Case 1
- Elterngeld net income before the birth
- 2000
- Elterngeld net income in the month claimed
- 0
1,300.00
Open with these valuesGerman Parental Allowance (Basiselterngeld)
1,300.00euro
Result: 1,300.00 euroBasiselterngeld replaces 65 to 100 percent of the net income that stops after the birth, with the rate depending on how much there was before. At most €2,770 counts, and the monthly payment runs from €300 to €1,800. The Elterngeldstelle decides.
The numbers at a glance
Held fixed: Elterngeld net income before the birth 2,000.00.
| Elterngeld net income in the month claimed | Result |
|---|---|
| 0.00Your value | 1,300.00 |
| 1,000.00 | 650.00 |
| 2,000.00 | 300.00 |
| 3,000.00 | 300.00 |
| 4,000.00 | 300.00 |
| 5,000.00 | 300.00 |
Worked examples
Case 2
- Elterngeld net income before the birth
- 2000
- Elterngeld net income in the month claimed
- 500
975.00
Open with these valuesCase 3
- Elterngeld net income before the birth
- 700
- Elterngeld net income in the month claimed
- 50
533.00
Open with these valuesHow it's calculated
allowance = rate × (net before, capped at €2,770 − net in the month claimed)
- StepEnter the monthly Elterngeld net income from the assessment period before the birth.
- StepEnter what you earn in the month claimed; on unpaid parental leave that is zero.
- StepAt most €2,770 of the pre-birth income is taken into account.
- ResultThe rate falls to 65 percent above €1,200 and rises to 100 below €1,000.
What this number means
Basiselterngeld replaces a share of the income that stops after the birth — not all of it, and not a fixed sum. The share depends on how much there was to begin with. The headline rate is 67 percent. Anyone above €1,200 before the birth loses 0.1 percentage points for every full €2 above that line, until the floor of 65 percent is reached at €1,240. In the other direction the slope is steeper: below €1,000 the rate climbs by 0.1 points per full €2, up to 100 percent. At €700 it is 82 percent. The rate applies not to the income itself but to the difference between before and after. Anyone who keeps earning during parental leave receives correspondingly less. At most €2,770 of the pre-birth income counts, which is why full loss of income tops out at €1,800. At the other end there is always at least €300, even with no earlier income at all. The Elterngeld net income is not the net figure on a payslip: it comes from the gross of the assessment period less one twelfth of the employee lump-sum allowance and flat-rate tax and social contributions. This page takes it as given. Sibling bonus, multiple-birth supplement, ElterngeldPlus and the partnership bonus are not modelled here. The Elterngeldstelle makes the binding decision.
In den Fällen, in denen das Einkommen aus Erwerbstätigkeit vor der Geburt höher als 1 200 Euro war, sinkt der Prozentsatz von 67 Prozent um 0,1 Prozentpunkte für je 2 Euro, um die dieses Einkommen den Betrag von 1 200 Euro überschreitet, auf bis zu 65 Prozent.
The Elterngeldstelle decides
This page reproduces § 2 BEEG and replaces neither an official statement nor legal advice. The competent office is the one designated by your Land for the child's place of residence.
Elterngeld net is not payslip net
What counts is income under §§ 2c to 2f BEEG with flat-rate deductions, not the figure on your payslip. A wrong assessment figure shifts the result by its full amount.
Supplements and variants are missing
Sibling bonus, multiple-birth supplement, ElterngeldPlus and the partnership bonus are not calculated here. Above €175,000 of taxable income the entitlement lapses entirely.
The version this rests on
Federal Parental Allowance and Parental Leave Act as published in January 2015, last amended by Article 19(2) of the Act of December 2025. Checked on 2026-08-29.
Commonly misread
Basiselterngeld is always 67 percent.
67 percent applies only between €1,000 and €1,200 of Elterngeld net income. Above that the rate drops to 65, below it rises to as much as 100.
A higher salary keeps raising the allowance.
At most €2,770 of the pre-birth income is counted, and the monthly ceiling is €1,800.
Working on the side still leaves the full amount.
The calculation uses the difference between income before and during the claim. Earnings in the month claimed reduce the allowance directly.
No income before the birth means no allowance.
The floor of €300 applies expressly even where there was no income from employment before the birth.
Reference table
| Elterngeld net income before the birth | Rate |
|---|---|
| Below €1,000 | 67 to 100 % |
| €1,000 to €1,200 | 67 % |
| Above €1,200 and below €1,240 | 65.1 to 66.9 % |
| €1,240 and above | 65 % |
| Counted at most | €2,770 |
| Floor and ceiling | €300 to €1,800 |
Questions
How much Basiselterngeld will I get?
Between 65 and 100 percent of the net income that stops, depending on how much you earned before the birth. The result always lies between €300 and €1,800 a month.
What is the Elterngeld net income?
The average monthly income in the assessment period under §§ 2c to 2f BEEG, after one twelfth of the employee lump-sum allowance and flat-rate tax and social contributions. It differs from the net figure on a payslip.
Why am I only getting 65 percent?
Because your Elterngeld net income before the birth was €1,240 or more. From that point the rate has fallen to its statutory floor of 65 percent.
What applies to civil servants on parental leave?
Under § 6 MuSchEltZV parental leave for federal civil servants is unpaid, so income in the month claimed is normally zero. Länder civil servants are covered by their own state rules; ask your employing authority.
How long is Basiselterngeld paid?
Parents jointly have a claim to twelve monthly amounts, plus two partner months where one parent's income is reduced in two months of life. One parent alone can claim at most twelve monthly amounts.
Is the result binding?
No, and it is not legal advice either. The Elterngeldstelle makes the binding decision on your application.
Sources and last check
Information, not financial advice.