Payslip (Lohnabrechnung)

Blue Numbers

1. StKl. (Steuerklasse) – Tax class 

2. Konfession or Rel. (Religion) – needed for Chruch tax

3. Freibetrag or Steuerfr. Bezug (Steuerfreibezug) – Tax-free allowance

4. KK % – Your health insurance contribution rate

5. Steuer-ID – Tax ID number

6. Brutto Bezüge - Gross (taxable) earnings

7. Steuer/Sozialversicherung - Taxes /Social Security Contributions

*for those who have kids: Ki.Frbtr. (Kinderfreibeträge) or ZKF (Zahl der Kinderfreibeträge) - Number of tax exemptions for children 

Red Numbers

1. Gesamtbrutto-Total gross salary

2. Lohnsteuer (LSt.)- Income Tax: What is transferred over to the tax office.  

3. Kirchensteuer (KiSt.)- Church tax: In Germany, it's about 8/9 percent of income.

4. Solidaritätszuschlag- Solidarity surcharge: Introduced to aid in the reconstruction of East Germany after unification. Waived unless you make around 73,000 annually, then it's 5.5%.

5. Steuerrechtliche Abzüge - Total tax to be paid

6. KV-Beitrag (Krankenversicherung) -Employee contribution to statutory health insurance:  Employer pays half. 

7. RV-Beitrag (Rentenversicherung)- Statutory pension insurance

8. AV-Beitrag (Arbeitlosenverischerung) -Unemployment insurance

9. PV-Beitrag (Pflegeversicherung) - Compulsory long-term care insurance

10. SV-rechtliche Abzüge -Total deductions for social insurance (employee’s share)

11. Nettoverdienst or Auszahlungsbetrag - Net salary (Amount transferred to you

12.  Verdienstbescheinigung - Statement of earnings (for the year) and total tax payments (paid in the year)

13. Total Social Security Payments (Insurance, Pension, etc)

14. SV-AG-Anteil (Sozialversicherung Arbeitgeber Anteil) - Sum of all Social Security contributions paid by the employer

Words that should make you happy to see:

• Einmalbezug or Einmalzahlung – One-time bonus (holidays, achievements, etc)

• Urlaubsgeld – Holiday pay

• ST-frei (Steuerfreie Bezüge) – Tax-free benefits