Our western neighbour is famous for its very extensive welfare benefits system. If you are a person working in Germany, this means that you can apply for, among other things, child benefit. We would be happy to assist you with Kindergeld and take care of all the formalities involved in this procedure – we are currently processing around 500 applications and the benefit is €250 per child. Find out everything you need to know about child benefit in Germany in the text below – welcome!
Kindergeld – what is it and what is its purpose?
Kindergeld is a German family allowance that is paid by the Familienkasse (family fund). It was established to make it easier to bring up children by guaranteeing them an adequate standard of living. In other words, it is an allowance from the state that allows parents to provide their children with everything they need without putting a strain on the household budget, such as new clothes, school accessories or development opportunities such as sports training or music classes. The Kindergeld family allowance is intended for people who pay taxes in Germany and those who run a joint household in which children are present. More about who can benefit from this benefit in the next paragraph.
Child benefit in Germany – for whom is Kindergeld intended?
Family allowance in Germany is for parents who are raising children up to the age of 18. Interestingly, you can also get the allowance when your child becomes an adult, provided they continue their education. In this situation, Kindergeld is due until the age of 25. Kindergeld money is also paid if your child has not yet reached the age of 21, provided they are unemployed or their annual income does not exceed €8,000.
Kindergeld is available to biological children, adopted children, adopted children and those who are permanently integrated into the household. This means that the children of a formal partner/spouse from another relationship and grandchildren (as long as grandparents have custody) are covered. It is important that the children have the same registration as their legal guardians.
Kindergeld will not be granted if the child comes from a previous relationship of one of the partners and the relationship is not officially registered (e.g. this applies to stepchildren).
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Kindergeld – benefit payments for children living in Poland
Many people working in Germany wonder whether they can claim German child benefit if their children have stayed in their home country. What does this look like in practice?
It is worth knowing that in order to be able to apply for Kindergeld, they must, firstly, be subject to unlimited tax liability, and also be resident with the child. As regards the second aspect, it is not stated which parent is involved, so if the child lives in Poland with the other parent, nothing stands in the way of applying for the German child benefit. Importantly, however: each case is examined individually by the family fund, so it is possible to encounter a refusal for some reason, although this is rare.
Kindergeld in Germany 2024 – how do you prove to the Familienkasse that you are subject to unlimited tax liability?
In view of the above condition (unlimited tax liability), any person who applies for family allowance from Germany must prove to the family fund that he or she has German tax resident status, i.e. falls under the above-described accounting rules. How do you do this? For this you will need documents such as:
- Lohnsteuerabzug (issued by the employer),
- confirmation of registration in Germany,
- rental agreement for a flat in Germany,
- a tax certificate from the Finanzamt; an example would be the Steuerbescheid tax decision.
The group of taxpayers subject to unlimited tax liability in Germany includes those who have worked at least 183 days in Germany during the year and 90% of their total income comes from Germany.
Child benefit in Germany – how is it paid?
Kindergeld is granted depending on whether the parents are together in a relationship or not. The allocation decision is made within 2 to 6 months of the application.
- The parents live together – the allowance is paid to the mother (unless there are contraindications).
- Parents are divorced or separated – the allowance is paid to the parent who has custody of the child.
Kindergeld 2024 – how much is it?
From 1 January 2024, the amount of Kindergeld family benefit is €250 per child, the amount is identical to 2023.
Kindergeld increase 2024? Kindergeld amount unchanged
The amount of child benefit from Germany in 2022 was closely linked to the number of children in a family. The rates were as follows:
- first and second child – EUR 219,
- third child – €225,
- each additional child – €250.
As you can see, as of January 2023, the Kindergeld for the first, second and third child is €250, which is a significant change compared to last year. The amount for the fourth and subsequent children remains unchanged, it is still 250 euros as before. In the final analysis, however, all parents will gain.
Kindergeld and family benefit in the country of residence – can two benefits be received at the same time?
If the spouse works in Germany, his or her spouse works in his or her home country, in this case the basic family allowance should be paid by the institution competent for the wife. In this situation, the children stay with their mother in their home country. Any compensation, the so-called differential allowance, will be paid by Germany.
If the spouse remaining in the home country is a non-working person, the entire family allowance is paid by the Familienkasse (a German institution). n certain cases, family allowance from the country of residence can be received in addition.
Indeed, under German law, it is possible to benefit from both Kindergeld and the family allowance from the country of residence, but in this situation the German allowance is reduced by the amount of the allowance received in the children’s country of residence. This is due to the fact that both schemes have the same purpose and are therefore considered to be identical.
Kindergeld 2024 – when to apply?
You can apply for Kindergeld after 6 months of legal work in Germany. Remember also that the benefit is paid retroactively (up to a maximum of six months back from receipt of the application). The documents are accepted by the Familienkasse. They can be submitted by post, online or by proxy. If you have any problems, our law firm will help you with all the formalities.
How to get a family in Germany – documents
If you want to apply for Kindergeld benefits, prepare:
- the application and its annexes,
- European marriage certificate,
- European child birth certificate,
- certificate of co-registration,
- kopię wage tax certificate lub payroll,
- a copy of an identity document,
- a certificate from the country of residence stating whether or not social benefits are being received in the country of residence.
Kindergeld payments 2024 – deadlines for each number
Kindergeld payments in Germany depend on the Kindergeldnummer you have, or rather on its last digit. What does this mean? This is a special number given to parents entitled to this benefit. It consists of 11 digits, the last number of which can be the digits 0 to 9. And it is these digits that determine the Kindergeld payment dates in Germany. Below is a breakdown for each number.
Kindergeld 2024 – payments for the last digit 0
- 04 January,
- 03 February,
- 03 March,
- 05 April,
- 04 May,
- 05 June,
- 05 July,
- 03 August,
- 06 September,
- 05 October,
- 06 November,
- 05 December.
Kindergeld 2024 deadlines – payments for the last digit of 1
- 05 stycznia,
- 08 lutego,
- 06 marca,
- 06 kwietnia,
- 05 maja,
- 06 czerwca,
- 06 lipca,
- 04 sierpnia,
- 07 września,
- 06 października,
- 07 listopada,
- 06 grudnia.
Kindergeld – payment deadlines for the last digit 2
- 11 stycznia,
- 09 lutego,
- 07 marca,
- 12 kwietnia,
- 09 maja,
- 07 czerwca,
- 07 lipca,
- 07 sierpnia,
- 08 września,
- 09 października,
- 08 listopada,
- 07 grudnia.
When is Kindergeld 2024 due? Deadlines for the last digit of 3
- 12 stycznia,
- 10 lutego,
- 08 marca,
- 13 kwietnia,
- 10 maja,
- 12 czerwca,
- 10 lipca,
- 10 sierpnia,
- 11 września,
- 11 października,
- 09 listopada,
- 08 grudnia.
Kindergeld – deadlines for the last digit 4
- 13 stycznia,
- 13 lutego,
- 10 marca,
- 14 kwietnia,
- 11 maja,
- 13 czerwca,
- 11 lipca,
- 11 sierpnia,
- 12 września,
- 12 października,
- 10 listopada,
- 11 grudnia.
Kindergeld – payments for the last digit of 5
- 16 stycznia,
- 14 lutego,
- 13 marca,
- 17 kwietnia,
- 12 maja,
- 14 czerwca,
- 12 lipca,
- 14 sierpnia,
- 13 września,
- 13 października,
- 13 listopada,
- 12 grudnia.
Kindergeld – payments 2024 for the last digit of 6
- 17 stycznia,
- 15 lutego,
- 14 marca,
- 18 kwietnia,
- 15 maja,
- 15 czerwca,
- 13 lipca,
- 15 sierpnia,
- 14 września,
- 17 października,
- 14 listopada,
- 13 grudnia.
Kindergeld calendar 2024 for the last digit of 7
- 18 stycznia,
- 16 lutego,
- 15 marca,
- 20 kwietnia,
- 16 maja,
- 16 czerwca,
- 17 lipca,
- 17 sierpnia,
- 18 września,
- 18 października,
- 16 listopada,
- 14 grudnia.
Kindergeld 2024 table for the last digit of 8
- 20 stycznia,
- 17 lutego,
- 17 marca,
- 21 kwietnia,
- 17 maja,
- 20 czerwca,
- 18 lipca,
- 18 sierpień,
- 19 września,
- 19 października,
- 17 listopada,
- 15 grudnia.
When do I get my Kindergeld 2024? Payments for the last digit of 9
- 23 stycznia,
- 21 lutego,
- 20 marca,
- 24 kwietnia,
- 22 maja,
- 22 czerwca,
- 19 lipca,
- 21 sierpnia,
- 21 września,
- 20 października,
- 20 listopada,
- 18 grudnia.
Kindergeld repayment order – it is possible
“Why do I have to give back Kindergeld” – the question our compatriots ask themselves when the Famillienkasse demands that they return the benefit they have paid out. Is there anything to fear?
It is worth knowing that when you receive child benefit from Germany, you have certain obligations towards the Finanzamt. Due to constantly changing regulations, it may turn out that, as taxpayers, you are no longer eligible for Kindergeld. The same applies to changes in the amount of the benefit. In such cases, the family fund contacts the selected persons with information about the need to return the benefit – in part or in full.
This is most often due to the aforementioned changes in the law or failure to submit the relevant documents to the office. Moreover, the Familienkasse can demand repayment when the taxpayer has collected two social benefits in full (in Poland and Germany) at the same time – and as is known, the collection of 500+ makes the amount of Kindergeld automatically decrease.
Remission of Kindergeld refund
It may happen that the family fund has wrongly demanded repayment of the benefit you have received. If this is the case, you can ask for the reimbursement to be cancelled. In this case, it is best to contact a solicitor or legal adviser.
Refund Kindergeld in installments
Can Kindergeld be repaid in instalments? No, if the taxpayer receives a repayment letter, he/she must immediately repay the full value within the deadline set by the family fund.
Kindergeld after losing your job
Losing one’s job is an unpleasant situation and, unfortunately, is not indifferent when it comes to collecting child benefit in Germany. When it involves a return to Poland, the Familienkasse must be informed. In this case, you must provide a document showing the date on which you stopped working in Germany. If you do this too late and are still receiving Kindergeld, you should expect a letter from the family fund stating that you will have to repay the money.
Kindergeld after divorce
In the event of divorce, the Kindergeld family allowance is paid to the parent who lives with the child.
Kindergeld for a disabled child
For disabled children, the application process for Kindergeld is standard. The only difference here is the age, in which case the benefit can be used until the child turns 25.
Kindergeld – up to how old?
German child benefit is paid up to the age of 18 or 25 if the child is still studying.
Kindergeld while sick
While receiving unemployment benefit or sickness benefit, you can still benefit from Kindergeld. Importantly, however; in this case, the decision is shortened to the period of the social benefit granted.
Kindergeld or Kinderfreibetrag
The German tax system also includes a tax-free amount for having children – the Kinderfreibetrag. In 2023, this amounts to €8,952 per child per year for both parents. However, a choice has to be made in Germany – if you opt for the Kindergeld allowance, you will no longer be able to take advantage of the full child allowance (only the solidarity and church tax deduction will remain). The tax office will calculate the most favourable option for you.
Kindergeld – download, fill in and send it back to us!
Do you want to apply for Kindergeld? Nothing simpler, download, fill in and send the documents back to us and we’ll take care of the rest.
Kindergeld processing companies – contact us!
Not sure how to apply for German Kindergeld? If so, use the help of our accounting office. Borsuk Podatki is a company that has been specialising in the settlement of foreign taxes for more than a dozen years, including, among others, from Germany. Don’t wait, let us help you and enjoy receiving your family benefit – feel free to contact us!
