📈 Germany Capital Gains Tax (Abgeltungsteuer) Calculator

Kapitalertragsteuer is the German flat-rate tax on private capital income - interest, dividends and realized gains from shares and funds. Since 2009 it has been collected as the Abgeltungsteuer at a uniform 25%, a deliberate simplification that replaced the old progression with one clear rate. The bank withholds it at source, which is why most German investors never file a separate return on these earnings. The companion levy, modelled in the solidarity surcharge tool, adds 5.5% on top of the tax itself.

Two features decide whether you actually pay. First, the Sparerpauschbetrag (saver allowance): 1,000 euro of capital income per year is tax-free for singles, 2,000 euro for married couples filing jointly. Income within the allowance escapes Abgeltungsteuer, Soli and church tax alike. Second, the church tax: members of a church registered for church tax pay an extra 8% (Bavaria, Baden-Wuerttemberg) or 9% (other states) on the 25% tax - the same mechanism shown in the church tax calculator. A non-church-member simply leaves that line at zero.

What is NOT here: the old progressive rates on investment income were abolished in 2009, so there is no marginal-rate step-up no matter how large the gain. Loss offset (Verlusttopf) and the Teileinheitsbewertung of funds are also outside this simple estimate. The tool below takes your gross capital income for the year and returns the full breakdown.

The chain has four stages, applied in order:

1. Taxable income = max(0, gross income - saver allowance). Single gets 1,000 euro, joint 2,000 euro. Below the allowance nothing is due. 2. Abgeltungsteuer = 25% x taxable income. 3. Solidarity surcharge = 5.5% x Abgeltungsteuer. 4. Church tax = 8% or 9% x Abgeltungsteuer (only for church members, by state). The total deduction is the sum of the three.

Worked example: 10,000 euro of capital income, single, North Rhine-Westphalia (9% church state). Taxable = 10,000 - 1,000 = 9,000 euro. Abgeltungsteuer = 2,250.00 euro. Soli = 123.75 euro. Church tax = 9% x 2,250 = 202.50 euro. Total = 2,576.25 euro, an effective rate of 28.625% on the taxable 9,000 euro (28.375% in the 8% states). The derived metric worth watching is exactly this effective rate, because it shows how much of the taxable slice actually reaches the taxman.

All three levies stack on the 25% tax. The table shows the effective rate on the taxable slice after the saver allowance.

In Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemberg the church-tax line is 2.0% instead of 2.25%, giving a 28.375% total. Income within the 1,000 / 2,000 euro allowance is free of all three.

The Sparerpauschbetrag is deducted before the 25% tax is applied.

1. Enter your gross capital income for the year in euro (interest, dividends, realized share and fund gains).
2. Select filing status - single (1,000 euro saver allowance) or married / joint (2,000 euro).
3. If you are a church member, choose your state so the 8% or 9% church tax is applied; non-members leave it off.
4. Click Calculate to see taxable income, the 25% Abgeltungsteuer, the 5.5% solidarity surcharge, the church tax and the total.
5. Compare the effective rate and, for cross-border or fund holdings, confirm the estimate against your bank statement or a Steuerberater.

What is the German capital gains tax rate in 2026?

Private capital income is taxed at a flat 25% Abgeltungsteuer. On top of that comes a 5.5% solidarity surcharge on the tax, and - for church members - an 8% or 9% church tax on the tax. The combined effective rate on taxable income is 28.625% in the 9% church states and 28.375% in Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemberg.

How does the 1,000 / 2,000 euro saver allowance work?

The Sparerpauschbetrag exempts the first 1,000 euro of capital income (2,000 euro for married couples filing jointly) from all three taxes. Income within the allowance is completely free; only the amount above it is taxed at 25%. Set a Freistellungsauftrag at your bank so it is applied automatically.

Do I pay church tax on capital gains?

Only if you are a church member registered for church tax. Then 8% (Bavaria, Baden-Wuerttemberg) or 9% (the other fourteen states) of the 25% Abgeltungsteuer is added. Non-members pay nothing on that line. The allowance still applies first, so small incomes below 1,000 / 2,000 euro owe no tax at all.

Is the 25% rate really final?

For most private investors the Abgeltungsteuer is a final, capped tax - there is no progression no matter how large the gain, unlike wage or business income. Exceptions include certain forward transactions, and the Günstigerprüfung that can elect progression for low overall incomes. Foreign withholding and fund partial exemptions are handled separately.

Are losses deducted?

Private capital losses are pooled in a Verlusttopf and offset against future capital gains, not against other income. This simple calculator does not model the loss pot; if you have carry-forward losses your real bill will be lower than shown. The bank tracks the pot and applies it automatically.

Is this estimate binding?

No. The calculator applies the statutory 2026 25% rate, 5.5% Soli, the saver allowance and the church-tax mechanism for orientation. Fund partial exemptions, foreign credit, loss offset and the Günstigerprüfung are not modelled; for a binding figure use your bank statement or a Steuerberater.

This tool is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Consult a qualified financial professional for advice specific to your situation.

Set up a Freistellungsauftrag with your bank so the saver allowance is applied automatically and you are not taxed on the first 1,000 / 2,000 euro. Without it the bank withholds the full 25% and you must reclaim the allowance in your annual return.

The allowance is per person, so a married couple can shield 2,000 euro even if only one spouse earns the income - file jointly to use both halves. Church members should enter their state so the 8% or 9% line is correct; non-members set the church-tax toggle off.

Remember the 25% is final for most private investors, but dividends from foreign holdings and certain fund distributions can carry partial foreign withholding that Germany credits rather than re-taxes. For large portfolios, loss offsetting across years and the fund-level partial exemption (Teilfreistellung) can change the real figure materially.