The Elterngeldstelle looks at your income from the 12 months before birth. For most people, that means January to December of the previous year if your baby is born early in the year.
Important: Only employment income counts. Rental income, investments, or side gigs don't factor in. This actually helps some people – only your 'official' salary matters.
Here's something that surprises people: The Elterngeld office calculates your net income their own way. It might be different from what you see on your payslip.
They start with your gross salary, then subtract:
Most people receive 65% of their calculated net income. But if you earned less, you get a higher percentage:
No matter what the calculation shows, Elterngeld has hard limits:
Minimum: €300/month – Even if you had zero income (students, homemakers), you still get this.
Maximum: €1,800/month – Even if 65% of your income would be €3,000, you're capped at €1,800.
For ElterngeldPlus, the limits are half: €150-€900/month.
Your average monthly net income from employment counts. For employees: the 12 calendar months before the birth month. For self-employed: the last completed tax year before birth. Months with maternity protection, Elterngeld for an older child, or pregnancy-related illness can be excluded.
The Elterngeldstelle calculates an 'Elterngeld net' using a fixed formula: Gross income minus taxes (flat rate by tax class) minus social contributions (flat 21%). This may differ from your actual net! One-time payments (Christmas bonus, bonuses) don't count. Tax-free supplements (night work, etc.) also don't count.
Yes, it can be worthwhile! The parent who should receive more Elterngeld should be in tax class III (less tax deduction = higher net = higher Elterngeld). The change must happen at least 7 months before the birth month to apply to all 12 assessment months.
The official Elterngeld calculator is at www.familienportal.de. You can try different scenarios: Basiselterngeld vs. ElterngeldPlus, different splits between parents, effects of part-time work. The calculator gives a non-binding estimate – the exact amount is calculated by the Elterngeldstelle.
Our free guide walks you through everything step by step.
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