How South Carolina Calculates Child Support: Worksheet A
South Carolina adds both parents’ gross incomes, reads the basic obligation in the DSS schedule, adds health insurance and child care, and has the obligor pay his or her income share, with credit for what he or she pays directly.
Step 1: Gross income
Gross income is income from any source: salaries, wages, commissions, bonuses, rents less allowable business expenses, dividends, severance, pensions, interest, trust income, annuities, capital gains, Social Security (but not SSI), workers’ compensation, unemployment, veterans’ benefits and alimony. It excludes means-tested public assistance, income of other household members and in-kind income, with exceptions for significant business reimbursements (Regulation 114-4720). The court may impute income to a parent who is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed.
Step 2: Deductions and credits
Subtract alimony or child support actually paid under an earlier court order. Alimony awarded in this case is deducted from the payer and counted as the recipient’s income. A parent with additional natural or adopted children in the home gets a credit equal to 75% of the schedule amount for those children at his or her own income. A $5,000 obligor with one other child at home has a credit of $610.50 and the order falls to $879; $1,000 of alimony paid in the case lowers it to $767.
Step 3: The schedule
Add the adjusted incomes and read the DSS Schedule of Basic Child Support Obligations for the number of children. Where the combined income falls between rows the court is encouraged to extrapolate upward, so the next $50 row is used (schedule).
Step 4: Add-ons and shares
Add the part of the health insurance premium that covers the children and the work-related child care cost, net of the federal and state tax credit, to the basic obligation. Divide the total by each parent’s income share and give the obligor credit for what he or she pays directly. With a $250 premium paid by the obligor the order is $865, and with $600 of child care paid by the custodial parent $1,334.
A worked example
Two children; the custodial parent earns $3,000 a month and the obligor $5,000.
| Step | Amount |
|---|---|
| Gross monthly income: custodial / obligor | $3,000 / $5,000 |
| Combined gross income | $8,000 |
| Income shares | 37.5% / 62.5% |
| Basic obligation for two children (schedule) | $1,534 |
| Obligor’s 62.5% share | $958.75 |
| Monthly child support | $959 |
With one child the amount is $647 and with three $1,128. The South Carolina child support calculator reproduces these.
What to gather
Pay records and tax returns, orders for other support, insurance premium statements and child care invoices.
The $250 medical amount
The schedule includes $250 a year per child for uninsured medical expenses; reasonable and necessary unreimbursed expenses above that are divided pro rata by income share.
Frequently asked questions
What income does South Carolina use for child support?
Gross monthly income from any source, less other support paid and the credit for other children in the home.
How does South Carolina credit other children in the home?
75% of the schedule amount for those children at the parent's own income is subtracted from that parent's gross income.
Is child care added to South Carolina child support?
Yes, net of the federal and state tax credit, it is added to the basic obligation and shared by income.
How does South Carolina handle combined income between schedule rows?
The court is encouraged to extrapolate upward, using the next higher row.
Is South Carolina child support presumed correct?
Yes. A different amount needs a showing that the guidelines are inappropriate and written findings.
Official sources
- Regulation 114-4710 to 114-4750: South Carolina Child Support Guidelines (2024)
- DSS Schedule of Basic Support Obligations (with the self-support reserve shaded)
- SC DSS: child support guidelines page
A local family law attorney can review your situation — many offer a free consultation.
This is general information, not legal advice. It is based on the cited South Carolina statutes, rules and court opinions, and every case turns on its own facts. Confirm how the law applies to your situation with a licensed South Carolina attorney.