Kindergeld 2026: Germany's Child Benefit — Amount, Eligibility, Payout

In Germany, anyone raising children here receives Kindergeld (child benefit) — regardless of whether they are employed, self-employed, or currently without a job. In 2026 it is a flat EUR 259 per child per month. The money is tax-free and does not have to be declared in your tax return. The topic becomes important for the self-employed mainly through its interaction with the child allowance — because that reduces your income tax.

Key facts at a glance

• Amount 2026: EUR 259 per child per month — the same for every child, regardless of how many children you have.
• Increase: on 1 January 2026 child benefit rose from EUR 255 to EUR 259 (+EUR 4 per month, +EUR 48 per year). You don't have to do anything for it.
• Who pays: the Familienkasse of the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit).
• Eligibility: until 18 automatically; in training/studies until 25; while seeking work until 21.
• Tax-free: child benefit is not taxable income and does not appear in your tax return.
• For the self-employed too: entitlement does not depend on the type of work. What matters for your tax is the Günstigerprüfung between child benefit and the child allowance.

What is Kindergeld?

Kindergeld is a state family benefit that eases the financial load on parents. It is the practical implementation of the principle that a child's subsistence minimum must stay tax-free. The state ensures this in two ways: through the ongoing child benefit payment, or through the child allowance (Kinderfreibetrag) in income tax. Which route is more favourable for you is checked automatically by the tax office (more on that below).

Unlike many other benefits, Kindergeld is not means-tested: it makes no difference how much the parents earn. The child's own income has also been irrelevant since 2012, as long as the child is in its first course of training or study.

Kindergeld 2026: the amount

Since 2023 there has been a single flat amount per child — the former tiers for the first, second and further child have been abolished. The development of recent years:

The Familienkasse adjusts the amount automatically and pays the new EUR 259 from January 2026. You don't need a new application for that. With several children you receive the amount per child — with three children, that's 3 × EUR 259 = EUR 777 per month.

Who is eligible for Kindergeld?

As a rule, anyone whose residence or habitual abode is in Germany and who has a parent-child relationship with the child (biological, adopted, foster and in some cases step- and grandchildren) is entitled. How long you receive child benefit depends on the child's age and situation:

• Until the 18th birthday: automatically, with no further conditions.
• Until the 25th birthday: if the child is in school or vocational training, studying, doing a recognised voluntary service, or in a transition period of up to four months (e.g. between school and university).
• Until the 21st birthday: if the child has no job and is registered as seeking work with the employment agency.
• No age limit: if the child is unable to support itself due to a disability that arose before the 25th birthday.

Important for adult children: after completing a first qualification, child benefit during further training is only paid if the child works no more than 20 hours a week on the side (exceptions: minijob, apprenticeship).

How to apply for Kindergeld

You apply once at the relevant Familienkasse of the Federal Employment Agency:

• Online: the application can be filed digitally. With a BundID you can submit it electronically without printing or signing.
• Have the tax IDs ready: you need the tax identification number (Steuer-ID) of the child and of the applying parent. Via the tax ID the Familienkasse makes sure child benefit is only paid once.
• For adult children: from 18 the entitlement is no longer extended automatically. You then have to prove that the child is in training or studying.
• Backdating: child benefit is only paid retroactively for the last six months before the application is received. So apply promptly after the birth.

Payout: when does the money arrive?

Child benefit is transferred monthly. The exact payout date depends on the last digit of your child benefit number (Kindergeldnummer): lower final digits are paid earlier in the month, higher ones around the middle or end. The Familienkasse publishes a payout calendar each year with the specific dates.

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Child benefit or child allowance? The Günstigerprüfung

This is where the topic becomes tax-relevant for the self-employed. For each child there is either the ongoing child benefit or the child allowance — not both. Which option is more favourable for you is determined automatically by the tax office at the income tax assessment, in the so-called Günstigerprüfung (more-favourable check):

• Child allowance 2026: EUR 9,756 per child in total for married couples (EUR 6,828 material subsistence minimum + EUR 2,928 for care, upbringing and education). Under individual assessment each parent is entitled to half, i.e. EUR 4,878.
• How the comparison works: the tax office calculates how much tax the child allowance saves and compares that with the child benefit paid during the year. If the tax saving is higher, the allowance is applied and the child benefit is offset against it.
• For most families the child benefit is just as good or better. The child allowance only pays off at higher incomes — roughly from a taxable income of around EUR 70,000 (couples), or about half that for singles.
• Soli and church tax: for the solidarity surcharge and church tax the child allowance is always deducted — regardless of the Günstigerprüfung result for income tax.

You don't have to decide or tick anything: the check runs automatically. All that matters is that your children are recorded in the tax return (Anlage Kind).

Kindergeld for the self-employed

For eligibility it makes no difference whether you are employed or self-employed — you receive child benefit as a self-employed person just the same. Three points are still worth knowing as a self-employed parent:

• Child benefit is tax-free: it is not part of your business income and does not increase your profit. It does not appear in the EÜR cash-basis accounts.
• The child allowance lowers your tax: through the Günstigerprüfung it can reduce your income tax — and therefore also affect your estimated tax prepayments. With fluctuating income, that's a lever worth knowing.
• Self-employed and employed: if you are both, your total taxable income counts for the Günstigerprüfung. How that is calculated is explained in Self-employed and employed: paying tax correctly.

Expert opinion

Many parents ask me whether they should choose child benefit or the child allowance — but the tax office decides that automatically. As a self-employed person it pays off more to keep a clean view of your ongoing income: that's what determines which option applies to you and how high your tax really ends up.

Keep track of your tax with Norman

Whether the child benefit or the child allowance ends up counting for you depends on your taxable income — and for the self-employed that is only fixed at year-end. With Norman you don't have to guess:

• Live tax calculation: Norman calculates your estimated income tax in real time from your ongoing income and expenses — with the allowances that apply to you.
• Reserves under control: you always see how much to set aside for tax, instead of calculating with rough rules of thumb.
• Planning certainty: especially as a parent with irregular income, you know early what's coming.

Frequently asked questions about Kindergeld 2026

How much is child benefit in 2026?

In 2026 child benefit is EUR 259 per child per month — the same regardless of the number of children. That's an increase of EUR 4 compared with 2025 (EUR 255).

Until when do you receive child benefit?

In principle until the 18th birthday. In training, studies or voluntary service until the 25th birthday at the latest, and for children seeking work until the 21st birthday. For a disability that arose before the 25th birthday, entitlement can exist with no age limit.

Do I have to pay tax on child benefit?

No. Child benefit is tax-free and does not have to be declared as income in the tax return. In the Günstigerprüfung it is merely offset against any child allowance.

Do the self-employed receive child benefit too?

Yes. Entitlement to child benefit does not depend on the type of work. The self-employed, freelancers and traders receive child benefit under the same conditions as employees.

Which is better — child benefit or the child allowance?

The tax office checks this automatically. For most families child benefit is just as good or better; the child allowance only pays off at higher incomes. You don't have to decide yourself.

How do I apply for child benefit?

With a one-off application to the Familienkasse of the Federal Employment Agency, most easily online. You need the tax identification numbers of the child and of the applying parent.

Conclusion

Child benefit is one of the most important family benefits in Germany: in 2026 it is EUR 259 per child per month, tax-free and not means-tested. You apply once at the Familienkasse, and the payment then runs automatically.

It becomes tax-relevant for the self-employed through the Günstigerprüfung with the child allowance — and through its effect on your estimated tax payments. Keeping an eye on both lets you size your reserves more precisely and avoid surprises.