Form 14 Child Support Amount Calculation Worksheet (Page 39 of 41) in pdf

Form 14 Child Support Amount Calculation Worksheet Page 39

ASSUMPTIONS

The relevant factors and assumptions used to calculate the child support guidelines

include:

(1) There is no evidence that the expenditure patterns of parents in Missouri differ

significantly from national estimates of child-rearing costs.

(2) The schedule of basic child support obligations is based on the income shares

model, which seeks to apportion to the child the amount that the parents would have

spent if the household were intact.

(3) All parental income is treated as earned income subject to federal and state

withholding and FICA taxes.

(4) The schedule of basic child support obligations is prepared by converting net

income to gross income using withholding tables for a single person.

(5) Net income is gross income less adjustments for federal, state and social

securit

y taxes.

(6) Conversion of net income to gross income assumes one exemption and the standard

deduction.

(7) The sch

edule of basic child support obligations assumes that the parent entitled

to receive support claims the tax exemption for the children entitled to support.

The schedule of basic child support obligations is based upon economic estimates of child-rearing costs as a proportion of

household spending from national data compiled by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics in the annual Consumer

Expenditure Survey from 1996 to 1999, which is the most current economic data available.

The income data from the Consumer Expenditure Survey, which was specified in constant 1997 dollars, was updated using

statistics on changes in the consumer price index. Additionally, the schedule of basic child support obligations reflects the federal

and Missouri personal income tax rates in 2004.

In 1993, 1997, 2001 and, again, in 2004, the self-support reserve in the schedule of basic child support obligations was

reviewed for changes in the federal poverty guidelines caused by inflation. The self-support reserve in the attached schedule of

Form 14 Child Support Amount Calculation Worksheet Page 39