What income information is needed to calculate child support?
The payor parent usually has to give detailed information about their income and share, for example:
- income tax returns
- statements of earnings from employers
- financial statements if the parent owns a business
The other parent might have to share the same information. For example, if there are special or extraordinary expenses. Or if they have shared or split parenting time.
Imputing income
If a parent does not agree with what the payor parent says their income is, they can go to court and ask a judge to decide an amount for the payor parent’s income. For example, if the payor parent:
- does not share information about their income
- is self-employed or is being paid in cash, and there is reason to believe they do not report all of their income
The judge might decide an amount for the payor parent’s income that is reasonable based on things such as the parent’s work history, past income, and education. This is called imputing income. The judge applies the Table to that income.
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