Section 388-14A-3205. How does DCS calculate my income?

(1) The division of child support (DCS) calculates a parent's income using the best available information. In the absence of records of a parent's actual earnings, DCS and/or the administrative law judge (ALJ) may impute a parent's income under RCW 26.19.071(6) in the following order of priority:

(a) Full-time earnings at the current rate of pay;

(b) Full-time earnings at the historical rate of pay based on reliable information, such as employment security department data;

(c) Full-time earnings at a past rate of pay where information is incomplete or sporadic;

(d) Full-time earnings at minimum wage in the jurisdiction where the parent resides if the parent has a recent history of minimum wage earnings, is recently coming off public assistance, disability lifeline benefits, supplemental security income, or disability, has recently been released from incarceration, or is a high school student or recent high school graduate; or

(e) Median net monthly income of year-round full-time workers as derived from the United States bureau of census, current population reports.

(2) DCS and the ALJ impute full time earnings at the minimum wage to a TANF recipient in the absence of actual income information. You may rebut the imputation of income if you are excused from being required to work while receiving TANF, because:

(a) You are either engaged in other qualifying WorkFirst activities which do not generate income, such as job search; or

(b) You are excused or exempt from being required to work in order to receive TANF, because of other barriers such as family violence or mental health issues.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 26.09.105(17), 26.18.170(19), 26.23.050(8), 26.23.110(14), 34.05.020, 34.05.060, 34.05.220, 74.08.090, 74.20.040, 74.20A.055(9), and 74.20A.056(11). WSR 11-12-006, § 388-14A-3205, filed 5/19/11, effective 6/19/11. Statutory Authority: 2007 c 143, §§ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 9. WSR 08-12-029, § 388-14A-3205, filed 5/29/08, effective 7/1/08. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 34.05.310 (4)(d), 34.05.220(1), 74.20A.055, 74.20A.056. WSR 03-20-072, § 388-14A-3205, filed 9/29/03, effective 10/30/03. Statutory Authority: RCW 34.05.220(1), 74.08.090, 74.20A.055, 74.20A.056. WSR 00-15-016 and 00-20-022, § 388-14A-3205, filed 7/10/00 and 9/25/00, effective 11/6/00. Formerly WAC 388-11-205.]

RCW 26.09.105(17), 26.18.170(19), 26.23.050(8), 26.23.110(14), 34.05.020, 34.05.060, 34.05.220, 74.08.090, 74.20.040, 74.20A.055(9), and 74.20A.056(11). WSR 11-12-006, § 388-14A-3205, filed 5/19/11, effective 6/19/11. Statutory Authority: 2007 c 143, §§ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 9. WSR 08-12-029, § 388-14A-3205, filed 5/29/08, effective 7/1/08. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 34.05.310 (4)(d), 34.05.220(1), 74.20A.055, 74.20A.056. WSR 03-20-072, § 388-14A-3205, filed 9/29/03, effective 10/30/03. Statutory Authority: RCW 34.05.220(1), 74.08.090, 74.20A.055, 74.20A.056. WSR 00-15-016 and 00-20-022, § 388-14A-3205, filed 7/10/00 and 9/25/00, effective 11/6/00. Formerly WAC 388-11-205.