Calculation is client-side, income figures are never transmitted or stored.
How Vermont Child Support Is Calculated
- Add both parents' after-tax (available) monthly income to get combined available income, then look up Vermont's Table of Intact Family Expenditures on Children for the total number of children.
- Each parent's share of that amount is their percentage of combined available income.
- The noncustodial parent's support payable may not exceed their income available for support (their own after-tax income minus the Self-Support Reserve, currently $1,596/month) -- the LESSER of the prorated share or this available-income figure is the final amount.
- This calculator models Sole Custody only. Split Custody and Shared Custody use different calculations, not modeled here.
Vermont Child Support Worksheet Walkthrough
Example: Parent A has after-tax monthly income of $1,700, Parent B has after-tax monthly income of $5,000 (combined $6,700). There are two children, who live primarily with Parent B.
- Combined available monthly income: $1,700 + $5,000 = $6,700.
- Table of Intact Family Expenditures at $6,700 combined, two children: $1,855.
- Parent A's income share: $1,700 / $6,700 = 25.4%. Prorated share: $1,855 x 25.4% = $471.
- Income available for support: $1,700 - $1,596 (Self-Support Reserve) = $104.
- Since $104 is lower than $471, Parent A pays $104/month.
How This Calculator Works — Formula & Constants
Source: Vermont Office of Child Support (OCS) — 15 V.S.A. §§ 654, 656 · Calcul déterministe — no AI, no arbitrary estimate.
Constants used
| Constant | Value | Source |
|---|
Formula
base_obligation = schedule_lookup(combined_income, children)
share_B = parentB_income / combined_income
total_obligation = base_obligation + childcare_cost + health_insurance_cost
obligation_B = total_obligation × share_B
Deterministic calculation based on Vermont's official guideline schedule table. Verify against Vermont's official calculator for a court-ready figure.
FAQ
How is child support calculated in Vermont?
Add both parents' after-tax (available) monthly income to get combined available income, then look up Vermont's Table of Intact Family Expenditures on Children for the total number of children. Each parent's share of that amount is their percentage of combined available income. The noncustodial parent's support payable may not exceed their income available for support (their own after-tax income minus the Self-Support Reserve, currently $1,596/month) -- the LESSER of the prorated share or this available-income figure is the final amount. This calculator models Sole Custody only. Split Custody and Shared Custody use different calculations, not modeled here.
Does Vermont use gross or after-tax income?
After-tax (available) income. Vermont's worksheet converts each parent's gross income to after-tax income using its own Tax Conversion Table before applying the guideline schedule -- this calculator asks for after-tax income directly rather than reproducing that conversion step.
What is Vermont's Self-Support Reserve?
A monthly amount (currently $1,596, updated periodically) that the noncustodial parent's own after-tax income should not fall below due to a support payment. The worksheet automatically caps support payable at the paying parent's income minus this reserve, if that figure is lower than their prorated share of the combined obligation.
How does shared or split custody change Vermont child support?
Split Custody (each parent has sole custody of at least one child) requires two worksheets whose results are offset against each other. Shared Custody (both parents have substantial time) adds further adjustments for the cost of maintaining two households. Both differ from the standard Sole Custody calculation this calculator models.
Methodology & Source
Formula model: income shares. Effective 2024-01-02, guideline version 2024-VT-v1, last reviewed 2026-07-13.
Official source: Vermont Office of Child Support (OCS) — 15 V.S.A. §§ 654, 656 (15 V.S.A. §§ 654, 656).
Income figures in this calculator are treated as already AFTER-TAX/available monthly income (not gross) -- Vermont's own worksheet converts gross to after-tax income via a separate Tax Conversion Table before this step, which this calculator does not reproduce; enter your already-known after-tax monthly income for the most accurate estimate. This calculator models Sole Custody only. Split Custody (each parent has sole custody of at least one child, an offset between two theoretical worksheets) and Shared Custody (additional adjustments for maintaining two households) use different calculations and are not modeled here. Above $30,024.99/month combined available income, Vermont's table does not extend automatically -- courts determine the amount case-by-case.
Guideline figures transcribed from the primary source above and cross-checked against Vermont's official calculator/worksheet for multiple test scenarios — see our verification methodology.