Tennessee Child Support Calculator
Tennessee's Child Support Guidelines are rules of the Department of Human Services, Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1240-02-04, using an income-shares model. The current schedule took effect October 2021. This calculator follows the Department's worksheet: the Basic Child Support Obligation for both parents' combined income, the parenting time adjustment for the parent with fewer days, the self-support reserve and the shares of health insurance and childcare.
Gross income before taxes, less any credits for other children
Gross income before taxes, less any credits for other children
Out of 365; the parent with fewer days gets a credit from 92 days
For work, school or training; shared by income share
For work, school or training; shared by income share
The cost for the children in this case; shared by income share
The cost for the children in this case; shared by income share
Estimated monthly child support
Parent A (pays support)
Annual amount
Who pays
| Step | Amount |
|---|---|
| Combined monthly adjusted gross income | $8,000.00 |
| Parent A income share 62.5% of combined income | 0.63 |
| Basic child support obligation (schedule) | $984.00 |
| Parent A's share of the BCSO (fewer days: 80) | $615.00 |
| Monthly child support (rounded) Parent A pays | $615.00 |
This is a guideline estimate under Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1240-02-04; Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-5-101(e) for informational purposes only — it is not legal advice and not a substitute for the official worksheet or a family-law attorney. Courts can deviate from guideline amounts based on statutory factors, and inputs like income determination or imputed income are ultimately decided by the court.
Tennessee child support at a glance
| Model | Income shares (monthly adjusted gross income) |
| Schedule range | Up to $28,250 combined monthly income, then a percentage |
| Parenting time credit | From 92 days a year |
| Support increase | At 68 days a year or fewer |
| Children columns | One to 5 or more |
| Schedule in effect since | October 2021 |
Income and the schedule
Tennessee starts from gross income from almost any source, less self-employment tax paid and credits for other children the parent supports; this calculator takes the adjusted figure as entered. Combined income is rounded up to the next row of the schedule, which starts at $100 for combined income up to $950 and rises in $50 steps to $28,250 for one to 5 or more children. Above $28,250 a month ($339,000 a year) the obligation is the top row plus 6.81% for one child to 8.66% for five or more of the excess.
Parenting time adjustment
The guidelines assume the alternate residential parent (ARP) has the children about 80 days a year. A day is more than 12 consecutive hours in a 24-hour period. From 92 days, the BCSO is multiplied by days × .0109589 (2 ÷ 182.5), the increase is split by income share, and the primary parent's part of it is credited against the ARP's share. When the ARP has much more time and less income, the primary parent can end up paying. At 68 days or fewer, the ARP's share rises by the missing days below 69 divided by 365.
Self-support reserve and add-ons
Low-income cells of the schedule are shaded. When the paying parent's own income falls in the shaded area, the obligation is the lower of their income share and the shaded amount for their income alone, and the parenting time credit does not apply. The children's health and dental insurance premium and work-related childcare are entered for the parent who pays them; each parent owes their income share of what the other pays. The order is rounded to the nearest dollar.
Frequently asked questions
Does Tennessee use gross or net income for child support?
Gross income. It includes wages, self-employment income, bonuses, commissions, interest, pensions, Social Security, workers' compensation and alimony received from someone outside the case. Means-tested benefits such as SNAP and SSI are excluded. Credits for other children the parent supports reduce income before the schedule is used.
How many days of parenting time reduce child support in Tennessee?
92 days a year. From there the credit grows with every additional day. Below that, at 68 days or fewer, support rises slightly to reflect the lack of parenting time.
Can the parent with the children most of the time owe support in Tennessee?
Yes. When the alternate residential parent has a lot of parenting time and earns less, the primary parent's share of the extra child-rearing costs can exceed the alternate parent's share of the BCSO, and the primary parent pays the difference.
What if combined income is above $28,250 a month?
The schedule ends at $28,250 of combined monthly income ($339,000 a year). Above it, the BCSO is the top row plus 6.81% for one child to 8.66% for five or more of all income over $28,250.
What is the minimum child support in Tennessee?
The schedule's lowest amount is $100 a month, and the guidelines set a minimum order of $100 unless the parent's only income is SSI, a federal benefit for the child covers the amount, or the parenting time adjustment brings support lower. The court can set a higher or lower amount with written findings.
What does this calculator leave out?
Credits for other children, self-employment tax, recurring uninsured medical expenses, split and equal-parenting designations, non-parent caretakers, Social Security benefits for the child, the minimum order finding and deviations. The Department of Human Services publishes an official worksheet calculator.