Program to help parents estimate potential monthly child support obligations.

What the Calculator Provides

The Pennsylvania Child Support Estimator calculates:

• Basic monthly child support amount based on combined parental income
• Each parent's proportionate share of support obligations
• Adjustments for additional expenses like medical insurance and childcare
• Estimates for different custody arrangements

Important Limitations

The calculator is only an estimator. It provides estimates, not final support orders. Several factors may affect actual monthly child support amounts that the calculator doesn't include:

Not Calculated by Estimator:

• Alimony pendente lite or spousal support
• Combined child support and spousal support/alimony pendente lite orders
• Situations with combined monthly net income exceeding $30,000
• Cases where noncustodial parent's monthly net income is less than $1,255
• Deviations from guidelines based on special circumstances
• Support calculations for more than six children
• Multiple family situations
• Self-employment tax withholding considerations

The estimator returns $0 basic child support amount when combined parental income falls below $1,300.

Final Determinations

Actual child support obligations are established by Courts of Common Pleas through Domestic Relations conferences or hearings. Conference Officers and judges consider additional factors beyond basic calculator inputs when determining final support orders.

How Pennsylvania Child Support Is Calculated

Pennsylvania uses the income shares model to determine child support obligations, based on the principle that children should receive the same proportion of parental income whether parents live together or apart.

Step 1: Calculate Each Parent's Monthly Net Income

Start with monthly gross income including:

• Wages from employment
• Self-employment income
• Bonuses and commissions
• Investment and rental income
• Retirement benefits
• Disability and workers' compensation
• Unemployment benefits
• Alimony received (when appropriate)
• Other income sources

Subtract allowable deductions:

• Federal, state, and local income taxes
• Social Security and Medicare (FICA) taxes
• Unemployment compensation taxes
• Mandatory retirement contributions
• Mandatory union dues
• Alimony paid to the other parent

Step 2: Calculate Combined Monthly Net Income

Add both parents' monthly net incomes together to determine combined income.

Step 3: Determine Each Parent's Income Percentage

Divide each parent's individual net monthly income by the combined monthly net income to find their percentage of total income.

Step 4: Find Basic Support Obligation

Using the Pennsylvania basic child support schedule found in Pennsylvania Code Rule 1910.16-3:

• Locate combined monthly net income in the left column
• Find number of children in top row
• The intersecting amount is the combined basic child support obligation

Step 5: Calculate Individual Support Obligation

Multiply the combined basic support obligation by the obligor's (paying parent's) percentage of combined income.

Step 6: Adjust for Additional Expenses

Add or subtract amounts for:

• Health insurance premiums for children
• Childcare costs necessary for work or education
• Private school tuition
• Mortgage payments on marital residence (in some cases)

These additional expenses are typically divided between parents proportionately to their income percentages.

Shared Custody Adjustments

The Pennsylvania child support calculator accounts for custody arrangements affecting support obligations.

Standard Assumption

Basic child support guidelines assume children spend 30-40% of overnights with the paying parent (obligor) and 60-70% with the receiving parent (obligee).

40-49% Custody Time

When the obligor has at least 40% but less than 50% of annual overnights (146-181 nights), their income percentage is reduced by 10% for support calculation purposes.

50% or More Custody Time

When the obligor has at least 50% of annual overnights (182+ nights), their income percentage is reduced by 20%.

These reductions apply to the income percentage used in calculating the individual basic support obligation, not to the final support amount itself.

Example with Custody Adjustment

If Audrey from the previous example has children for three overnights weekly (approximately 43% of time), she qualifies for a 10% reduction:

• Original income percentage: 58.33%
• Reduced percentage: 58.33% - (58.33% × 0.10) = 52.50%
• Adjusted basic obligation: $1,918 × 0.5250 = $1,006.95

This reduction reflects that Audrey incurs direct expenses caring for children during her custody time.

Income Considerations for Support Calculations

Understanding what counts as income and how net income is calculated ensures accurate child support estimates.

Gross Income Sources

Pennsylvania child support calculations include various income sources:

• Salaries and wages
• Tips and bonuses
• Commissions
• Self-employment income
• Rental property income
• Investment income and dividends
• Retirement and pension benefits
• Disability benefits
• Workers' compensation
• Unemployment compensation
• Lottery winnings and gambling proceeds
• Insurance settlements and civil judgments
• Alimony received

Excluded Income:  Public assistance including Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and welfare benefits don't count as income for support purposes.

Allowable Deductions

Only specific deductions reduce gross income to net income:

• Federal income taxes
• State income taxes (Pennsylvania: 3.07%)
• Local/municipal income taxes (varies by municipality)
• Social Security taxes (6.2% up to wage base)
• Medicare taxes (1.45%)
• Mandatory retirement contributions
• Mandatory union dues
• Alimony paid to the other parent

Not Deductible:  Voluntary retirement contributions, health insurance premiums (addressed separately), child support for other children (considered differently), and discretionary expenses don't reduce income for support calculations.

Special Income Situations

Certain circumstances require special calculation approaches beyond basic estimator capabilities.

Low Income Cases

When the obligor's individual monthly net income and number of children intersect within shaded areas on the basic support schedule, reduced support amounts apply.

Courts may also lower obligations if guideline amounts would leave paying parents with less than $981 monthly income.

High Income Cases

When combined monthly net income exceeds $30,000, calculations extend beyond the published schedule:

Formula for High Income:

• Start with basic obligation for $30,000 (varies by number of children)
• Add percentage of income over $30,000

Percentages by Number of Children:

• One child: Add 8.6% of income over $30,000
• Two children: Add 11.8%
• Three children: Add 12.9%
• Four children: Add 14.6%
• Five children: Add 16.1%
• Six children: Add 17.5%

The Pennsylvania child support calculator doesn't handle these high-income calculations automatically.

Earning Capacity

When parents are voluntarily unemployed or underemployed, courts may impute income based on earning capacity rather than actual earnings, preventing support avoidance through deliberate income reduction.

Using the Pennsylvania Child Support Calculator

Accessing and using the official calculator requires understanding its location and input requirements.

Accessing the Calculator

The Pennsylvania Child Support Estimator is available through:

• Pennsylvania Department of Human Services website (humanservices.dhs.pa.gov)
• Pennsylvania Child Support Program website (childsupport.pa.gov)
• Direct link to support estimator

The calculator is free and doesn't require login or account creation for basic estimates.

Required Information

To use the Pennsylvania child support calculator effectively, gather:

• Both parents' gross monthly income amounts
• Allowable deductions for each parent (taxes, mandatory retirement, etc.)
• Number of children requiring support
• Custody arrangement details (percentage of time with each parent)
• Health insurance costs for children
• Childcare expenses
• Other additional expenses like private school tuition

More accurate input information produces more reliable estimates.

Additional Expenses Beyond Basic Support

Pennsylvania child support obligations extend beyond basic amounts to cover children's additional needs.

Medical Insurance

Parents share costs of health insurance covering children proportionately to their incomes. The parent paying for coverage receives credit against support obligations for the other parent's proportionate share.

Childcare Costs

Childcare expenses necessary for parents to work or attend education programs are shared proportionately between parents based on their income percentages, added to basic support obligations.

Educational Expenses

Private school tuition and educational costs may be allocated between parents proportionately when deemed appropriate, though Pennsylvania doesn't require parents to pay for college expenses.

When Calculator Results May Differ from Court Orders

Several circumstances can cause actual support orders to deviate from calculator estimates.

Reasons for Deviations

Courts may order amounts different from guidelines when:

• Children have extraordinary medical expenses not covered by insurance
• Standard of living considerations warrant adjustments
• Parent has unusually low living expenses through shared housing
• Parent faces extraordinary expenses like high medical bills
• Paying parent supports children from other relationships
• Equity and fairness concerns justify departures
• Other special circumstances affecting children's best interests exist

Multiple Family Situations

When paying parents have children from multiple relationships, separate calculations apply that the basic calculator doesn't handle. These situations require professional legal guidance.

More Than Six Children

Support calculations for more than six children follow different formulas not included in the standard Pennsylvania child support calculator.

Pennsylvania child support calculator provided by the PA Child Support Program offers valuable estimates of monthly child support amounts based on combined monthly net income and number of children using the income shares model, though it's only an estimator that doesn't calculate alimony pendente lite or spousal support or combined child support and spousal support/alimony pendente lite orders, with actual obligations determined by Courts of Common Pleas considering factors beyond basic calculations including custody time adjustments reducing obligations by 10-20% for parents with 40%+ overnight time, additional expenses for health insurance and childcare allocated proportionately between parents, and special circumstances warranting deviations from guideline amounts.