Germany Tax Calculator 2026
Work out your net salary in Germany from your gross pay. This free German tax calculator covers income tax (Lohnsteuer), the solidarity surcharge, church tax and all social security contributions — for all six tax classes, updated for 2026.
Note: the interactive calculator below uses German labels (Brutto = gross, Netto = net, Steuerklasse = tax class). Prefer German? Use the Brutto-Netto-Rechner.
Dr. Thomas Weber(Dipl.-Kfm., Steuerberater & Lohnrecht-Spezialist)•Zuletzt aktualisiert am 1. Juli 2026Eingabe · Parameter
Ihr Bruttogehalt
Alleinstehende
Weitere Optionen
2.346,89 €
Verteilung von Brutto zu Netto
Netto
67%
Detaillierte Aufschlüsselung
Net salary examples (per month)
Approximate monthly net pay in Germany for 2026 (no church tax).
| Gross / month | Class I — Single | Class III — Married (main earner) |
|---|---|---|
| 2.500,00 € | 1.777,25 € | 1.953,75 € |
| 3.000,00 € | 2.065,24 € | 2.317,36 € |
| 4.000,00 € | 2.622,19 € | 2.940,55 € |
| 5.000,00 € | 3.153,77 € | 3.527,50 € |
| 6.000,00 € | 3.673,30 € | 4.117,12 € |
How income tax works in Germany
Germany uses a progressive income tax system defined by § 32a of the Income Tax Act (EStG). Earnings up to the basic allowance of €12,348 (2026) are tax-free. Above that, the marginal rate rises from 14% to a top rate of 42% (from €69,879 of taxable income) and 45% for very high incomes (from €277,826).
Employees also pay social security contributions: pension insurance, health insurance, long-term care insurance and unemployment insurance. Employers pay roughly the same amount on top. The calculator above accounts for all of these using the official 2026 figures.
Frequently asked questions
From your gross salary, social security contributions are deducted first (pension 9.3%, health ~8.7%, long-term care 1.8–2.4%, unemployment 1.3% — employee shares). Income tax (Lohnsteuer) is then calculated on the remaining taxable income under § 32a EStG, plus the solidarity surcharge and, if applicable, church tax. What remains is your net salary (Netto).
Germany has six tax classes: I (single), II (single parent), III (married, higher earner), IV (married, equal earners), V (married, lower earner) and VI (second job). Your tax class determines how much wage tax is withheld each month. Class III has the lowest deductions, class VI the highest.
The basic tax-free allowance (Grundfreibetrag) is €12,348 for single people and €24,696 for jointly assessed couples in 2026. Income up to this amount is not subject to income tax.
Yes. The calculator is completely free, requires no registration and stores no personal data. All calculations run in your browser using the official German figures for 2026.