Georgia Child Support Calculator (2026)

How Georgia calculates child support

Georgia’s guideline is in O.C.G.A. Section 19-6-15. It uses an income-shares model: the parents’ adjusted gross incomes are added together, the Basic Child Support Obligation (BCSO) is read from the table for the number of children, and each parent receives a percentage share based on income. The noncustodial parent pays their share of the basic obligation.

The BCSO table was updated effective July 1, 2024, and runs from $800 to $40,000 of combined adjusted gross income in $50 brackets. The 2026 update did not replace the table; it changed the parenting-time rules and the worksheet. That is why a current Georgia calculation needs both the table and the 2026 Schedule C adjustment.

The guideline amount is presumptive, but the court can deviate for the special circumstances listed in the statute. The final order must include findings that explain the deviation. A calculator can show the presumptive amount, not the court’s exercise of discretion.

Adjusted gross income

Georgia starts with monthly gross income from wages, salaries, overtime, bonuses, commissions, self-employment, and other recurring sources. It then subtracts one-half of self-employment taxes, preexisting child support orders, and theoretical child support for other qualified children if the court allows it. The result is adjusted gross income, which is the input for the BCSO table.

Adjusted gross income is not the same as the federal adjusted gross income on a tax return. It is a child-support-specific measure. If you enter net take-home pay, the estimate will be too low because the table expects income before the standard payroll deductions.

For a self-employed parent, the court can review business expenses and may impute income if the reported income does not reflect the parent’s earning capacity. The number you enter should be the number you expect the court to accept, not the most favorable interpretation.

The 2026 parenting-time adjustment

Georgia’s 2026 calculator replaces the old parenting-time deviation with a parenting-time adjustment on Schedule C. The noncustodial parent’s parenting days are entered, and the calculator assigns the remaining days to the custodial parent. The adjustment can change the presumptive amount when the noncustodial parent has significant time with the child.

This page covers the basic obligation only. The model treats Parent A as the noncustodial parent with no parenting days. If the child spends significant time with both parents, use the official Georgia calculator. In a shared-parenting case, the basic number can overstate the transfer.

Add-ons and low-income adjustment

Basic support does not include health insurance, work-related childcare, dental, vision, or extracurricular expenses. Georgia’s worksheet adds those costs and allocates them between the parents. The court can also apply a low-income adjustment when the noncustodial parent’s income is below the threshold in the statute.

The calculator does not apply the low-income adjustment or the add-ons. If either parent is near the low-income threshold, or if childcare or health insurance is a significant expense, the official calculator is the better tool.

A Georgia example at $8,000 combined

Using $5,000 for Parent A and $3,000 for Parent B in monthly adjusted gross income, the combined figure is $8,000. The BCSO table gives a basic obligation of $1,150. Parent A’s 62.5% share of that figure is $719 per month.

The number leaves out the parenting-time adjustment, health insurance, childcare, the low-income adjustment, and any deviation. It is a guideline starting point, not the court’s order.

What the Georgia estimate leaves out

• The 2026 parenting-time adjustment on Schedule C.
• Health insurance, dental, and vision premiums.
• Work-related childcare and after-school care.
• Extracurricular activities and school expenses.
• The low-income adjustment.
• Deviations for special needs, extraordinary expenses, or other factors listed in the statute.
• Past-due support, interest, and credits for benefits paid to the child.

The table can only be as accurate as the income figure behind it. A self-employed or irregular-income parent may have income adjusted before the table is applied; voluntary underemployment can also lead to imputed income. That adjustment can move the result more than the table itself.

When Georgia’s official calculator is the better choice

The Georgia Child Support Commission publishes the official online calculator and the Excel workbook. The calculator walks through Schedule A (gross income), Schedule B (adjusted income), Schedule C (parenting time), Schedule D (add-ons), and Schedule E (deviations). It produces a worksheet that can be filed with the court.

A family law attorney is the right next step if the parents disagree about income, parenting days, or add-ons. The guideline is the starting point; the court’s order is what controls.

Frequently asked questions