Number format: this calculator uses German notation throughout — a comma is the decimal separator and a dot groups thousands. “1.234,56” means one thousand two hundred thirty-four euros and fifty-six cents. The figures come from German tax law, so they are shown the way German authorities write them.
Parental allowance (Elterngeld)
Elterngeld replaces part of the net income you lose after a birth. This calculator works out the replacement rate (65–100 %), the basic Elterngeld, the sibling bonus and multiple-birth supplement, and ElterngeldPlus. It uses the net pay from the BMF-verified wage tax model as its base — the official Elterngeld uses a standardised net figure and may differ slightly.
Your Elterngeld per month
1.280,18 €
Basic Elterngeld per full month of life with no income of your own. ElterngeldPlus: 640,09 € per month over twice the period.
| Gross pay per month | 3.000,00 € | |
|---|---|---|
| − one twelfth of the employee standard deduction | −102,50 € | § 2c Abs. 1 BEEG |
| − taxes under tax class IV | −298,00 € | § 2e BEEG |
| − social contributions at flat rates | −630,00 € | 21 % of 3.000,00 € — § 2f BEEG |
| = Elterngeld net figure | 1.969,50 € | §§ 2c–2f BEEG |
| Replacement rate | 65 % | § 2 Abs. 2 BEEG |
| Basic Elterngeld | 1.280,18 € | 300,00 € – 1.800,00 € |
| Total Elterngeld | 1.280,18 € | per month |
- The basis is not your actual net pay but the standardised Elterngeld net figure (§§ 2c–2f BEEG): the average of the twelve months before the birth, excluding one-off payments such as Christmas or holiday bonuses. The taxes come from the 2026 wage tax program flow chart; the one that counts is that of the calendar year before the birth.
- ElterngeldPlus pays half as much per month — the sibling bonus and the multiple-birth supplement are halved too — but over twice as many months of life (§ 4a (2), § 4 (3) BEEG). Worthwhile if you work part-time while drawing it.
Terms used on this page
Each term has its own page with a plain-language explanation, the technical detail and a worked example.
- Income limit for parental allowance — Above 175.000 euros of taxable income in the previous year the entitlement to Elterngeld lapses — for couples the combined income counts.
- Parental allowance (Elterngeld) — Replaces part of the earned income lost after a birth: 65 to 100 percent of the standardised net pay beforehand.
How the figures are calculated
The assessment base is a standardised net figure
The BEEG does not use your real net pay but a standardised one: flat amounts for tax and social security are deducted from the gross figure. That is why the assessment base differs from your payslip — it is what the statute intends and not an inaccuracy of the calculator.
The replacement rate falls as income rises
Between 65 % and 100 % — on low incomes the rate rises, on higher ones it falls to 65 %. On top come the sibling bonus and the multiple-birth supplement; at the bottom and the top the minimum and maximum amounts apply.
ElterngeldPlus doubles the duration and halves the amount
Working part-time, you can draw it for longer. The sibling bonus and the multiple-birth supplement are halved as well (§ 4a (2) BEEG). The calculator states both variants.
Minijob and transition zone
For a Minijob nothing is deducted — the Elterngeld net figure is the pay less the twelfth of the standard deduction. Between the marginal-employment threshold and 2.000 € the 21 % is calculated not on the pay but on the lower transition-zone amount (§ 2f (2) BEEG).
Example: 3.000 € gross before the birth, one child, tax class 4
| Gross pay per month | 3.000,00 € |
|---|---|
| − one twelfth of the employee standard deduction (§ 2c) | 102,50 € |
| − taxes under tax class IV (§ 2e) | 298,00 € |
| − social contributions at a flat 21 % (§ 2f) | 630,00 € |
| = Elterngeld net figure | 1.969,50 € |
| Replacement rate (§ 2 (2) BEEG) | 65 % |
| Basic Elterngeld per month | 1.280,18 € |
| ElterngeldPlus per month | 640,09 € |
The Elterngeld net figure is lower than the net pay on your payslip — the flat rates are slightly higher than the real contributions, and the twelfth of the standard deduction comes on top. At most 2.770 € is counted; above that the Elterngeld rises no further.
What this calculator does not cover
Pretending to be complete is the costliest mistake a financial calculator can make. These points are deliberately absent — either because they need details this page does not ask for, or because they cannot be substantiated in general terms:
- Income while drawing the benefit reduces the Elterngeld; the case calculated here is one with no income of your own.
- The self-employed are assessed on the profit of the last financial year, not on the twelve months before the birth.
- The income limit above which the entitlement lapses depends on the composition of the household.
Related calculators
- Gross to net — the real net figure before the birth — to compare with the assessment base
- Income tax — Elterngeld falls under the progression clause (§ 32b EStG)