Deducting the Altersvorsorgedepot from tax as a self-employed person

Tilman Freyenhagen

Published on 15 June 2026 · Updated on 15 July 2026 · Managing Director & Partner, Alsterspree Verlag GmbH

The Altersvorsorgedepot from 2027: a new opportunity for the self-employed

Can you deduct the new Altersvorsorgedepot from tax as a self-employed person? Yes — from the start of the reform in 2027, you can claim your own contributions, including any allowances received, in full as Sonderausgaben on your income tax return, up to the statutory maximum^[1]. A built-in Günstigerprüfung automatically makes sure, via the tax office, that you always get whichever is greater for you: the direct allowance subsidy or your individual tax saving^[1]. Especially at a high tax rate, that means substantial financial leverage. We at Vorsorgedepot-Lotse accompany you as a neutral partner on the way to your optimal retirement provision.

The legal basis and the expanded circle of eligibility

With the Altersvorsorgereformgesetz (Pension Reform Act) taking effect on 1 January 2027, the German legislator fundamentally modernises state-subsidised private pension provision. A key part of this reform is specifically opening up tax subsidies to an Altersvorsorgedepot with no guarantees^[2]. This finally gives the self-employed, freelancers and founders — who often weren't directly eligible for subsidies under the old Riester system — equal access to state-subsidised ETF savings plans. This new vehicle lets you save for retirement with strong return potential and low costs, without expensive insurance wrappers eating into your returns.

For self-employed people, this distinction is of fundamental importance. While a conventional, unsubsidised ETF savings plan does secure maximum liquidity for your ongoing business, you forgo the direct tax deduction entirely. The Altersvorsorgedepot, by contrast, lets you significantly reduce your current income tax burden. Especially with fluctuating profits, this vehicle can be used deliberately as a tax-saving model, by paying in higher contributions in profitable years. In our Altersvorsorgedepot guide, we give you all the relevant details you need to make a well-founded decision about your pension strategy. (Not investment advice within the meaning of § 1 Abs. 1a Nr. 1a KWG.)

The Sonderausgabenabzug: claiming your contributions for tax

From 2027, self-employed people can claim their contributions to the new Altersvorsorgedepot on their income tax return as Sonderausgaben, up to the statutory maximum of 1,800 euros a year. The tax office's built-in Günstigerprüfung automatically ensures you always get whichever is greater: the state allowance or your individual tax saving. This direct deduction is particularly worthwhile in high-profit years with high tax progression, to noticeably reduce your own tax burden.

How the tax relief works in practice

The core of the state subsidy is a direct reduction in your taxable income. As a self-employed person, when you pay contributions into your Altersvorsorgedepot, you enter these expenses on your annual income tax return^[1]. The tax office deducts your contributions, up to the maximum of 1,800 euros a year, as Sonderausgaben, which directly lowers your tax burden. Because self-employed people often deal with fluctuating income, the new account proves especially flexible: you can maximise contributions in strong-revenue years to get the biggest tax effect, while reducing or temporarily pausing contributions in leaner years. In the background, the Günstigerprüfung automatically checks whether the tax saving or the direct state allowance is more advantageous for you.

To calculate the exact effects for your individual income profile, the subsidy calculator is available to you. The calculations shown are for illustration only and do not constitute tax or investment advice within the meaning of the KWG. If you'd like your personal pension strategy accompanied professionally, our independent advice service can help you find qualified experts for your situation. The knowledge section also offers more in-depth tax guides.

The Günstigerprüfung: the allowance or the tax relief, calculated automatically

When you, as a self-employed person, pay contributions into the new Altersvorsorgedepot, you benefit twice over: through direct state allowances and through the Sonderausgabenabzug. Because these two routes to a subsidy affect each other, the tax office automatically carries out a so-called Günstigerprüfung as part of your annual income tax return^[1]. The principle behind it is simple: the authority calculates whether your personal tax benefit from the Sonderausgabenabzug is greater than your direct entitlement to the state allowances. If the tax saving is greater, you're refunded the difference, so you always end up with whichever subsidy is financially most advantageous for you^[3].

How the automatic calculation works

This process runs entirely in the background for you and doesn't require any extra application. You enter the own contributions you've paid into the Altersvorsorgedepot as Sonderausgaben on your tax return. The tax office then works out your hypothetical tax liability with and without this deduction. If the calculated tax saving exceeds the Grundzulage already granted, of up to 540 euros, plus any Kinderzulagen, the difference directly reduces your income tax liability^[4]. Especially for self-employed people with fluctuating income, this automatic check can lead to substantial refunds in high-profit years with a high marginal tax rate. Please note that tax model calculations are always illustrative and do not constitute individual advice (not investment advice within the meaning of § 1 Abs. 1a Nr. 1a KWG).

• Recording your own contributions: you declare your contribution payments on your annual income tax return.
• Comparative calculation: the tax office compares the tax saving from the Sonderausgabenabzug with your entitlement to the allowance.
• Automatic offsetting: if the tax benefit is higher, the allowance already accounted for is added back, and the tax office credits you with the full tax reduction.
• Optimisation timing: with fluctuating profits, you can use the subsidy calculator to work out in advance which years higher contributions are especially worthwhile.

Worked example: how a high profit reduces your tax

For self-employed people, the new Altersvorsorgedepot from 2027 is especially worthwhile in economically successful years, since the tax rate rises progressively with higher profit. The state subsidy combines direct allowances with a Sonderausgabenabzug on the income tax return. Through the so-called Günstigerprüfung, the tax office automatically determines whether the direct allowance or the tax saving from the Sonderausgabenabzug is financially more advantageous for you. If you use the maximum subsidy amount, this noticeably lowers your taxable income and reduces your direct tax burden.

In this illustrative scenario, taxable income is 60,000 euros. With a maximally subsidised contribution of 1,800 euros, you get the full state Grundzulage of 540 euros credited directly to your account. For the Sonderausgabenabzug, this own contribution, including the Grundzulage — so a total of 2,340 euros — is taken into account to reduce your tax^[1]. At an assumed personal marginal tax rate of around 40 percent, this produces a calculated tax relief of roughly 936 euros. Since the tax office offsets this against the allowance of 540 euros already granted, an additional tax refund of 396 euros remains. Subtracting this refund and the allowance from the own contribution made, your actual net financial cost for a fully funded Altersvorsorgedepot is only 864 euros.

This example shows how effectively self-employed people can reduce their tax burden through targeted contributions in high-profit years. To determine your individual tax effect precisely and run through different scenarios for your fluctuating income, you can use the subsidy calculator on our platform. Please note that all calculations and projections mentioned are purely illustrative and do not constitute tax or financial advice (not investment advice within the meaning of § 1 Abs. 1a Nr. 1a KWG).

Flexibility as your trump card: contribution strategies for fluctuating profits

High financial flexibility in day-to-day business is essential for self-employed people. Because income often fluctuates considerably, private pension provision calls for dynamic contribution planning. The new Altersvorsorgedepot from 2027 reflects this reality: you can flexibly adjust your savings rate and control contributions at any time, to make the most of the Sonderausgabenabzug. To simulate this dynamic precisely in advance, our subsidy calculator helps, offering a special mode for variable contributions. If you maximise your contributions in high-profit years, you achieve an especially large tax saving through the Sonderausgabenabzug.

Dynamic contribution management over the course of the year

Instead of committing to rigid monthly obligations, you can adjust your contributions to how your business is actually performing. The statutory rules provide that contributions can be deducted for tax as Sonderausgaben up to an annual maximum^[1]. A proven strategy is to save a smaller monthly base amount during the year and make a targeted lump-sum payment toward the end of the financial year, once your annual profit becomes reliably clear. That way, you maximise the tax benefit precisely in the years when your tax burden is highest.

• Make use of high-profit years: increase your contributions specifically in high-income years, to noticeably lower your taxable income and thus your personal tax burden.
• Bridge lean periods: reduce your savings rate to a minimum during low-revenue phases without any red tape, without your Altersvorsorgedepot having to be made contribution-free or cancelled.
• Let the Günstigerprüfung work for you: the tax office automatically checks, as part of your income tax return, whether the direct state allowance or the Sonderausgabenabzug is financially more advantageous for you.

Altersvorsorgedepot versus Rürup-Rente: comparing the two tax systems

For the self-employed and freelancers, the Riester reform opens up entirely new paths in private pension provision from 2027. Alongside the established Rürup-Rente (also known as the Basisrente, Germany's pension for the self-employed and high earners), the state-subsidised Altersvorsorgedepot will also be available to you, as we describe in detail on the knowledge section. Both systems use the Sonderausgabenabzug, but they differ fundamentally in their focus. While the Rürup-Rente is primarily aimed at maximally reducing high earners' current tax burden, the new account model combines state allowances, tax deductibility and the flexibility of a modern ETF account^[5].

The tax treatment of the two systems follows different logics. With the Rürup-Rente, you can claim high contributions directly as Sonderausgaben, which produces substantial savings at a high marginal tax rate^[5]. The Altersvorsorgedepot, by contrast, relies on a dual subsidy system of direct state allowances plus a supplementary Sonderausgabenabzug. The tax office automatically carries out a so-called Günstigerprüfung here. What that means for you: it's calculated whether the direct allowance or the tax saving via the Sonderausgabenabzug is financially more advantageous for you. Whichever is greater is credited to you automatically.

Beyond tax, flexibility plays a decisive role for self-employed people with fluctuating income. Rürup contributions are tied firmly to an insurance wrapper, and the capital cannot be withdrawn in one go in retirement. The Altersvorsorgedepot, by contrast, lets you invest cost-effectively directly in ETFs and shape your payouts flexibly. If you're unsure which route is optimal for your personal profit situation, our subsidy calculator can help with an initial calculation. For a tailored assessment, our independent advice service is also on hand to connect you with qualified experts. (Note: all tax and mathematical comparisons are for illustration only. Not investment advice within the meaning of § 1 Abs. 1a Nr. 1a KWG.)

Using extra subsidies cleverly: combining the Grundzulage and Kinderzulage

Self-employed people can significantly boost their Altersvorsorgedepot by cleverly combining the state Grundzulage and the Kinderzulage. Unlike with classic Riester contracts, from 2027 these allowances flow directly into the chosen securities account and are invested there in high-return ETFs or funds^[1]. The new basic subsidy is tiered and rewards even smaller savings amounts: on the first 360 euros of annual own contributions, the state grants a subsidy of 50 percent (up to 180 euros). For every euro beyond that, up to a total contribution of 1,800 euros, savers receive a basic subsidy of 25 percent (up to an additional 360 euros), which brings the maximum Grundzulage to a total of 540 euros a year.

For self-employed parents, this leverage rises significantly through the Kinderzulage. For every child entitled to Kindergeld (child benefit), the state pays up to 300 euros a year directly into the account. This allowance is credited against your own contributions at a 1:1 ratio, so even a small own contribution is enough to activate the full child subsidy^[1]. Because these state contributions are invested directly on the capital markets, they build enormous compound-interest effects over the decades, letting the final capital grow dramatically compared with unsubsidised savings plans.

• Basic subsidy (tier 1): a 50 percent state top-up on own contributions of up to 360 euros a year (up to 180 euros in allowance).
• Basic subsidy (tier 2): a 25 percent state top-up on contributions above that, up to 1,800 euros a year (up to an additional 360 euros in allowance).
• Kinderzulage: up to 300 euros per child per year, subsidised directly at a 1:1 ratio against your own contributions.
• Minimum contribution: to be eligible for the state allowances at all, savers must pay a minimum own contribution of 120 euros a year.

To calculate the exact effect of these combined allowances on your personal pension provision, our interactive subsidy calculator is available to you. Through our knowledge section, you can also find out more about the legal framework in depth. If you'd prefer a tailored strategy for your individual income situation as a self-employed person, our independent advice service is happy to connect you with qualified experts. (Note: not investment advice within the meaning of § 1 Abs. 1a Nr. 1a KWG.)

Ways to get started: go it alone or use independent advice

For self-employed people and freelancers, the reform of subsidised private pension provision opens up new ways from 2027 to use state-subsidised pension products with tax effect. For putting this into practice, our portal offers you two equally valid and neutral routes, tailored exactly to your personal preferences and your financial background knowledge. The decision of whether to manage your Altersvorsorgedepot yourself or seek personal advice depends primarily on how much time you have and how complex your tax situation is.

To gain clarity in advance about the financial impact, it's worth using digital tools. With the subsidy calculator, you can easily simulate how variable contribution payments affect your tax burden when profits fluctuate. The legislator provides for a special Sonderausgabenabzug procedure for this, under which the Günstigerprüfung automatically determines whether the allowance or the tax deduction is more advantageous for you^[1]. If the tax Günstigerprüfung raises complex points of detail, the route via the independent advice service on Vorsorgedepot-Lotse leads you directly to licensed partners who analyse your individual tax profile in detail.