Guides
Plain-English explainers on German taxes, insurance, and self-employment — each with live, worked examples.
German Net Salary, Explained: How Much of Your Gross You Actually Keep
A plain-English guide to how a German gross salary turns into net pay — income tax, solidarity surcharge, church tax, and the four social insurances.
7 min read
Freiberufler or Gewerbe? What the Difference Actually Costs You
Whether you register as a Freiberufler or a Gewerbe in Germany barely changes your tax — §35 sees to that. The real decision is classification and paperwork. With live worked examples.
9 min read
German Steuerklasse, Explained: Which Class You're In and What It Costs
Your Steuerklasse sets your monthly withholding, not your total tax. Here's what each of the six classes means in euros, the real married-couple III/V vs IV/IV decision, and what's changing in 2030 — with live numbers.
8 min read
Understanding Your German Payslip: Every Line Explained
Your first German Gehaltsabrechnung is a wall of abbreviations. Here's every line decoded in plain English — Lohnsteuer, KV, PV, RV, AV — with a live €60,000 example showing exactly how your gross becomes your net.
9 min read
PKV vs GKV: private vs public health insurance in Germany
Germany's once-in-a-career health-insurance choice, explained even-handedly: how GKV and PKV each work, what each costs at your salary (the GKV cost computed to the euro), the JAEG gate, who each suits, and why PKV is hard to undo.
8 min read