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Minimum wage, Bundestag, last name – what will change in 2025
Updated on December 28, 2024Reading time: 6 min.
The electronic patient file is coming and letter postage is becoming more expensive. Many reforms will come into force in 2025, which will also affect the incomes of many citizens. Where will there be more money in the future and where won’t there be?
The minimum wage will increase in 2025, and there will be new options for last names when you get married. The new year also brings some tax relief. An overview of what awaits citizens:
The basic tax allowance, i.e. the income up to which no tax has to be paid, increases. In 2025 it will be 12,096 euros. The child allowance will be increased to 9,600 euros.
By 2025, every health insurance patient should receive an electronic patient file (ePA) – unless they object. All health data such as x-rays, doctor’s letters and laboratory results should be stored in the electronic file. The introduction of the ePA is intended to make it easier to exchange documents between different doctor’s practices or with pharmacies.
The electronic patient file is to be tested in two model regions in Franconia and Hamburg from January 15th and later used nationwide.
The minimum wage will rise from 12.41 euros to 12.82 euros per hour on January 1st. There is also more for trainees: the minimum salary in the first year of training increases by 4.7 percent to 649 euros per month.
As a result of the minimum wage increase, the upper limit for so-called mini-jobs also increases. This will increase from January 538 to 556 euros per month.
Pensioners should receive higher pensions from July 1st. The official forecast for the pension increase is around 3.5 percent more. But that is not yet completely certain, because it will only be in the spring that the Federal Cabinet will determine how pensions will actually increase, depending on the current economic situation and wage developments.
Child benefit will be increased by five euros to 255 euros on January 1st. The immediate child allowance, which additionally supports families with low incomes, also increases by five euros to 25 euros per month. In addition, the child allowance increases by 60 euros per year.
The parental allowance that mothers and fathers receive as a wage replacement benefit if they stay at home after the birth of a child should only go to couples who have a taxable annual income of a maximum of 175,000 euros. This new limit applies if the child is born on or after April 1st.
Anyone who transfers money within the euro area can do so in real time at all banks nationwide from October 9th – at any time. According to the relevant EU regulation, all banks must be able to receive such real-time transfers from January 9th. They also must not be more expensive than other transfers.
From January onwards, a standard letter in Germany will cost 95 cents, 10 cents more than before. Other types of shipments from Deutsche Post are also becoming more expensive. In addition, the post office is abolishing the priority letter: anyone who now wants to send urgent mail has to rely on the more expensive registered mail.
The delivery of letters is slowing down. Starting next year, according to a government regulation, the post office will no longer have to deliver 80 percent of letters on the next working day; instead, 95 percent of standard letters will only have to arrive on the third working day after they are posted.
From May 1st, spouses will be allowed to use a common double name with or without a hyphen. Previously, only one spouse could take such a name.
Even if their parents decide against a double name, children can have a double name under the new naming law. If the parents do not choose a family name after the birth of their child, the child automatically gets a double name. In addition, the first family name that parents set for a child also applies to other children together.
Germany ticket is becoming more expensive
The 49 euro ticket becomes the 58 euro ticket. For the around 13 million users of the Deutschlandticket so far, bus and train travel will be nine euros more expensive at the turn of the year.