On 1 and 2 July 2026 the German coalition committee agreed on an income tax reform. For small and medium incomes it brings relief — at the upper end it creates a new 47% bracket, and the 45% threshold drops substantially. This article works through the actual marginal burden, shows where sole traders end up above 50%, and consistently separates what has been politically agreed from what is already law.
The new tax brackets
| Rate | Currently from | In future from | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top rate (42%) | EUR 69,879 | EUR 70,600 | Agreed, implementation 2027 |
| Wealth rate (45%) | EUR 277,826 | EUR 250,000 | Agreed, implementation expected 2028 |
| New top bracket (47%) | — | EUR 280,000 | Agreed, implementation expected 2028 |
The decisive movement is in the middle row: the 45% threshold drops by roughly EUR 27,800. Anyone sitting just below the wealth rate today can grow into it without their real income having risen at all. Raising the 42% threshold to EUR 70,600 pulls the other way, but at just over EUR 700 the shift is modest.
Why 47% effectively becomes 49.6%
The solidarity surcharge is assessed at 5.5% on the assessed income tax, not on income. It therefore acts as a multiplier on the top rate:
The calculation step by step
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Marginal rate
The top slice will attract 47% income tax.
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Solidarity surcharge
5.5% of 47% adds roughly 2.6 percentage points.
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Effective marginal burden
47% + 2.6% ≈ 49.6% on every additional euro earned in the top band.
For shareholders of corporations the calculation ends here. For sole traders and partners in partnerships a second layer arrives — and it tips the result past the 50% mark.
Sole traders: when trade tax is no longer fully credited
German trade tax is credited against income tax under § 35 EStG — but only up to a municipal multiplier (“Hebesatz”) of 400%. Above that, a definitive burden remains. Taking Frankfurt am Main with its 460% multiplier:
The non-creditable residual burden
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Multiplier difference
At 460%, Frankfurt sits 60 multiplier points above the 400% crediting ceiling.
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Assessment rate
With an assessment rate of 3.5%, those 60 points translate into roughly 2.1% of non-creditable burden.
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Total burden
49.6% marginal burden plus around 2.1% definitive burden — total taxation in such municipalities exceeds 50%.
A symbolically significant threshold thus falls: in high-multiplier municipalities, less than half of each additional euro earned stays with the entrepreneur. The affected locations are precisely those with the highest trade tax multipliers — predominantly the economically strongest cities.
What else hits employers
Beyond the tariff, non-wage labour costs change on several levels. The timeline shows what to expect when — and how solid each basis is:
- 1 January 2027
Minijob: flat tax from 2% to 5%
Agreed by the coalition committee to co-finance the tariff reform. At EUR 603 monthly pay, roughly EUR 18 in additional monthly cost per worker — with larger minijob teams in retail and hospitality this adds up noticeably. Around 6.8 million minijobbers are affected.
- 1 January 2027
Minijob threshold rises to EUR 633
Up from EUR 603 in line with minimum wage development — so the base for the higher flat tax grows too.
- Autumn 2026
Fundamental minijob decision still open
In June 2026 the pension commission recommended largely abolishing the special status (exception: students). The government postponed the decision — a more far-reaching reform remains possible.
- 2027 at the earliest
Sick note from day one
Planned: telephone sick notes abolished (video certification stays), certificate required from day 1 instead of day 4. No draft bill exists yet — status: announcement, not law.
- 1 January 2028
Health-insurance surcharge for covered partners
Under the GKV contribution stabilisation act, an extra 2.5 percentage points on the main insured person's contributory income where a spouse or civil partner is covered free of charge. At average incomes roughly EUR 100 per month.
The international comparison — rank 2, not rank 1
A claim circulating in the debate holds that Germany has overtaken Belgium to top the tax-burden league. The current OECD survey Taxing Wages 2026 does not support it: Germany sits at rank 2 of 38 — Belgium remains ahead.
The argument survives the correction — in fact it gets stronger. A tax wedge of 49.3% for single earners, a rise of 1.34 percentage points in a single year and a gap of roughly 14 points to the OECD mean describe the burden more precisely than an incorrect first place would. For married couples with children the figure is lower at 42.6% — that too belongs in an honest account.
What follows from this
None of this warrants panic. It warrants a sober commercial question: will this location still work for your business model in five years? Three observations help answer it:
- The direction is more consistent than any single measure. Rates up, thresholds down, new social-insurance surcharges — the individual points are provisional, the pattern is not.
- The upper middle is the specific target. EUR 250,000 of taxable income is not a wealth threshold; it is a typical figure for successful sole traders and managing shareholders.
- Timing is itself a factor. Anyone considering relocation should know that the tax cost of leaving rises with company value — covered in detail in 8.2 million want to leave.
How the burden looks in a direct location comparison is set out in Location Comparison 2026. And what a Georgian structure can realistically achieve — and what it cannot — is covered in Georgian company, German authorities.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ
Has the 2026 tax reform already been enacted?
No. It is an agreement of the coalition committee dated 1–2 July 2026. The Bundestag and Bundesrat still have to pass it through a legislative procedure, and details may change. The relief measures are scheduled for 2027, the new 45% and 47% top brackets are expected for 2028.
From when does the new 47% rate apply?
Under the agreement, from EUR 280,000 of taxable income; in parallel the threshold for the 45% rate falls from EUR 277,826 to EUR 250,000. Implementation is expected for 2028 — only the enacted statutory text will be binding.
How does the total burden exceed 50%?
From 47% income tax plus the 5.5% solidarity surcharge on it (roughly 2.6 percentage points) you get about 49.6%. For sole traders, non-creditable trade tax is added: crediting under § 35 EStG only works up to a 400% municipal multiplier. In Frankfurt am Main (460%), with an assessment rate of 3.5%, roughly 2.1% remains as a definitive burden — together above 50%.
What exactly changes for minijobs?
The flat tax rises from 2% to 5%, which at EUR 603 monthly pay means roughly EUR 18 in additional monthly cost per employee. On 1 January 2027 the earnings threshold also rises from EUR 603 to EUR 633. A more far-reaching reform up to abolition was recommended by the pension commission, but the decision was postponed to autumn 2026.
Does Germany now have the highest tax burden in the world?
No. According to OECD Taxing Wages 2026, Germany ranks 2nd of 38 OECD countries with a tax wedge of 49.3% for single average earners — Belgium is still ahead. The notable point is less the rank than the momentum: plus 1.34 percentage points against 2024, against an OECD average of 35.1%.
This article is general information and does not constitute legal or tax advice. The measures described rest largely on the coalition decision of 1–2 July 2026 and have not yet been finally enacted. For your personal tax planning please consult a tax adviser in your home country. As of July 2026, subject to changes in the legal situation.