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Who brings the increase in child benefit something?
Decided thing: The parental allowance rises. For all it brings a bit - supposedly
"Do more for our children!" Now there is again movement in this demand: The parental allowance is increased, the politicians have decided in the Bundestag. This is the first increase since 2010.
That comes:
- The monthly child benefit will be retroactively increased from January 2015 by 4 euros per month .
- Next year, the child benefit for all increases again by 2 euros per month for each child.
- The rate of currently 184 euros for the first and second child will thus increase from next year to 190 euros a month.
- The third and fourth child will receive from 2016 221 instead of 215 euros.
- Low earners get a higher child allowance. Instead of 140 euros, there are now 160 euros. This is to prevent them from applying for Hartz IV in addition to income.
- All those who get Hartz IV, hardly uses the child benefit increase. Rather the opposite. Because child benefit is considered income and is therefore credited to the Hartz IV payments. The 20 euros more will take many families with little money the chance to get the same state support over Hartz IV.
Unfortunately, these increases are only minimal anyway - and actually even purely mathematically too low. For in the last five years, prices in supermarkets and Co. have risen by 6.6 percent. So to compensate for these higher costs for families, the child benefit would have to be increased by 6.6 percent. However, parents only get exactly half more with the adopted change - 3.3 percent.
And these are the new tax rules for parents :
- Particularly pleasing: single parents can deduct a higher amount than previously from the total income. The so-called "relief for single parents" increases by 600 euros for each child, for each child more, there are also 240 euros more.
- All parents can specify a higher amount as " basic allowance " in the tax return. This year it will rise by 118 euros, next year by another 180 euros to then 8652 euros.
- The child tax allowance for the tax office will increase in 2015 by 144 euros to 4512 euros. From 2016 it is 4608 euros per year.
Conclusion: Unfortunately, not all parents have some of the changes around child support and taxes. They help especially families with relatively high income and single parents. Pity! At least one step in the right direction, but certainly more would have been happy.
The Federal Council still has to agree to all changes. This approval is to be assumed.
>> Child benefit: Important facts for parents
