What are the 2025 SNAP deductions used to calculate net income?
Executive summary
SNAP calculates a household’s net monthly income by subtracting a set of allowable deductions — notably a 20% earned income deduction, a standard deduction (amount varies by household size), dependent care, medical (with special rules for elderly/disabled), legally obligated child support, and a shelter deduction (including a standard utility allowance option) — from gross income [1] [2] [3]. States apply those federal rules to compute net income and then subtract 30% of net income from the maximum allotment to get the monthly benefit [2] [4].
1. What “deductions” means in practice — the headline list
SNAP counts “net income” as gross income minus allowable deductions; the core deductions consistently listed across federal and state guidance are: a 20% earned income deduction, a standard deduction that varies by household size, dependent care expenses, medical expenses (above a small threshold for elderly/disabled), legally obligated child support payments, and shelter costs (rent/mortgage plus utilities or an SUA) [1] [2] [3]. State guides echo this sequence and show the same mechanics — subtract deductions, take 30% of the remainder as the household’s expected food contribution, then apply the maximum allotment rules [5] [4].
2. The big-ticket items that change benefit size
The 20% earned income deduction and the standard deduction are automatic and affect most working households; the standard deduction amounts differ by household size and are published each fiscal year (examples and amounts for FY2026 are provided by CBPP and USDA tables) [2] [3]. Shelter costs — rent or mortgage plus utilities — often produce the largest additional deduction for families with high housing costs; states may use a Standard Utility Allowance (SUA) rather than verifying actual bills [2] [3].
3. Medical, dependent care and child support — seldom-used but critical for some
Medical expense deductions apply mainly to elderly or disabled members and are counted after a small out-of-pocket threshold; dependent care and legally obligated child support are allowed but claimed by relatively small shares of households, yet they can materially reduce net income for those who have them [2] [6]. CBPP notes medical, dependent care and child support deductions are claimed by small shares of households [2].
4. Calculation steps and the 30% rule
All sources show the same arithmetic: start with gross monthly income, subtract applicable deductions to arrive at net income, then the program treats 30% of net income as the household’s assumed monthly contribution to food; the monthly SNAP benefit equals the maximum allotment for the household size minus that 30% contribution [2] [4]. Net income also must be at or below the poverty line for final eligibility after deductions in many cases [7] [3].
5. Where state practice and federal tables interact
USDA sets federal deduction categories and publishes annual maximum allotments, SUAs and income eligibility standards for the fiscal year; states implement those rules and may choose an SUA in place of actual utility verification [3] [2]. State web pages (for example Massachusetts and Connecticut) walk applicants through the same deductions and the sequence of subtraction, illustrating how local caseworkers apply federal rules in practice [5] [6].
6. Common misunderstandings and what sources don’t say
Many summaries omit the precise dollar values of the standard deduction and SUAs for the current year; those numeric tables are in USDA print tables and CBPP’s FY2026 guide but specific state SUAs and household-by-household dollar examples vary by jurisdiction and are shown in state materials [2] [3]. Available sources do not mention any new, different 2025 deductions beyond this longstanding set; summaries and calculators reiterate the same categories [1] [4]. If you need the exact standard deduction dollar for your household size or your state’s SUA, consult the USDA tables or your state SNAP office referenced in these federal pages [3] [5].
7. Practical takeaway for applicants and advisors
To estimate SNAP eligibility and benefit, subtract allowable deductions (start with the 20% earned income and the standard deduction, then add actual dependent care, eligible medical costs for elderly/disabled, child support paid, and excess shelter costs or an SUA) to get net income; expect 30% of that net to be treated as your food share, which is subtracted from the maximum allotment [1] [2] [4]. For precise dollar amounts and any state-specific options (like SUAs or income exclusions), use USDA’s FY2026 tables and your state SNAP office materials [3] [5].