Author Topic: Calculating commission based job  (Read 9894 times)

tris135a

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Calculating commission based job
« on: April 07, 2015, 11:48:40 PM »
I lost my job a month ago and I've been actively looking for another job.  If I go work in sales at a car dealership how would my income be calculated if the majority of my income is commission based?  Let's assume the dealership pays a base salary of minimum wage and the rest of my income would be commission. 


BMull

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Re: Calculating commission based job
« Reply #1 on: April 13, 2015, 10:09:03 PM »
I don't think a commissions-based job would be treated any different than a tip-based or seasonal business.  The only real way I can think of to determine the actual income is watch it for a year to determine the monthly income.  However, in the absence of a year's worth of income, a few months worth could be used.  So, for instance if you made $1000/mo for a few months and then calculated your child support, it would be based on $1000/month income.

Some dealerships will pay a higher starting hourly wage since they know salesmen will take a couple months to get their feet wet.  But, if you make greater than the full-time equivalent at that hourly wage, you take home only the commissions. 

tris135a

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Re: Calculating commission based job
« Reply #2 on: June 06, 2015, 03:06:42 PM »
Ok so back to this topic...

Does anyone have anymore insight about how they'll determine my child support numbers?  Just got a job at a dealership.  I've been unemployed for about 3 months, collecting unemployment, for about two months.  So will they take what I was making with my previous salary job and unemployment for the last 12 months and average it?  Because I haven't started my sales job yet and obviously there is no income from sales to base numbers off of yet. 

I pay a pretty crazy monthly amount right now and I'm interested in getting those numbers reworked to see if it makes a difference especially being unemployed a few months. 

My previous job was salaried and I was paid weekly.  They just took a weekly amount out.  How do they take child support out with a commission based job if say I have a really good month and can cover the child support and then a really bad month and couldn't cover it? 

Guru

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Re: Calculating commission based job
« Reply #3 on: June 07, 2015, 09:49:09 PM »
If you got laid off and didn't get fired from you previous job for nonperformance or something like that, the previous job shouldn't factor in.  They would probably just take your latest check.  Of course they might ask you what you "expect" to make in commissions, which is a rather silly question.  Ask someone if its going to rain tomorrow, who knows.  So I guess my answer is they would use your latest check amount and multiply it by how many checks you should receive in a year's time.

Keep mind that parents are supposed to notify of a change in circumstances such as income.  Since you have this job, you might need to notify the opposing attorney of your change.  They might ask you for your pay stubs.  You are also entitled to her pay stubs, so make sure to ask for them to ensure everything is fair.  Then you could use the free child support calculator to determine how much you might pay.

tris135a

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Re: Calculating commission based job
« Reply #4 on: June 08, 2015, 05:16:43 PM »
I was let go after the company I was working for was bought out.  I was not retained in the transition.  By what you are saying the previous income data from my last job is now (or should be) irrelevant.

I don't start till next Monday.  Two weeks training then I'll be able to sell.  Since a paycheck is still a ways away at what point do I try and get the numbers reworked?  I don't want to keep being responsible for the amount I currently owe based on data that isn't current. 

Can you address this question as well from my previous email message?
My previous job was salaried and I was paid weekly.  They just took a weekly amount out.  How do they take child support out with a commission based job if say I have a really good month and can cover the child support and then a really bad month and couldn't cover it?

Guru

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Re: Calculating commission based job
« Reply #5 on: June 09, 2015, 06:39:27 PM »
I would assume the way they would do it is calculate how much should be taken from a weekly paycheck to pay your support.  Federal laws will not let them take more than 50%-60% of your check though.  So, if your check is short, you just get a little behind in child support and they make take a little more on the next check.  I think it depends somewhat on your employer.

If you've ever seen an income withholding order from the trustee, you'll see that there is a box they check to determine how much they can take as the maximum.  They can't take your entire check by federal law.