Kindergeld calculator 2026

The Buronia Kindergeld calculator returns your monthly entitlement in real time as soon as you change any of the four inputs. There's no Calculate button — the headline number on the right updates automatically the moment you move a slider or change a select.

Under the hood, the calculation runs as a pure function: given inputs → one result. No personal data is stored, no sign-in required, no tracking cookies. The page URL after every change carries every value as query parameters (e.g. ?children=2&all_under_18=true&residency=de) — share the link and opening it reconstructs the exact same calculation.

The calculator is free, accessible without login, and CC0-licensed for editorial use. Source for all rates: Bundesagentur für Arbeit, press release 53/2025 — Kindergeld rises from January 2026.

The formula has been refreshingly simple since 1 January 2026:

Kindergeld per month = number of eligible children × €259

Until end of 2025 a tiered table applied (the 1st/2nd/3rd child each received different amounts). With the reform on 01.01.2026, every child receives the uniform €259/month. The Bundestag simultaneously raised the child tax allowance (Kinderfreibetrag) to €9,756 per year.

Examples:

• 1 child: €259 × 1 = €259/month = €3,108/year
• 2 children: €259 × 2 = €518/month = €6,216/year
• 3 children: €259 × 3 = €777/month = €9,324/year
• 4 children: €259 × 4 = €1,036/month = €12,432/year

The calculator responds to the number of children slider — drag right and the result multiplies accordingly. The yearly projection (×12) appears automatically in the breakdown block.

The calculator distinguishes between children under 18 and children aged 18–24 because different eligibility grounds apply.

Children under 18: automatically eligible, provided you yourself are entitled to Kindergeld (see next section). In the calculator: leave the "Are all children under 18?" toggle on Yes.

Children 18–24: still eligible only if a qualifying ground per § 32 (4) EStG is met:

• School education or vocational training (Ausbildung)
• University study
• Voluntary social year (FSJ), voluntary ecological year (FÖJ)
• Federal voluntary service (Bundesfreiwilligendienst — BFD)
• Transition period of up to 4 months between two training stages
• Application for an apprenticeship or study place (waiting period)

In the calculator: set the toggle to No, and a second slider appears for the count of children over 18 still in education.

Children with disability: if the disability began before age 25 and the child cannot support themselves, Kindergeld is paid indefinitely — even past age 25. This special case is not modelled by the calculator; please contact the Familienkasse.

Per § 62 EStG, you are entitled if you:

• have residence or habitual stay in Germany, or
• are employed with social-security contributions in Germany under EU/EEA law

The four options in the calculator cover exactly these four cases:

1. Germany — full entitlement.
2. EU/EEA — employed in Germany with social-security contributions — full entitlement under Regulation (EC) No 883/2004. Common cases: Romanian construction workers, Polish care workers, Dutch cross-border commuters.
3. Third country with settlement permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis) — entitlement per § 62 (2) EStG if a residence title with labour-market access exists. Asylum-seekers with Aufenthaltsgestattung do NOT receive Kindergeld; recognised refugees do.
4. Abroad with no German connection — no entitlement. The calculator shows €0 and an explanatory note.

Special cases (posted civil servants, diplomats, Bundeswehr soldiers on overseas deployment) follow their own rules and are not modelled by the calculator.

The application goes to the Familienkasse of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit — never to the tax office or the health-insurance fund. Responsible is the Familienkasse at the applicant's place of residence.

Three mandatory forms:

1. Application for Kindergeld (KG 1)
2. Annex Child (KG 1) — one per child, with date of birth and any training proof
3. For children over 18 in training: Certificate of training status

Required attachments:

• Birth certificate of the child (copy is sufficient)
• Tax identification number (Steuer-ID, 11 digits) of the applicant AND of every child — without these the application is rejected
• IBAN for payment
• For EU/third-country nationals: residence title and proof of employment
• For students: enrolment certificate (Immatrikulationsbescheinigung)
• For trainees: apprenticeship contract or trainee card

Processing time: 4–6 weeks in standard cases, up to 12 weeks for EU matters or incomplete documents. Buronia helps prefill all forms and checks completeness before submission. Start the application with Buronia.

Payment is monthly to the account stated in the application. The payment date depends on the last digit of the Kindergeld number, which appears on the approval notice:

• Last digit 0: first working day of the month
• Last digit 1: second working day
• Last digit 2: third working day
• … and so on through last digit 9 on the tenth working day

Late applicants don't lose money: Kindergeld can be claimed retroactively for up to 6 months. Before that the entitlement legally exists but is no longer enforceable — due to the statutory limitation period.

Tax-wise: Kindergeld is designed as an advance payment on the child tax allowance. In the income tax assessment, the tax office automatically performs a Günstigerprüfung (better-off check) on whether the child tax allowance or Kindergeld is more favourable; the better one is applied.

German Kindergeld has a history spanning over 70 years. It was introduced in 1954 under the Kindergeldgesetz at 25 DM per month from the third child onwards. Until the 1970s it was a family-promotion benefit with a pronounced tier by number of children.

Important milestones:

• 1975: reform — Kindergeld also for the first and second child, uniformly 50 DM
• 1996: tax-related Kindergeld (Kindergeld OR Kinderfreibetrag, Günstigerprüfung)
• 2002: €154/month uniformly for the first three children
• 2018: raised to €194 (1st/2nd child), €200 (3rd), €225 (from 4th)
• 2023: uniformly €250/month per child — end of the tier
• 2025: €255
• 2026: €259 (current amount)

The increase from €250 (2023) to €259 (2026) is a 3.6% rise over three years — well below general inflation in the same period. Family associations regularly point out that nominal increases don't fully compensate the real loss of purchasing power.

Do both parents each receive Kindergeld?
No. Kindergeld is paid once per child — to one parent. Where parents are separated, it goes to the one with whom the child predominantly lives. Where parents live together, you must designate one of you (Berechtigtenbestimmung).

Do I lose Kindergeld if I earn too much?
No. Kindergeld is income-independent — whether you earn €30,000 or €300,000 a year, the rate stays €259 per child. At very high incomes the Kinderfreibetrag becomes more favourable and is automatically applied (Günstigerprüfung).

What about the Kinderzuschlag (KiZ)?
Kinderzuschlag is a separate benefit for low-income earners: up to €297 per child per month on top of Kindergeld. Requirements: minimum income of €900 (couples) or €600 (single parents), and the entitlement must cover the child's needs. Apply separately at the Familienkasse.

Where can I see my current status?
In the Familienkasse online portal (familienkasse.de) using the Kindergeld number and an access code. Current notices are posted there; changes (e.g. account switch) can be reported online.

Can I embed the calculator in my blog/article?
Yes. The calculations follow the official Bundesagentur für Arbeit rates, are CC0-licensed for free use, and every input combination has its own URL — e.g. /rechner/kindergeld?children=3. Just link the matching URL.