
Understanding Your German Payslip
Basic structure of a German payslip
German payslips (Lohnabrechnung) detail gross pay, deductions, and net pay. They’re typically 1-2 pages with standardized sections.
Main components
Earnings section
- Bruttolohn: Gross salary
- Steuerbrutto: Taxable amount
- Nettoentgelt: Final take-home pay
Deductions section
- Lohnsteuer: Income tax
- Kirchensteuer: Church tax (if applicable)
- Solidaritätszuschlag: Solidarity surcharge
Social insurance contributions
- KV: Health insurance (Krankenversicherung)
- PV: Pension insurance (Pensionsversicherung)
- AV: Unemployment insurance (Arbeitslosenversicherung)
- PV: Long-term care insurance (Pflegeversicherung)
Special entries
- Urlaubsgeld: Holiday pay
- Weihnachtsgeld: Christmas bonus
- Überstunden: Overtime hours
Checking for errors
Verify your tax class (Steuerklasse) is correct. Check if allowances like child benefits appear. Confirm overtime/bonuses are included properly.