Salary Calculator Germany

Tax Year: 2025 – 2026

If you live in Berlin and earn a gross annual salary (Bruttogehalt) of €53,748, or €4,479 per month, your monthly net salary (Nettogehalt) will be €2,854. This results in an effective tax rate of 36%, as estimated by our German salary calculator (Brutto Netto Rechner).

The table below shows what take-home pay you can expect across different eurozone countries for the same gross salary you entered: €53,748 per year.

In Germany, taxes are levied at the federal, state, and sometimes even municipal levels. These include Income Tax, Solidarity Surcharge, and several types of Social Insurance. If you are employed, then all taxes and contributions are automatically deducted from you gross salary by your employer each month, so your paycheck is generally net of tax.

If you run your own business, have multiple professions, or are self-employed, then you have to calculate your own taxes and send in an annual tax return.

• Income Tax (Lohnsteuer): Germany uses a progressive tax rate, which means your rate increases as your income grows. The 2025 rates range from 0% for incomes below €12,096 up to 45% for the highest salaries.
• Solidarity Surcharge (Solidaritätszuschlag): The Solidarity Surcharge is an additional charge, capped at 5.5% of your income, that goes toward improving infrastructure and the economic situation nationwide.
• Social Insurance: You also must make contributions to various social insurance plans, such as pension (Rentenversicherung), health insurance (Krankenversicherung), unemployment insurance (Arbeitslosenversicherung), and long-term care insurance (Pflegeversicherung).
• Church Tax (Kirchensteuer): This tax is applicable to members of registered religious communities, with rates varying by state. If you are affiliated with a German church, please click on More Options More Options in our calculator to enable this tax.