Child benefit calculator 2020 - quickly - simply calculate the amount of child benefit

With our child benefit calculator, you can easily calculate your entitlement to child benefit. The computer looks at your child’s constellation and considers possible counting children. As a result, you can see the child benefit amount and the total for each child.

In some cases, simply looking at the pay table is enough to determine the amount of child benefit. However, if it is not an “ordinary” family composition and, for example, children from a previous relationship, adult children or students live in the household, there are a few things you need to consider. Our child benefit calculator will help you here. With this you can calculate the amount of child benefit in no time – and this also for your individual family constellations.

Calculate child benefit

Your child benefit is calculated based on how many children live in the household. The family fund also looks at how old they are and what level of education or profession they have. The calculation of your child benefit can therefore be easier or more complicated. For example, it is quite simple when your first child is born. In this case, you can read the sentence from the child benefit payout table, which then applies to your child’s 18th year. In order to give all parents a brief overview of the amount of child benefit, we have listed them again for the period from 2017 to 2020:

2017	2018	2019	2020
1st + 2nd child	192 €	194 €	204 €	204 €
3rd child	198 €	200 €	210 €	210 €
from 4th child	223 €	225 €	235 €	235 €

After the child benefit had already been raised by two euros in 2018, parents can look forward to another increase from July 1, 2019 – this time by as much as ten euros. The child benefit amount has been valid for 2020 until the end of the year since July 2019. No child benefit increase is currently planned for 2020.

However, you must take additional factors into account if your child is an adult. Furthermore, the so-called counting children also play a role in the calculation of child benefit. And then at the latest the pay table will reach its limits. If you want to know in advance when the child benefit will be paid, a glance at our overview of the child benefit payment dates is sufficient.

Use child benefit calculator: It’s that easy

The above child benefit calculator is designed so that you as a parent have to enter as little information as possible. In order to calculate the correct amount of child benefit, various factors are decisive, such as the status of children with regard to education, age or the number of children. All relevant information can be entered, after which the calculation is carried out automatically. You can see what information you need to enter here:

Period: Here you enter the respective period or the year in which you want to receive child benefit (Important note: From July 1, 2019, child benefit will be increased by ten euros)
Number of Children: The number of children is of fundamental importance for the calculation of child benefit, as it is a staggered counting method. The so-called counting children may have to be taken into account here.
Age and status of your children: The age and status of the children are also extremely important for the calculation of child benefit. The information about the age is self-explanatory; the status means the child’s educational or professional status. A distinction is made here between various information, which we now want to take a closer look at.

Zählkind

A possible status of the child would be the status as a counting child. Counted children are children who come from a previous relationship and for which the other parent receives child benefit. The parent in a new relationship can still include the counting child in the calculation, even if no direct child benefit is paid for this. Instead, a counting child ensures that the number of children in the family increases theoretically. Younger (half) siblings slip into the rating and more child benefit is paid.

Minor child

As already mentioned, child support for a minor child is not subject to any conditions. The entitlement exists up to the age of 18. In some cases, child benefit can even be granted beyond that. However, only if certain requirements are met.

Under 21 and looking for a job

If the child is under the age of 21, there is a right to child benefit if the child is registered with the Federal Employment Agency as looking for work. Exactly the same applies when looking for a training position, whereby in both cases a maximum reference period must be observed. The child benefit is paid out without restriction if the child is in training or studying.

Under 25 years old and pupil / trainee / student

You indicate this status if your child has not yet reached the age of 25 and is in school, vocational training or university, for example. In addition, this also applies if, for example, the waiting time between a completed apprenticeship and a new apprenticeship has to be bridged. The prerequisite for this is, of course, that the offspring live in the parents’ household.

Disabled and unemployed

Child benefits are paid in Germany up to the age of 25, taking advantage of all legal options. The only exception to this are the disabled children who are unable to work. Here, child benefit is paid regardless of age, professional or school status. The prerequisite for this is, however, that the disability occurred before the age of 25. In addition, evidence of the child’s disability must be provided.

Example of calculating child benefit

In order to understand the theory as quickly as possible, a look at the practice helps. We have therefore given an example below, with the the calculation of the child benefit or use of the child benefit calculator can be understood. The following information applies to our sample family:

Mother Anna and father Bernd have a child together – Timo, 6 years old
Father Bernd also has one daughter (Lisa, 23, student) and a son (Tim, 19, looking for an apprenticeship) from a previous relationship, who live with their mother (counting children)

If the family now wants to find out how much child benefit they are entitled to, this is simply calculated using the following steps:

1. Check children’s entitlement to child benefit

First of all, mother Anna and father Bernd have to check which children are entitled to child benefit. First of all, little Timo is considered here, who, as a six-year-old child, is fully entitled to receiving child benefit. In addition, daughter Lisa also plays a role in this case. Lisa’s mother receives child benefit for her because Lisa lives with her. Father Bernd can bring Lisa into the calculation as a counting child. Despite her 23 years, Lisa is justified because she is studying or studying as a student. The situation is similar with son Tim. At the age of 19, he is entitled because he is registered as an apprentice with the employment agency. Tim could also be included in the calculation as a counting child.

2. Determine the number of children including counting children

In the next step, the family must now determine or read out how many children live in their own household. With mother Anna and father Bernd, this is just a child with little Timo. Now, however, the counting child advantage comes into play, because father Bernd can also include daughter Lisa and son Tim in the calculation. In this case Lisa is the first child of the family at the age of 23, Tim is child number two at 19. At the age of six, Timo is the youngest child and, accordingly, the third child.

(Counting) child 1: Lisa, 23 years old, studying
(Counting) child 2: Tim, 19 years old, looking for training
Child 3: Timo, 6 years old

3. Apply child benefit table

After the entitlement to child benefit has been clarified, the child benefit table can be used to check how high the entitlement is. Since the two children from the previous relationship are counted as counting children, Timo is considered the third child in the family. The rate for the third child is paid according to the child benefit table – even though it is effectively the first and only child in the household. So for the parents, the counting children result financially an enormous advantage.

Conclusion: calculate easily and quickly

Depending on the family constellation in the household, the calculation of child benefit is easy or a little more complicated. It becomes particularly demanding when there are several children with different requirements regarding age or professional and school status. In addition, the counting children can have a massive impact on the calculation. The easiest way is to use our child benefit calculator, in which all this information is taken into account. In this way, you can calculate your child benefit within a few moments without having to perform numerous arithmetic steps and long searches.