If work in Germany involves hourly pay, shifts and supplements, a bank transfer is not enough to check the calculation. You need a document with details. A payslip in Germany shows what the money was paid for, which deductions were applied and what amount should be paid out.
Lohnabrechnung, Gehaltsabrechnung or Entgeltabrechnung are names for a calculation of pay that you may see in documents from German companies. A payslip contains the employee’s details, the period, earnings, taxes, contributions and the final payment. It helps you check your salary for a specific month.
In Germany, an employer must provide a calculation in text form when making a payment. The payslip is usually issued on paper or made available as a PDF in the employee’s account. There is an exception: if the information has not changed compared with the last properly prepared calculation, a new document is not necessarily issued.
In Germany, there is no single issue date for all companies. Check your contract. If your salary has arrived without a payslip, ask the payroll department about the reason.
Do not confuse a monthly payslip with Lohnsteuerbescheinigung. The latter summarises income and tax withheld for the calendar year or the relevant period of employment. To check an individual salary payment, you need the calculation for that month.
Organise storage: download the files and name them by year and month. In Germany, a payslip may be needed to rent housing or resolve a pay dispute. Keep copies after your employment ends.
The format of a payslip in Germany depends on the accounting software. Use the field names as a guide: the arrangement of the sections may differ.
The beginning usually lists your name, address, employment start date, Steuer-ID, tax class and insurance details. Next come the components of your salary and deductions. The entries in the document may be written in full or abbreviated.
| Field or abbreviation | What it means |
| Abrechnungszeitraum | Period for which the calculation was made |
| Steuerklasse, StKl | Employee’s tax class |
| Gesamt-Brutto | Total gross earnings |
| Steuer-Brutto | Basis for calculating tax on salary |
| SV-Brutto | Basis for social contributions |
| Lohnsteuer, LSt | Tax withheld from salary |
| Kirchensteuer, KiSt | Church tax, if applicable |
| Solidaritätszuschlag, SolZ | Solidarity surcharge, if it must be paid |
| KV, RV, AV, PV | Health and pension insurance, unemployment insurance and insurance in case long-term care is needed |
| Netto-Verdienst | Net pay after taxes and social contributions |
| Auszahlungsbetrag | Final amount payable |
In Germany, Gesamt-Brutto, Steuer-Brutto and SV-Brutto are not always the same. Individual payments may be treated differently for tax and insurance purposes. A difference between these fields does not in itself mean there is an error.
The Netto-Verdienst line may also differ from Auszahlungsbetrag. After net pay is determined, the payslip sometimes accounts for an advance, additional deductions or expense reimbursements. To reconcile it with your bank account, you need the final amount payable.
The check starts with your employment contract, records of hours and bank statement. If your salary depends on hours, keep your own shift calendar.
Check the calculation in this order:
For example, with an agreed rate of 16 euros gross and 160 paid hours, basic earnings amount to 2560 euros. If a bonus of 100 euros is also due, the total amount of these earnings is 2660 euros. Taxes and contributions are calculated separately, taking your details into account.
For a salary in Germany, it is important to distinguish hours actually worked from other paid hours. If you were on holiday or ill, part of the pay may appear on a separate line. Overtime hours are sometimes credited to a working time account rather than paid immediately. Check your contract and the company’s rules.
A hypothetical example of the final reconciliation: the payslip shows net pay of 2100 euros, but you previously received an advance of 300 euros. If there are no other adjustments, the final payment is 1800 euros. A smaller transfer in this case does not mean you have lost part of your salary.
Do not treat all listed contributions as your own deductions. The payslip may separately show the employer’s share, labelled Arbeitgeberanteil. You do not need to deduct it from your income again.
If your salary has changed, compare the lines for two months. The reason may be different hours, a supplement, a change in tax details or a recalculation.
First, check your email and work portal. In Germany, a payslip may be placed in your account without a separate paper copy. If you do not have access, ask your employer or payroll department in writing to provide the calculation for the month you need.
If you find an error, specify the exact line and discrepancy. For example: “For May, 152 hours were included instead of 160. I am attaching my shift records and asking you to check the earnings.” Keep a copy of your request and confirmation that it was received.
If the payslip is correct but there is less money in your account, ask for an explanation of the transfer or confirmation of payment. The document shows the salary calculation, but does not in itself confirm that the required amount actually arrived.
When the employer does not respond or does not resolve the discrepancy, contact a trade union, the Faire Integration advisory service or a labour law specialist in Germany. Claims for underpaid wages may be subject to deadlines in the employment contract or collective agreement. Do not delay seeking help.
Check your payslip in Germany against your contract, time records and bank statement. Keep the documents and ask about unclear lines so that you can spot an error in time.
