Which Steuerklasse saves you the most?

Germany's 6 tax classes can mean a difference of €3,000–8,000/year for couples. Find out the optimal combination for your situation in 60 seconds.

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📚 The 6 German tax classes explained

Class	Who it's for	Tax burden	Best for Elterngeld?
I	Single, divorced, widowed	Standard	N/A (single)
II	Single parent with child	Lower — Entlastungsbetrag	Yes — claim as single parent
III	Higher earner in couple	Lowest — best take-home monthly	Yes — switch to III before baby
IV	Both earners equal salary	Standard (both IV = balanced)	OK if salaries similar
V	Lower earner in couple (with III)	Highest — more tax upfront	No — avoid before baby
VI	Second job / multiple employers	Highest possible	Never — last resort only

ℹ️ Tax class changes are administrative, not binding. Married couples can change Steuerklasse once per year (application to Finanzamt). The final tax bill is settled at year-end via Steuererklärung regardless of which class you choose monthly.