Finance Calculators

German Elterngeld Estimator

Enter your average monthly Elterngeld-Netto before birth and expected Elterngeld-Netto for a benefit month. The result applies the BEEG replacement-rate bands, the €2,770 pre-birth ceiling, the selected variant, the optional BEEG §2a supplements and the birth-date-keyed BEEG §1(8) income limit. The optional planner divides the benefit months between the parents; the estimate stays non-binding, not an official award.

Average Elterngeld-Netto before birth (EUR per month)

Expected Elterngeld-Netto during this benefit month (EUR per month)

Benefit variant

Supplements under BEEG §2a (optional)Apply the sibling bonus (+10%, at least €75)

BEEG §2a(1): the bonus requires a household with two children under three, or three or more children under six; children of a multiple birth whose Elterngeld is increased under §2a(4) do not count towards that test. The tool does not verify the condition — select the bonus only when you meet it. The bonus is 10% of the monthly amount, at least €75 (ElterngeldPlus €37.50 under §4a(2)), calculated on the capped base amount and paid on top of it.

Children born at once (multiple birth)

BEEG §2a(4): €300 for the second and each further child of a multiple birth (ElterngeldPlus €150 under §4a(2)), added to the base amount and payable together with the sibling bonus. The €1,800 and €900 variant maxima are applied to the base amount only; whether they also limit the sum including supplements is not settled by the sources recorded here.

Income limit under BEEG §1(8) (optional)

Child's date of birth

The limit is keyed to the date of birth: before 1 April 2024 €300,000 (€250,000 where only one parent qualifies), 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025 €200,000, from 1 April 2025 €175,000. Without a date no limit is shown; dates before 1 January 2007 are outside this tool's range.

Who meets the conditions in the household?

Taxable income in the last completed assessment period before the birth (EUR per year)

BEEG §1(8): the last completed assessment period before the birth applies, and the sum of both incomes where two parents qualify. Only income strictly above the limit ends the claim; an income exactly at it does not. Without an amount only the applicable limit is shown.

Benefit period and month planning (optional)Plan the benefit months for both parents

BEEG §4 lets the parents divide the benefit months between them. The planner lays them out month by month under the rules for births from 1 April 2024: twelve monthly Basiselterngeld amounts jointly, fourteen with the Partnermonate, up to twenty-four ElterngeldPlus months per parent and two to four Partnerschaftsbonus months under BEEG §4b. Checked 1 November 2026; a non-binding plan, not an entitlement. Enter a date of birth to see each month's calendar dates.

Use the Elterngeld-Netto determined under German rules. Gross pay and ordinary payslip net are not automatically the same figure. Pre-birth basis is capped at €2,770 per month.

Non-binding estimate. The monthly amount is calculated for one parent from your entries, and the optional planner applies the same figures to both parents. This does not determine statutory eligibility, legal entitlement or an official award, and does not calculate Elternzeit duration. Elternzeit and Elterngeld are separate matters.

Included on request: the BEEG §1(8) income limit keyed to the date of birth, the BEEG §2a sibling bonus and multiple-birth supplement, and the benefit-month planner under BEEG §4 and §4b. Not included: any other eligibility condition; gross-to-Elterngeld-Netto conversion; self-employment or mixed-income assessment; selection of assessment months; maternity-benefit offsets; the premature-birth extensions of BEEG §4(5); the single-parent extension of BEEG §4c; a second parent's own income; and work-hour or Elternzeit entitlement rules. These may change an actual award.

Legal parameters checked 1 November 2026. Review annually; before any update, verify the current BEEG and Federal Family Portal guidance. The displayed parameters are not evergreen.

BEEG §1 BEEG §2 BEEG §2a BEEG §4 BEEG §4a BEEG §4b Official federal Elterngeld calculator

Recorded boundaries: the §2a(1) household condition is asserted by you, not verified by the tool; the 10% sibling bonus is calculated on the capped base amount and both supplements are added on top of the variant maxima, which the sources recorded here do not expressly extend to the sum; the income check covers only the §1(8) limit and no other eligibility condition. The planner applies the rules for births from 1 April 2024 (BEEG §4, §4a, §4b), plans one continuous period from the child's birth, and applies your Elterngeld-Netto to both parents; months with maternity benefits, the premature-birth tiers of §4(5) and the single-parent extension of §4c are not modelled, and the Partnermonate income reduction, the 24–32-hour bonus condition and the §2a(1) household condition are asserted by you, not verified. A rule that could not be substantiated from those sources is not modelled.

Estimate method and legal basis

BEEG §2: apply the replacement rate to the positive difference between capped pre-birth Elterngeld-Netto (maximum €2,770/month) and Elterngeld-Netto during the benefit month. The rate is 65% above €1,240; rises by 0.1 percentage point per €2 down to 67% at €1,200; remains 67% from €1,000 to €1,200; and rises by 0.1 percentage point per €2 below €1,000, up to 100%. Basiselterngeld is bounded by €300–€1,800. ElterngeldPlus is bounded by €150–€900 and, under BEEG §4a, by half the theoretical Basis amount with no income after birth. Parameters reviewed 1 November 2026; check official sources each year. BEEG §2a: the optional sibling bonus adds 10% of the base amount, at least €75 (ElterngeldPlus €37.50 under §4a(2)), and each further child of a multiple birth adds €300 (ElterngeldPlus €150); both are payable together and are added to the capped base amount, above the €1,800 and €900 variant maxima. BEEG §1(8): the income limit of the last completed assessment period before the birth is keyed to the date of birth — before 1 April 2024 €300,000 (€250,000 where only one parent qualifies), 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025 €200,000, from 1 April 2025 €175,000 — and only income strictly above it exceeds the limit. BEEG §4, §4a and §4b (benefit-month planner): the parents' joint claim is twelve monthly Basiselterngeld amounts plus two Partnermonate when one parent's earned income is reduced in two months (§4(3)); a parent takes at least two and at most twelve Basis months (§4(4)), and one Basis month is exchangeable for two ElterngeldPlus months (§4(3)); Basiselterngeld ends with the 14th month of life and ElterngeldPlus with the 32nd when claimed consecutively from the 15th (§4(1)); both parents may receive Basiselterngeld simultaneously in only one of the first twelve months for a birth from 1 April 2024, lifted for multiple births and sibling-bonus children (§4(6)); the Partnerschaftsbonus adds two to four simultaneous, consecutive ElterngeldPlus months when both parents work 24–32 hours per week (§4b). Parameters checked 1 November 2026.

About This Calculator

What It Does

This Germany-only estimator calculates an indicative monthly amount for one parent from user-entered Elterngeld-Netto before birth and during a benefit month. It applies the replacement-rate bands and variant limits in BEEG §§2 and 4a, including the €2,770 pre-birth ceiling. Two optional additions can be requested: the BEEG §2a supplements (sibling bonus, multiple-birth supplement) and, when a date of birth and a taxable income are given, the BEEG §1(8) income limit that applies to that birth. An optional planner then divides the benefit months between two parents month by month within the joint and per-parent limits of BEEG §4, optionally with the Partnerschaftsbonus of §4b.

Worked Example

With €2,000 monthly Elterngeld-Netto before birth and €0 during the benefit month, the 65% rate gives a theoretical Basis amount of €1,300. ElterngeldPlus is then limited to half the no-income Basis amount: €650. These examples do not determine eligibility or an official award. With the sibling bonus, 10% of €1,300 (€130) is added, giving €1,430; a twin birth adds €300 instead, giving €1,600; both together give €1,730. These supplements count only when you select them.

Real-World Usage

Use the estimate as an orientation when comparing the two monthly benefit variants. Obtain the statutory Elterngeld-Netto figure and confirm your circumstances with the responsible authority before making financial or leave plans.

Local Context

German benefit rules only. Elterngeld-Netto is calculated under statutory rules and is not necessarily gross salary or the net amount on a payslip. Included on request are the BEEG §1(8) income limit keyed to the date of birth, the BEEG §2a supplements and the benefit-month planner under BEEG §4 and §4b; BEEG §2b assessment-period selection, every other eligibility condition, maternity-benefit offsets, the premature-birth and single-parent extensions and work-hour rules remain outside this estimate. The planner applies the rules for births from 1 April 2024. Parameters checked 1 November 2026 and require annual review against the BEEG and Federal Family Portal.

Last reviewed: Legal parameters checked 1 November 2026; annual review required.

Non-binding estimate only; not legal advice, an eligibility decision or an official Elterngeld award. Elterngeld and Elternzeit are distinct.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this an official Elterngeld decision?

No. It is a non-binding estimate for one parent's monthly amount. The responsible Elterngeldstelle decides eligibility and the official award.

Can I enter my gross salary or payslip net?

Use Elterngeld-Netto as determined under the statutory method. Gross pay and ordinary payslip net do not automatically equal Elterngeld-Netto; this tool does not convert them.

Does this calculate Elternzeit?

No. Elternzeit is leave from work and is distinct from Elterngeld. This page estimates neither leave duration nor entitlement to leave.

Which adjustments are excluded?

Apart from the §1(8) income limit, the §2a supplements and the optional month planner, everything else is excluded: other eligibility conditions, assessment-period exceptions, maternity-benefit offsets and work-hour rules are not included. Consult the Federal Family Portal and your Elterngeldstelle.

How does the income limit depend on the child's date of birth?

BEEG §1(8) tests the last completed assessment period before the birth against a limit keyed to the birth date: before 1 April 2024 €300,000 — or €250,000 where only one parent qualifies; 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025 €200,000; from 1 April 2025 €175,000. Only income strictly above the limit ends the claim.

How do parents divide the benefit months?

BEEG §4: jointly twelve monthly Basiselterngeld amounts, fourteen when one parent's earned income falls in two months. Each parent takes at least two and at most twelve Basiselterngeld months, one Basis month equals two ElterngeldPlus months, and for a birth from 1 April 2024 both parents may receive Basiselterngeld together in only one of the first twelve months. The planner lays this out month by month as a non-binding plan; the responsible Elterngeldstelle decides the actual claim.

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