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Capital gains tax in Germany 2026
Share and fund gains pay the flat 26.375% whatever the holding period — but privately held property flips the logic: fully taxable at your progressive rates within 10 years, completely tax-free after.
Your own home escapes regardless: live in it in the year of sale and the two before, and the 10-year clock doesn't matter.
At a glance
- top rate
- 26.375% (shares); up to 45% (property sold within 10 years)
- entry band
- €1,000 threshold for private-sale gains; €1,000 saver's allowance for securities
- tax year basis
- Calendar year
- filing deadline
- 31 July following the year (securities usually settled at source)
- residency basis
- Residents: worldwide gains
- regime flag
- Property tax-free after 10 years or as owner-occupied home
Rates
Capital gains by asset type (2026)
| Rate | Base | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| 26.375% | Net gain (saver's allowance applies) | Shares, funds, bonds, derivatives — any holding period |
| Your progressive rates | Full gain | Property sold within 10 years of purchase (0% after 10 years or if owner-occupied) |
| Progressive on 60% | Gain | Stakes of 1% or more in a company (partial-income method; €9,060 allowance on full exits) |
| 0% | — | Other private movable assets held over 1 year (within 1 year: taxable if total private gains reach €1,000) |
Thresholds & allowances
- Private-sale threshold€1,000 a year
Total private-transaction gains under this are entirely untaxed
- Own homeFully exempt
Owner-occupied in the year of sale and the two preceding years
Residency
Residency trigger
Residents owe tax on gains worldwide; leaving Germany with a 1%+ company stake can trigger exit tax on the paper gain.
Non-resident treatment
Non-residents are taxed on German property gains (10-year rule) and on 1%+ stakes in German companies; ordinary portfolio share gains are typically treaty-protected.
Notes
- Losses on shares can only offset share gains — a long-running constitutional dispute, but the rule stands.
- The 10-year property rule plus the owner-occupier exemption make Germany one of Europe's friendliest countries for patient private landlords.
- German nationals moving to low-tax countries can stay in the extended tax net for 10 years.
- Crypto has its own version of the holding-period logic — see the Germany crypto tax page.
FAQ
How are share gains taxed in Germany?
A flat 26.375% (25% plus solidarity surcharge) above the €1,000 saver's allowance — the same whether you held for a month or 20 years.
Is property capital gain taxed in Germany?
Only within 10 years of purchase (at your full progressive rates, up to 45%); after 10 years — or when it was your own home — the gain is completely tax-free.
What happens to my company stake if I leave Germany?
Stakes of 1% or more can face exit tax: Germany taxes the built-in gain as if you had sold on departure, with deferral options within Europe.
Figures: tax year 2026, compiled from public sources. Not tax advice.