Texas calculator
Texas: how it works and FAQ
How the Texas calculator works
Texas uses Tex. Family Code Chapter 154: guideline child support is a percentage of the paying parent's monthly net resources, set by the number of children before the court (§154.125), applied to net resources up to the $11,700 cap that took effect September 1, 2025.
Net resources are computed under §154.062, including the federal income tax figure the statute presumes (single filer, one personal exemption, standard deduction) and Social Security and Medicare tax. Texas has no state income tax.
When the paying parent supports children in another household, CleanCalc shows both the §154.128 computation and the §154.129 alternative. Which one applies is for the court to decide.
For spousal maintenance (Chapter 8), CleanCalc reports which elements of each of the four §8.051 eligibility paths your inputs meet, plus the §8.054 duration limits and the §8.055 amount cap.
How we check it
We compare against the Texas Office of the Attorney General's child support calculator, which uses the same $11,700 cap and the same §154.125 percentages (checked October 8, 2026). That comparison is a separate check we run against the OAG's live site; it is not part of the automated test suite. The engine's statutory computations are covered by CleanCalc's automated test suite, which runs on every change.
Our last run of that comparison, on October 14, 2026, used 13 test cases: employee and self-employed income from $0 to $500,000 a year, one to five children, children in another household, and multiple jobs. All 13 matched the OAG's result to within one cent. (In an earlier run the same day, one self-employed case was 2.0% low: CleanCalc was not deducting half of self-employment tax before computing federal income tax, as IRC §164(f) allows and the OAG calculator does. We fixed that, and it now matches.)
What it doesn't do
It is not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. CleanCalc is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas or the State Bar of Texas; it operates under the computer-software provision of Tex. Gov't Code §81.101(c).
The $29 PDF is a worksheet showing the calculation, not a court form. It is in English.
It does not compute support above the guideline. Amounts a court may order under §154.126, depending on the income of the parties and the proven needs of the child, are for the court to decide.
Frequently asked questions
Is the CleanCalc TX worksheet a court form?
No. The PDF worksheet is an estimate, not a court form. It shows the calculation methodology. CleanCalc is not a substitute for the advice of a Texas-licensed attorney; it operates under Tex. Gov't Code §81.101(c).
Why does the OAG calculator show a different number than CleanCalc?
For a computation dated on or after September 1, 2025, the OAG's current calculator uses the same $11,700 cap (§154.125(a), as adjusted under §154.125(a-1)) and the same §154.125 percentages as CleanCalc (checked 2026-10-08), so on the same net resources the guideline figures should agree. Differences usually come from inputs: the OAG tool estimates a single source of income, and each tool computes its own federal tax figure under the §154.062(d)(2) presumption. A legacy copy of the OAG calculator, still online at a /v1 address, applies the superseded $9,200 cap; a figure from that page will be lower whenever net resources exceed $9,200.
Can a court order more than the statutory cap?
Yes, under §154.126, a Texas court may award additional support depending on the income of the parties and the proven needs of the child. This calculator computes only the §154.125 guideline figure; above-cap discretionary amounts are out of scope.
What if I have children in another relationship?
§154.128 sets out the computation for children in more than one household (the four-step credit method). Under §154.129, "in lieu of performing the computation under the preceding section, the court may" apply the multiple-family adjusted percentages instead (the chart method). The result page shows both computed amounts. Which method is used in a given case is for the court to decide; CleanCalc does not recommend either method.
I'm self-employed: does that change the calculation?
Yes. §154.065 governs self-employment net income (gross less ordinary and necessary business expenses). Under §154.065(b), the court may, in its discretion, exclude amounts allowable as depreciation or other business expenses that it finds inappropriate for setting support, so leave depreciation out of the expenses you enter and raise it with the court if it applies. For self-employment tax, this engine applies the IRC §1402(a)(12) 92.35% base, and it computes federal income tax after deducting half of self-employment tax (IRC §164(f)), as does the OAG's current calculator (checked 2026-10-14).
How does §8 spousal maintenance eligibility work?
Tex. Fam. Code §8.051 enumerates four paths: family-violence (§8.051(1)), requesting-spouse disability (§8.051(2)(A)), ten-year marriage with earning-inability (§8.051(2)(B)), and disabled-child custody (§8.051(2)(C)). The §8.051 threshold (property insufficiency for minimum reasonable needs) must also be met. CleanCalc reports element-status per path based on inputs; a Texas court determines whether any path actually applies.
What is the §8.053 'diligence' question?
Under §8.053, when the §8.051(2)(B) ten-year-marriage path is the basis for an award, Texas law applies a rebuttable presumption AGAINST maintenance unless the requesting spouse demonstrates diligence toward self-support. Whether the diligence showing has been met is a factual finding a Texas court makes on the evidence presented; this is statutory disclosure, not a roadmap for any party.
Why does Texas exclude Social Security from spousal maintenance income but include it for child support?
Tex. Fam. Code §8.055(a-1) (spousal maintenance gross income) and §154.062 (child support net resources) use different income definitions by statute. §8.055(a-1) excludes Social Security benefits, VA service-connected disability compensation, and workers' compensation; §154.062 includes them. This engine applies each statute's definition separately.
When does spousal maintenance terminate?
Under §8.056, a Texas court's maintenance order terminates earlier than the §8.054 duration cap on death of either party, remarriage of the obligee, or a court finding of qualifying cohabitation. The §8.054 cap is a maximum, not a guaranteed term. For the disability paths (§8.051(2)(A) and (C)), §8.054(b) allows maintenance for as long as the spouse continues to meet the eligibility criteria.
Is this calculator certified by the State Bar of Texas or the OAG?
No. CleanCalc is not affiliated with or endorsed by the State Bar of Texas or the OAG. It operates under Tex. Gov't Code §81.101(c), which covers computer software that clearly and conspicuously states it is not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. That statement appears in the footer of every page, on the result page, and on the PDF worksheet.
Questions that apply in every state are on the general FAQ.