German salary breakdown
Salary and income are generally a taboo topic in many cultures, and Germany is no exception. It is uncommon to discuss your income at all, as deemed private. Personally, I totally get it and feel the same way. However, this veil of secrecy often obscures details that distort the big picture. As an employee, the most important figure regarding your compensation is a gross salary. Gross salary is the base amount a company offers you; every other calculation is relative to this number. After all mandatory deductions are made, what you keep is your net income. It sounds simple enough, but there is more to it than that. ...