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Initial Configuration
IHSS Calculator Pro ✦ Wizard
Answer a few questions to configure your calculator
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Step 1 of 5
Your Provider Info
This will be pre-filled on every timesheet so you never have to enter it again.
Step 2 of 5
How many recipients do you work for?
This determines your weekly maximum hours and how your timesheet is laid out.
One Recipient
Weekly max = your authorized hours ÷ 4
Two Recipients
Weekly max = 66 hours combined
Step 3 of 5
Do you have a 66-hour weekly exemption?
IHSS providers working for two or more recipients are normally limited to 66 combined hours per week. An approved exemption raises this limit to 90 hours per week.
No Exemption
Standard 66h/week combined limit applies. Based on IHSS's official ÷ 4 formula, each recipient's monthly hours should be approximately 132h or less.
Yes — Exemption Approved
Weekly combined limit increases to 90h, up to 360h per month combined. Monthly authorized hours for each recipient are still determined by their individual NOA.
Exemptions are granted for live-in family providers or extraordinary circumstances. Contact your county IHSS office if unsure.
Step 3 of 5
Are you a live-in family provider with tax-exempt status?
Live-in providers who care for a recipient in the same home may qualify to have their IHSS wages excluded from federal and state income tax.
Yes — Tax Exempt
My IHSS wages are excluded from federal and state income tax.
No
Standard tax withholding applies to my wages.
🎉
Congratulations!
As a live-in family provider, your IHSS wages are excluded from federal and state income tax — which means you get to keep more money at home, where it matters most, caring for your recipient.
Step 4 of 5
Monthly Authorized Hours
Check your IHSS authorization letter. Hours are shown in H:MM format (e.g. 278:48).
:
📄 The hours you enter must match exactly what's shown on your IHSS Notice of Action (NOA) letter. Do not estimate. If you don't have your NOA, contact your county IHSS office before proceeding.
💡 Your authorized hours include minutes.
It's a good idea to add all the minutes to one pay period for consistency, rather than trying to split them evenly. Which period should get the extra minutes?
1st–15th
16th–End
⚠️ Always select the same option every time you use the calculator. Switching between periods will cause your total hours to exceed your monthly authorization.
Step 5 of 5
Your Current Pay Rate
Enter your current hourly rate. The overtime premium rate (½ of base) will be calculated automatically.
✦ You're Almost There
Clicking Unlock the IHSS Calculator will open your personalized IHSS Unlocked calculator with all your settings applied. It may look like a lot at first — that's completely normal. There are a few moving parts.

You've got two resources to help: the Step-by-Step Calculator User Guide for a full walkthrough, and the ✦ Pro Tip inside the calculator to help you plan your first pay period with confidence.
© 2026 IHSSUnlocked.com — All rights reserved.
The IHSS Unlocked Calculator is registered with the U.S. Copyright Office.
Step 5 of 5
Do you claim travel time?
Travel time between your home and your recipient's location. Maximum 7 hours per work week.
Yes
Add a travel time tracker with 7hr weekly alert
No
Skip travel time tracking entirely

✓ Confirm Your Settings

ST $00.00 · OT +$00.00
Select month and period — dates and weeks fill in automatically
Weekly Timesheet

✦ Pro Tip — How to Plan Your Pay Period

Step 1 — Start with your middle week

Your middle week is usually the only full 7-day week in the pay period. Fill it first with a round, even number of hours per day. Based on your authorized hours, a good starting point is 9 hours per day — that's 63 hours for the full week.

Now go do that — then come back here to your ✦ Pro Tip for Step 2.

Step 2 — Fill the other weeks the same way

Use the same daily starting number for the other weeks. Then nudge individual days up or down by an hour or two until your period total hits your period max exactly. Your goal is — for this period — no hours left on the table.

Why this works

Consistent daily hours look exactly like what they are — structured, quality care. Spreading evenly also keeps your weekly totals naturally under your weekly max without having to think about it. Dramatic week-to-week swings can trigger an IHSS usage review.

⚠ February heads-up

February has fewer days, which pushes your daily hours higher to hit your period max. This can bump your weekly totals closer to the weekly max. Watch the weekly alert more closely in February and adjust individual days down if needed.

Period Summary
Pay Calculation
Estimated Check
Pay Period: —
$0.00
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📱 Saving from mobile? Print is not supported in mobile browsers. To save your timesheet, take a screenshot of each week and the pay calculation below.

💡 Let's Figure This Out

ℹ️ Claimed Hours (Carried Over)

Two Purposes

The Claimed Hours field serves two important functions at the same time:

1. Weekly OT Threshold

Overtime kicks in after 40 hours in a work week (Sunday–Saturday). If you worked hours in the prior pay period that fell in this same calendar week, those hours count toward your 40h OT threshold. Enter them here so your OT is calculated correctly.

2. Weekly Maximum Cap

For two-recipient providers, your combined weekly hours cannot exceed your cap (e.g. 66h, or your approved exemption limit). Claimed hours count toward this combined total too — so entering them here keeps your weekly max alert accurate.

What to Enter

Enter the hours and minutes you worked during the last week of the previous pay period. If your first day of this pay period is a Sunday, there are no carried-over hours — enter 0. Always enter something, even if it's 0 — this turns the bar green and confirms the field has been acknowledged.

ℹ️ How IHSS Calculates Your Pay

Hours and Minutes Are Calculated Separately

IHSS does not convert your total time to a decimal. Instead, your hours and minutes are multiplied by your pay rate independently, then added together.

Hours × Rate = Hours Pay
Minutes ÷ 60 × Rate = Minutes Pay
Hours Pay + Minutes Pay = Total Pay

Overtime Premium — Not the Traditional Time and a Half. Let Me Explain...

IHSS overtime is calculated as your base rate plus a ½ premium on top — not the traditional "time and a half" in one calculation. You get paid your full base rate for all hours and minutes, then an additional ½ rate for OT hours and minutes only. I know it's confusing. The outcome is the same, just done the IHSS way.

All hours & minutes × [your rate] = Regular Pay
OT hours & minutes × [½ your rate] (½ premium) = OT Premium
Regular Pay + OT Premium = Check Total

OT Threshold — 40 Hours Per Week

Overtime kicks in after 40 hours in a single work week (Sunday–Saturday). This is why accurately accounting for carried-over time is so important — even a few unclaimed hours can affect whether overtime is triggered.

Pay Period Split

Your monthly authorized hours are divided into two pay periods: the 1st–15th and the 16th through end of month. If your authorized hours include minutes, it's easiest to add all the minutes to one period rather than splitting them.