Audio, tap-to-translate and flashcards are in the app.

Get the app
All news

Kindergeld kommt ab 2027 oft ohne Antrag

From 2027, child benefit often comes without an application

Kindergeld kommt ab 2027 oft ohne Antrag

Based on reporting by tagesschau (ARD). Independently rewritten from the facts into graded German by Mitlesen — not a translation of the original article.

Parents in Germany get money for their children. This money is called child benefit. Until now, parents have had to fill in an application after the birth. They send the application to the family benefits office. From 2027, this will often be different. Then child benefit will go into the bank account automatically. Many parents will no longer have to apply. The Bundesrat now says yes to the new law. The Bundestag was already in favour a few months ago. With the new law, parents have less work after the birth.

Kindergeld kommt ab 2027 oft ohne Antrag in English

Ab 2027 bekommen viele Eltern das Kindergeld automatisch, ohne einen Antrag zu stellen. Der Bundesrat hat dem neuen Gesetz jetzt zugestimmt. Der Bundestag hatte schon vor der Sommerpause Ja gesagt.

From 2027, many parents will get child benefit automatically, without having to apply. The Bundesrat has now approved the new law. The Bundestag had already said yes before the summer break.

Bisher müssen Eltern das Kindergeld nach der Geburt selbst bei der Familienkasse beantragen. Das Bundesfinanzministerium schätzt, dass durch das neue Gesetz jedes Jahr rund 300.000 Anträge wegfallen.

At present, parents have to apply for child benefit themselves at the family benefits office after a birth. The Federal Ministry of Finance estimates that the new law will do away with around 300,000 applications every year.

Die Reform kommt im Laufe des Jahres 2027 in zwei Schritten. Zuerst gilt sie für Familien, die schon für mindestens ein Kind Kindergeld bekommen. Wird dort ein weiteres Baby geboren, zahlt die Familienkasse das Geld automatisch an die Person, die schon Kindergeld bekommt.

The reform will be introduced in two steps over the course of 2027. First, it applies to families who already get child benefit for at least one child. If another baby is born in such a family, the family benefits office automatically pays the money to the person who already receives child benefit.

Danach funktioniert das auch beim ersten Kind. Dafür muss mindestens ein Elternteil mit dem Kind in Deutschland wohnen und ein Elternteil hier arbeiten. Außerdem muss die Familienkasse die Bankverbindung kennen.

After that, this will also work for the first child. For this, at least one parent must live with the child in Germany, and one parent must work here. In addition, the family benefits office must know the bank details.

Von der Geburt erfährt die Familienkasse über andere Behörden. Die Meldebehörde informiert das Bundeszentralamt für Steuern, und das Kind bekommt dort eine Steuer-ID. Dann schickt das Bundeszentralamt die Daten an die Familienkasse. Die Behörden sollen mehr Daten austauschen, damit Eltern nichts doppelt einreichen müssen.

The family benefits office learns about the birth through other authorities. The registration office informs the Federal Central Tax Office, and the child is given a tax ID there. The Federal Central Tax Office then sends the data to the family benefits office. The authorities are to share more data so that parents do not have to submit anything twice.

Die Familienkasse prüft aber weiterhin, ob eine Familie Anspruch auf Kindergeld hat. Wenn Informationen fehlen oder es Zweifel gibt, schickt die Familienkasse den Eltern einen Brief mit einem teilweise ausgefüllten Antrag.

However, the family benefits office will continue to check whether a family is entitled to child benefit. If information is missing or there are doubts, the family benefits office sends the parents a letter with a partly completed application.

Eltern können ihre IBAN schon jetzt beim Bundeszentralamt für Steuern hinterlegen – über ELSTER oder die App „IBAN+“.

Parents can already register their IBAN with the Federal Central Tax Office – through ELSTER or the “IBAN+” app.

Source: tagesschau (ARD) — all-rights-reserved. Facts adapted into graded German by Mitlesen.

Cover image: "2018-06-07 Newborn baby feet & mother" by sergio santos — CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons) — source.

Read on in the app

Audio narration, tap-to-translate and flashcards — and a fresh German article every day.

Every German sentence is paired with its English translation — read the German on its own, or check the English line by line. In the app the same text also reads in Persian, Turkish and Arabic.