2025 Federal Child Support Tables Update: Key Points Families Should Know
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Overview
The federal government has updated the Federal Child Support Tables, effective October 1, 2025. This is important for recipients and payors alike, as it could have a meaningful effect on the amount of child support payable, depending on the circumstances.
This is the first update to the tables since 2017, and many would say long overdue given the cost-of-living increases seen since the COVID-19 pandemic. Many feel that the cost of providing basic necessities for children has increased significantly in most markets over the past several years, but the federal government has not followed suit by updating the tables accordingly — until now.
Typically, the tables are updated approximately every five years, based on the tax rules of the year preceding the update. Under this approach, they were due to be updated in or about 2022 (based on the 2021 tax rules), but the government agreed to postpone the update because of the COVID-19 pandemic, recognizing the significant pressures the pandemic put on families and the justice system alike.
The tables are based on a mathematical formula that takes into account the paying parent’s income as well as the most recent federal and provincial tax rules to produce child support amounts reflecting capacity to pay. It is important to note that these updates are administrative in nature and simply update the monthly amounts using the existing child support formula and the most recent tax rules (i.e. 2024). The update does not constitute a new policy and remains consistent with the objectives of the federal guidelines.
What does this mean for you?
Compared to the 2017 table amounts, there are significant differences in basic child support amounts (usually decreases) at lower levels of income (i.e. between $16,000 and $45,000) versus the 2017 tables. Importantly, the base level of income that will attract a table child support obligation has been increased to $16,000 (from $13,000 in the 2017 tables). In other words, those genuinely earning less than $16,000 annually will not have a child support obligation. This is due in large part to the tax changes to the federal basic personal amount from $11,424 in 2017 to $15,000 in 2024.
For payors with annual incomes over $45,000, with one or two children, the increases and decreases are typically small — being between a 1% -2% difference.
What should I do?
It is important to note that existing child support orders or agreements will not be automatically varied or updated to reflect the new table amounts. If the updated table child support amount differs from the existing amount in the order or agreement, then you may be able to re-negotiate for the updated monthly amount. Depending on your circumstances, the updates may result in an increase in the basic table amount or a decrease. It would be worthwhile contact your lawyer about how the updates to the table amounts might affect your particular situation.
If an agreement cannot be reached on consent with your former spouse, then an application to vary child support in light of the updated child support tables may be the only other option.
[Source: Canada Gazette, Part II Vol. 159, Sept. 10, 2025 or Canada Gazette, Part 2, Volume 159, Number 19: Guidelines Amending the Federal Child Support Guidelines]
