Is Employment Bonus Included in Vancouver Child Support?

Vancouver Child Support family lawyers would agree that when it comes to law, in most situations just apply your common sense. You don’t need to know exactly what the law says. Just imagine what a reasonable person would do. So when it comes to employment bonuses, should they be included in your income for Vancouver child support purposes?

Vancouver Child Support Lawyers Explain the Child Support Law/Logic

As in most cases, it depends:

1. Do you get bonuses every year and the amount similar or comparable over the years? or
2. Did you just get a huge bonus because this year you brought so much money your company had to appreciate your work and give you something you’ll never forget?

If your answer is #1, you bet your bonus will be included in calculations for Vancouver child support. Why? Because that is income that is consistently available throughout the years, and if it is, children have the right to some of it for their own expenses. Why? because they didn’t ask to be brought to the world and now they will need your support until they become adults and independent; the way life works with all humans and animals.

If your answer is #2, then maybe for the year you got the bonus your income will be calculated and BC child support will be based on including that; but in the following year if you do not get a large bonus, your income will be adjusted to deduct the amount of bonus you got the previous year.

But if the trend of bonus is consistent from year to year, there won’t be a review. Your income will be consistently based on your employment income. Your bonus and small fluctuations in annual bonuses won’t be basis for adjusting your income from year to year.

Other Incomes that can be included in Vancouver Child Support Income – BC Child Support Lawyer Explains

1. RRSPs can we included if you cash some out every year. But if it’s just a one off thing, they probably won’t be included in income for BC child support purposes.
2. Rental Income: can be included but remember to deduct all your expenses from your gross rental income. The net rental income will be included.
3. Dividends: if you get paid in dividends instead of wages, your dividends will be your income and sometimes ‘grossed up’ because you pay less taxes on dividends than you do on wage income.
4. Corporate income: will be added to your wages if the corporation is yours or you are shareholder. This topic is very complex because retained earnings may be included or excluded and some of corporate expenses are legitimate and some get added back to corporate income if they are not legitimate for Vancouver child support income purposes.

Last but not least, to calculate child support based on your income in Vancouver , click here.

Child Support is a very complex area of family law in Vancouver and there are many ways to include or exclude different types of income in it. It is important that you consult with a BC Child Support Lawyer to know your rights better. Call our award-winning law firm at 604-974-9529 to set up a consultation.