ARTICLE
13 April 2026

Tax-Free Bonus 2.0 – What Employers Need To Know About The “Relief Bonus”

Germany's coalition committee has agreed to introduce a relief bonus of up to €1,000 for employees, similar to the inflation compensation bonus during the COVID-19 pandemic. Employers will likely be able to grant this special payment with tax and social security privileges, though specific design details are still pending.
Germany Employment and HR
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On April 13, 2026, the coalition committee agreed on the introduction of a “relief bonus” of up to €1,000. Details on its specific design are not yet available. However, similar to the inflation compensation bonus during the COVID-19 pandemic, employers are expected to have the option to grant employees a tax- and social security-privileged special payment.

Find out what employers need to consider from an employment law perspective in our HR News blog post by Dr. Thomas Gennert and Lisa Scheipers. Visit the blog and/or register now for regular HR News updates (in German).

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

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