Child Benefit Calculator 2026
With our child benefit calculator you can quickly and easily calculate your child benefit entitlement
By Felix Böhme, Dipl.-Finanzwirt (FH), graduate in public finance Updated
Child benefit parents receive regardless of their income or employment situation and represents Germany’s tax support for families. In our article “Apply for child benefit” we explain everything important on the subject of eligibility requirements, application, etc.
The child benefit calculator from Einfach Elterngeld
This is how our child benefit calculator works
The amount of child benefit is determined by the number of children for whom the claimant is entitled.
You are entitled to child benefit if
- your child is under 18 years of age (under certain conditions, you can also apply for and receive child benefit for children who are of age),
- you regularly care for your child and he or she lives in your household (this also applies to stepchildren, grandchildren or foster children) and
- Your place of residence is in Germany, another EU country, Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland or Switzerland. Learn more on the page “Apply for child benefit”.
In our child benefit calculator, you first select how many children you expect due to your pregnancy, and in the second step, for how many children you are already entitled.
If you then click on the “Calculate child benefit” button, your (expected) monthly child benefit entitlement will be output.
Tip:
Note: Since 2023, child benefit has been the same for every child – in 2026 it is €259 per child per month. Older siblings or so-called counting children (Zählkinder) therefore no longer affect the amount of child benefit.
Example:
The Müller family is expecting a child in November 2022. The father already has two biological children from a previous relationship, but he does not receive child benefit for them. For the child born in November 2022, he applies for child benefit because his two older children are taken into account as so-called counting children, The Müller family is expecting a child in November 2026. The father already has two biological children from a previous relationship, for whom he does not receive child benefit himself. Since child benefit has been the same for every child since 2023, these so-called counting children no longer affect the amount: child benefit for the newborn is €259 per month.
Child benefit increases of the past
The amount of the child benefit is regularly adjusted by the federal government. It is based on the report on the minimum subsistence level and is intended to ensure that the child’s minimum subsistence level is exempt from income tax.
This table provides an overview of the child benefit adjustments in recent years:
Notice:
Note: The basic child benefit (Kindergrundsicherung) planned by the previous federal government will not be introduced. Instead, child benefit without an application has been adopted: from spring 2027, child benefit will first be paid automatically for further children of families already receiving child benefit, and from the end of 2027 also for first children. Until then, child benefit must still be applied for at the Familienkasse. (agreement between the Sozialdemokratischen Partei Deutschlands (SPD), BÜNDNIS 90 / DIE GRÜNEN and the Freien Demokraten (FDP)) to reform child benefits.
The aim is to introduce a so-called new basic child benefit. In our article on the new basic child benefit we take up the plans and explain the consequences for parents.
FAQ
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What is child benefit?
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How much is the child benefit?
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How do I apply for child benefit?
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