Why this site exists
Moving to Germany as a foreigner means facing a maze of unfamiliar terms: Brutto, Netto, Steuerklasse, Kappungsgrenze, Kindergeld, Lohnsteuer, Schengen days. Official German government websites are thorough but often difficult to parse without prior knowledge of the system.
Germany Calculators was built to fill the gap between "I have a question" and "I need to call a Finanzamt." The tools here help you quickly understand the structure of German salaries, taxes, housing costs, and family benefits so you can have an informed conversation with the people who matter — your employer, your tax advisor, or your Familienkasse.
Every calculator and guide on this site is written and reviewed by hand. No content is automatically scraped or generated from other websites. When rules change — as German tax law regularly does — we update the figures and document the source.
Who runs this site
Germany Calculators is operated by Leekai, a Korean-born independent developer who has lived and worked in Germany. The calculators grew out of personal experience: working through payslips in a foreign language, deciphering Kindergeld eligibility letters, and trying to figure out whether a rent increase notice was legal.
The site is built and maintained without a team or corporate backing — just a single developer who wants these tools to exist, be accurate, and remain free to use. There are no paywalls, no login requirements, and no data sent to a server. All calculations run in your browser.
What we cover
The calculators and guides currently available on this site include:
- Brutto-Netto Calculator — Estimate your take-home salary after German income tax and social security contributions, broken down by Steuerklasse (tax class 1–6).
- Kindergeld Calculator — Calculate your expected German child benefit (€259 per child per month as of 2026) and understand the eligibility conditions for foreign nationals.
- Steuerklasse Guide — Compare all six German tax classes and understand which combination is best for you and your spouse.
- Rent Increase Checker (Mieterhöhung) — Check whether a rent increase request falls within the Kappungsgrenze (3-year cap of 15% or 20%).
- Move-In Cost Calculator — Estimate the upfront cash you need when renting your first apartment in Germany, including Kaution (security deposit) and first month's rent.
- Monthly Budget Calculator — See how far your Netto salary goes after housing, utilities, groceries, and transport.
- Visa Date Helper — Track your visa expiry and Schengen stay days at a glance.
We also publish plain-language guides on topics like understanding your German payslip (Lohnsteuer), how to apply for Kindergeld as a foreigner, German tax basics, and how to claim a tax refund.
Editorial standards and limitations
We are not a government agency, tax consultancy, law firm, or immigration advisory. Every result on this site is a reference estimate, not a legally binding figure. German law is complex and personal circumstances vary widely — always verify important numbers with your Finanzamt, a qualified Steuerberater (tax advisor), or the relevant authority before making decisions.
Our editorial commitments:
- Calculator inputs are processed entirely in your browser and never sent to any server.
- Figures that change with German law (such as Kindergeld amounts or social security rates) are linked to official sources and updated when changes are announced.
- Calculations that cannot be exact are clearly labelled as estimates or reference values.
- Error reports that include a reliable source are reviewed and corrected promptly.
For detailed information about our calculation methodology and update schedule, see the Methodology & Sources page.
Advertising
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