€200 a month, 7%, 0.2% TER, 25 years
Paid in €60,000, value €152,052, tax on selling €16,731.
ETF savings plan calculator (Germany)
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The return is a constant yearly average with the TER taken off. Tax: everything is sold at the end, 30% of the gain is tax-free for equity ETFs (Teilfreistellung), the saver's allowance comes off, and the rest is taxed at 26.375% including solidarity surcharge. No church tax and no Vorabpauschale.
%
years
%
Fund type
Tax-free allowance
Portfolio value after 25 years
€152,052
You pay in €60,000 and €92,052 is growth. After tax on selling, €135,320 is left.
- Paid in
- €60,000
- Gain
- €92,052
- Tax on selling
- €16,731
- After tax
- €135,320
Year 1Year 13Year 25
Year by year
| Year | Paid in | Gain | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | €2,400 | €74 | €2,474 |
| 2 | €4,800 | €316 | €5,116 |
| 3 | €7,200 | €738 | €7,938 |
| 4 | €9,600 | €1,352 | €10,952 |
| 5 | €12,000 | €2,170 | €14,170 |
| 6 | €14,400 | €3,208 | €17,608 |
| 7 | €16,800 | €4,479 | €21,279 |
| 8 | €19,200 | €6,000 | €25,200 |
| 9 | €21,600 | €7,787 | €29,387 |
| 10 | €24,000 | €9,859 | €33,859 |
| 11 | €26,400 | €12,236 | €38,636 |
| 12 | €28,800 | €14,937 | €43,737 |
| 13 | €31,200 | €17,985 | €49,185 |
| 14 | €33,600 | €21,404 | €55,004 |
| 15 | €36,000 | €25,218 | €61,218 |
| 16 | €38,400 | €29,454 | €67,854 |
| 17 | €40,800 | €34,142 | €74,942 |
| 18 | €43,200 | €39,312 | €82,512 |
| 19 | €45,600 | €44,997 | €90,597 |
| 20 | €48,000 | €51,232 | €99,232 |
| 21 | €50,400 | €58,053 | €108,453 |
| 22 | €52,800 | €65,502 | €118,302 |
| 23 | €55,200 | €73,620 | €128,820 |
| 24 | €57,600 | €82,454 | €140,054 |
| 25 | €60,000 | €92,052 | €152,052 |
How an ETF savings plan grows
With a savings plan you buy ETF units for a fixed amount every month. Gains stay in the account and grow too, which is compounding. In the first years the account is almost all your own deposits; later the gain is the bigger part.
At €200 a month, 7% return and 0.2% TER, you pay in €60,000 over 25 years and the account is worth about €152,000. At €500 a month over 30 years, €180,000 paid in grows to about €564,000.
Costs matter more than they look over long periods. A TER 0.5 points higher costs about €10,700 on €200 a month over 25 years, which is why cheap index ETFs usually beat actively managed funds.
In Germany most tax falls due when you sell. For an equity ETF, 30% of the gain is tax-free, the saver's allowance comes off the rest, and what remains pays 25% capital gains tax plus solidarity surcharge. Selling over several years lets you use the allowance more than once. For a plain savings account, use the compound interest calculator.
Sources
What this calculator does not account for
- Swings and losses: the return is a fixed average, not a promise.
- The Vorabpauschale, church tax, order fees and inflation.
How this is calculated
Formula: Savings plan with monthly deposits
balance(new) =balance × (1 + m) + deposit, m =(1 + return − TER)^(1/12) − 1What the symbols mean
- returnExpected average growth per year.
- TERThe fund's yearly running costs, taken off the return.
- tax(gain × 70% − allowance) × 26.375% for equity ETFs.
Good to know
- The 70% comes from the 30% Teilfreistellung (partial exemption) for equity funds.
- Without tax and in rupees, use the SIP calculator.
Read the full methodologyFound an error? Contact us
Worked examples
Each example is worked out by the same code as the calculator above.
€500 a month, 7%, 0.2% TER, 30 years
Paid in €180,000, value €563,612, tax on selling €70,561.
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<iframe src="/embed/etf-savings-plan-calculator-germany" title="ETF savings plan (DE)" width="100%" height="720" style="border:0;max-width:42rem" loading="lazy"></iframe>Questions
How much does a €200 a month ETF plan make?
At 7% return and 0.2% TER, about €152,000 after 25 years. You pay in €60,000; the rest is growth. After tax on selling, about €135,000 is left.
What return is realistic?
A global equity ETF such as the MSCI World has returned about 6% to 8% a year over the long run, with large swings. That is no promise for the future.
What is the Teilfreistellung?
For equity funds holding at least 51% shares, 30% of the gains are tax-free. It makes up for the tax the fund already pays on dividends.
What is the Vorabpauschale?
A small yearly advance tax on accumulating funds, based on the base interest rate. It is credited when you sell, so you do not pay twice. The calculator leaves it out and taxes everything at the end.
How big is the saver's allowance?
€1,000 a year for singles and €2,000 for married couples. Investment income up to that is tax-free once you give your broker an exemption order (Freistellungsauftrag).