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Updated for H.B. 1662, effective July 1, 2026

Mississippi Child Support Calculator 2026

Use Mississippi adjusted gross income and the current percentage schedule, including the equal-time offset enacted for covered orders in July 2026.

Reviewed by SupportDecode Editorial Team Page content reviewed Sources Methodology Update log

child support calculator

Parenting arrangement
Which calculation applies?

The equal-time offset took effect July 1, 2026 for covered initial custody orders. It does not apply automatically to modifications.

Monthly adjusted gross income

Use income after the specific deductions in § 43-19-101(3), including mandatory taxes and existing court-ordered support. This is not take-home pay.

Required for the 2026 equal-parenting-time offset. For the ordinary one-obligor calculation, this amount does not change the statutory percentage.

Presumptive monthly child support: $800.00

The paying parent pays this amount to the receiving parent each month.

How this estimate was computed
Line itemAmount
20% guideline for 2 childrenApplied to the paying parent monthly adjusted gross income.Miss. Code § 43-19-101 child-support award guidelines, as amended by H.B. 1067 (2022) (Mississippi Legislature)$800.00

Assumptions

  • The income entered is adjusted gross income after the deductions allowed by Miss. Code § 43-19-101(3); this engine does not estimate those deductions from gross wages.
  • The statutory percentage is a rebuttable presumption. A court may deviate using the criteria in § 43-19-103 and must make findings where required.

Estimate only. The court or state agency calculation controls.

Mississippi guidelines, effective 2026-07-01.

How Mississippi calculates child support

Mississippi starts with the paying parent monthly adjusted gross income. The guideline is 14 percent for 1 child, 20 percent for 2, 22 percent for 3, 24 percent for 4, and 26 percent for 5 or more.

Adjusted gross income is not the same as gross pay or take-home pay. Section 43-19-101 lists the allowed deductions, including mandatory taxes and existing court-ordered support. Enter that legal worksheet figure directly.

A law effective July 1, 2026 added a specific rule for joint custody with equally shared parenting time. The court calculates the guideline for each parent, subtracts the smaller result, and orders the higher-income parent to pay the difference.

The percentages are rebuttable. A judge can deviate using the statutory criteria. Annual adjusted gross income below $10,000 or above $100,000 requires a written finding about whether the guideline remains reasonable.

Model
Percentage of adjusted gross incomesource
Rates
14% / 20% / 22% / 24% / 26%source
Equal-time rule
Two awards, then offset the differencesource
New rule effective
July 1, 2026source

Worked example: equal time, 2 children

  1. Parent A has $5,000 in monthly adjusted gross income. At 20 percent, the award is $1,000.
  2. Parent B has $3,000. At 20 percent, the award is $600.
  3. The 2026 equal-time rule subtracts $600 from $1,000. Parent A pays the $400 difference.

The steps above follow the calculation method described on our methodology page.

Use the estimate carefully

Choose the parenting arrangement, enter both monthly adjusted gross incomes, and select the number of children. The ordinary calculation uses the named paying parent. The equal-time choice runs both parents and offsets the answers.

The equal-time option is for the rule in H.B. 1662. Its custody presumption applies to covered initial orders, not modifications. A court may also deviate when the child best interest requires it.

What this estimate includes

  • Every statutory percentage band
  • The July 2026 equal-time offset
  • The high-income and low-income written-finding warning

What it leaves out

  • Converting gross wages into adjusted gross income
  • Section 43-19-103 deviations
  • Medical support and arrears

Mississippi child support calculator FAQs

What percentage is child support in Mississippi?

The guideline is 14 percent for 1 child, 20 percent for 2, 22 percent for 3, 24 percent for 4, and 26 percent for 5 or more children.

What changed on July 1, 2026?

H.B. 1662 added a calculation for joint custody with equally shared parenting time. Each parent is calculated as an obligor, and the higher-income parent pays the difference.

Does the equal-time rule apply to an old order?

The new custody presumption applies to covered initial temporary and initial final orders entered after July 1, 2026. The law says it does not apply to modifications.

What is adjusted gross income?

It is expected income from the sources listed in section 43-19-101 after specified deductions, including mandatory taxes and qualifying existing support. It is not simply net pay.

Does the other parent income matter?

It does in an equal-parenting-time offset because both awards are calculated. In the ordinary one-obligor percentage, the guideline starts with the obligor adjusted gross income.

Can a judge change the guideline amount?

Yes. The schedule is a rebuttable presumption, and section 43-19-103 lists deviation criteria. The judge must make findings to support a different amount.

Good to know in Mississippi

  • Many pages still show only the traditional one-obligor percentage. They miss the H.B. 1662 equal-time calculation now in effect.
  • Mississippi keeps child support in force beyond age 18 in some circumstances. The order and emancipation rules control duration.

Official sources

Official sources last verified: .

Changelog: page reviewed . Material changes appear in the update log.