Current for 2026•As of: July 2026

Parental Maintenance Calculator 2026 Check the €100,000 threshold.

Check for free whether you owe maintenance for your parents – including the €100,000 income threshold, self-retention amount and payable amount

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Your own income

€/year
0 €/year200,000 €/year
€/month
0 €/month15,000 €/month

Marital status

Increases the self-retention amount (family self-retention amount)

Parents' care need

€/month
0 €/month5,000 €/month

Nursing home or care costs minus the parents' pension and own assets.

€100,000 threshold (§ 94 para. 1a SGB XII)

Since the Relatives Relief Act (2020), children only have to pay if their own gross annual income exceeds €100,000. The income of a spouse or partner does not count towards this threshold.

No parental maintenance owed

0 €

Threshold under § 94 para. 1a SGB XII

Your gross annual income is at or below 100,000 €. Since the Relatives Relief Act (2020), children below this threshold are generally not obliged to pay parental maintenance.

Important notes

  • • Your own gross annual income is at or below the statutory threshold of 100,000 €. You are generally not liable for parental maintenance (§ 94 para. 1a SGB XII, Relatives Relief Act).
  • • A presumption rule applies: the welfare office only asks about your income details if there are concrete indications that the threshold is exceeded.

Important note

These calculations are for non-binding information only and do not replace professional tax advice. All information without guarantee. Learn more

Sources & calculation basis

Our calculations are based on the following official sources (as of: July 2026):

Parental maintenance: the €100,000 income threshold since 2020

If parents become in need of care and their own pension and assets are not enough to cover nursing home or care costs, the social welfare office initially steps in. Since the Relatives Relief Act (Angehörigen-Entlastungsgesetz) (in force since 1 January 2020), the welfare office may only claim reimbursement from children if their own gross annual income exceeds €100,000 (§ 94 para. 1a SGB XII).

This threshold applies individually per child and independently of the income of a spouse or partner. As a result, the vast majority of working children are exempt from parental maintenance.

The most important points

Individual assessment
The €100,000 threshold applies to each child individually – siblings’ incomes are not added together.
Only your own income
The income of a spouse or partner does not count towards this threshold check.
Presumption rule
The welfare office only asks about income details if there are concrete indications the threshold is exceeded.
Total income counts
What matters is total income under § 16 SGB IV – including capital gains and rental income.

Calculation above the €100,000 threshold

Example: €120,000 gross annual income, single, €900 care need

Example: €120,000 gross annual income, single, €900 care need
ItemAmount
Gross annual income€120,000
Monthly net income€4,500
- Appropriate self-retention amount- €2,650
Income above self-retention amount€1,850
x 30% (countable)€555
Capped by care need€555 (< €900)

What affects the amount of parental maintenance?

  1. Appropriate self-retention amount: Reinstated in the Düsseldorf Table 2026 for the first time since 2020: €2,650 for single people (BGH, XII ZB 6/24).
  2. Family self-retention amount: If married or in a registered partnership, the self-retention amount increases by €2,120 for the partner.
  3. 70% exemption: Of the income above the self-retention amount, 70% is exempt – only 30% counts towards the maintenance.
  4. Actual care need: Maintenance is never calculated higher than what is actually needed to cover the care costs.

Reclaiming gifts: a separate matter

Independent of the €100,000 threshold for ongoing parental maintenance, the social welfare office may, under certain circumstances, reclaim gifts made by the parents (§ 528 BGB) if these occurred within 10 years before the onset of need. This applies even to children whose income is below the €100,000 threshold.

Frequently asked questions about parental maintenance

Everything important about the €100,000 threshold and the calculation

Since the Relatives Relief Act (in force since 1 January 2020), children only have to pay once their own gross annual income exceeds €100,000 (§ 94 para. 1a SGB XII). If your income is below that, you are generally not obliged to pay parental maintenance – regardless of the assets or income of your spouse.

No. The €100,000 threshold refers exclusively to the own income of the child liable for maintenance. The income of a spouse or partner is not considered for this check, but it does flow into the later maintenance calculation via the family self-retention amount if the threshold is exceeded.

Above the threshold, the appropriate self-retention amount is deducted first (€2,650 for single people, plus €2,120 family self-retention amount for spouses/partners, Düsseldorf Table 2026). Of the income above that, 70% is exempt – only 30% is used for parental maintenance. The amount is additionally capped by the actual uncovered care need of the parents.

What matters is the annual total income within the meaning of § 16 SGB IV – so not just salary, but also income from self-employment, capital assets and rentals. A presumption rule applies: the welfare office only asks about income details if there are concrete indications that the threshold is exceeded.

The €100,000 threshold applies to each child individually – the incomes of several siblings are not added together. If only one child exceeds the threshold, generally only that child is liable for maintenance.

Gifts can, under certain conditions, be reclaimed (§ 528 BGB) if the parents become in need within 10 years of the gift. This must be assessed independently of the €100,000 threshold and should be clarified with a lawyer on a case-by-case basis.

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