Overview
- Payroll analyses indicate many employees will see little net change in 2026 as higher social contributions and raised assessment ceilings — to €5,812.50 for health and nursing care and €8,450 for pension and unemployment — offset lower income tax, with health funds signaling Zusatzbeiträge near or slightly above 3%.
- The statutory minimum wage rises to €13.90 per hour and the Minijob cap increases to €603 a month, while the new Aktivrente lets retirees at statutory age earn up to €2,000 monthly tax‑free from employment though social contributions still apply.
- Tax and family measures include a higher basic allowance of €12,348, an increased child benefit of €259 per month, a higher child allowance, and a commuter allowance set permanently at €0.38 per kilometre from the first kilometre.
- Consumer and cost changes include the Deutschlandticket price increasing to €63 per month from January and the abolition of the gas storage levy, which the federal government covers as a one‑off cost.
- Several items remain pending: the planned permanent VAT cut on restaurant meals to 7% still requires Bundesrat approval, and the proposal to replace Bürgergeld with Grundsicherung with stricter sanctions is a draft slated for debate with major provisions targeted for 1 July 2026 if enacted.