Altersvorsorgedepot with a fluctuating income as a self-employed person?

Tilman Freyenhagen

Published on 14 June 2026 · Updated on 7 August 2026 · Managing Director & Partner, Alsterspree Verlag GmbH

The status quo from 2027: state subsidy for all self-employed people

Self-employed people with a fluctuating income can pay into the new Altersvorsorgedepot flexibly and without complication from 2027, because the state subsidy is organised on a contribution-proportional basis. If you pay in higher savings rates in strong-revenue months, or make a special payment at year-end, you adjust your pension provision precisely to your current liquidity position. In weak-revenue phases, you can flexibly reduce your monthly rate or pause it entirely. Through this dynamic, the Altersvorsorgereformgesetz (pension reform act) resolves the old disadvantages of the rigid Riester system, from which self-employed people, founders and freelancers without a statutory pension insurance obligation were previously mostly excluded entirely^[1]. From 1 January 2027, subsidised private pension provision is open to this group without restriction for the first time, marking a milestone for self-directed wealth-building with ETFs and investment funds^[1].

To benefit fully from the state subsidy, you only have to make the statutory minimum contribution of 120 euros in the calendar year^[1]. Because the subsidy is no longer tied to your previous year's income, the bureaucratic burden of retrospective contribution adjustments and checks disappears entirely. That makes the system extremely practical in everyday use. If you're unsure how to align your contribution payments optimally with your tax situation, the neutral knowledge section offers comprehensive guidance. For a precise projection of the state allowances and your future final capital, tailored to your personal figures, our free Förderrechner Altersvorsorgedepot (subsidy calculator) is also available to you. That way, you keep full control over your retirement planning.

How the new subsidy works: contribution-proportional instead of income-dependent

Self-employed people with a fluctuating income can pay into the new Altersvorsorgedepot flexibly and without complicated calculations from 2027. Because the state subsidy is calculated directly in proportion to your own contributions and no longer depends on fluctuating previous-year income, the bureaucratic hurdle of conventional Riester models disappears. You steer your subsidy simply, through a monthly rate change or through targeted special payments at year-end.

How your Grundzulage is calculated

The new subsidy structure stands out for its maximum transparency. Instead of drawing on your previous year's income, the state pays the allowances as a fixed percentage of your own savings contribution^[1]. For the first 360 euros you pay in each year, you receive a subsidy of 50 percent, equal to 180 euros. For every further euro up to the limit of 1,800 euros, the allowance is 25 percent, so a maximum of a further 360 euros. That gives a maximum annual Grundzulage of 540 euros^[1]. On top of that come any Kinderzulagen (child allowances) of up to 300 euros per child^[1]. To work out the state subsidy precisely for your personal life situation, our digital Förderrechner Altersvorsorgedepot (subsidy calculator) is available to you.

Thanks to this contribution flexibility, the account adapts perfectly to the reality of being self-employed. You're no longer bound by rigid annual calculations, but keep full control over your liquidity at all times while still securing the maximum state support.

The focus on flexibility: adjusting contributions to fluctuating income

Can you use the new Altersvorsorgedepot flexibly as a self-employed person with a fluctuating income? Yes — from 2027, the Altersvorsorgedepot offers you maximum flexibility, because the state subsidy is organised on a contribution-proportional basis and no longer depends on your previous year's income. You can adjust your savings rate to your current liquidity position without complication, by increasing, lowering or pausing your monthly contributions, or making a special payment at year-end^[2]. As a guide, the knowledge section shows you how to manage these adjustments directly through your chosen broker.

The new subsidy rewards your own contributions regardless of your exact profit: for the first 360 euros a year, you receive an allowance of 50 percent (180 euros); for every further euro up to 1,800 euros, you receive 25 percent (up to 360 euros), so the maximum basic subsidy is 540 euros. To be eligible for the subsidy at all, you only have to pay in a minimum contribution of 120 euros a year. For self-employed people who face liquidity squeezes in some months, this means: you don't have to laboriously prove your previous year's income or stick to rigid savings rates, but can act flexibly.

Note: not investment advice within the meaning of § 1 Abs. 1a Nr. 1a KWG. All calculations and models are for illustration purposes only.

An especially pragmatic strategy for unpredictable business years is the year-end payment: you pay only the minimum contribution during the year and top up in December based on your cash position, to receive the full subsidy. With the Förderrechner Altersvorsorgedepot (subsidy calculator), you can work through the various payment scenarios and their long-term effect on your final capital with mathematical precision.

Securing the minimum contribution and avoiding losing the allowance

For self-employed people, the reform of private pension provision from 2027 brings substantial simplifications. Unlike the old Riester system, where the size of the allowance often had to be laboriously calculated from previous-year income, the new Altersvorsorgedepot is designed to be contribution-proportional. That means you can adjust your savings rates completely flexibly to your current order situation. There is one crucial limit, however, that you always have to keep in view: to have any entitlement to the state subsidy at all, you have to pay a minimum annual own contribution of exactly 120 euros into your account^[3]. If you fall short of this statutory floor — equal to ten euros a month — the entire state allowance for that calendar year is irrevocably forfeited.

Flexible payments based on your cash position

Thanks to the flexible structure of the Altersvorsorgedepot, you can offset fluctuating revenue optimally. In months with high liquidity, you simply pay in higher amounts or use one-off payments. In phases with lower income, you lower your monthly savings rate or pause it entirely for a while. As long as you reach the 120 euros over the year as a whole, your basic entitlement to the Grundzulage remains intact. To work out your individual subsidy precisely and play through different savings scenarios, you can use the Förderrechner Altersvorsorgedepot (subsidy calculator) on our platform.

This flexible system lets you adapt your pension provision exactly to the reality of being self-employed, without having to worry about bureaucratic hurdles. Please note: all calculations and projections on our pages are for informational purposes only. Not investment advice within the meaning of Paragraph 1 Absatz 1a Nummer 1a KWG. For a deeper look at the new rules, we recommend the knowledge section or, if you'd like personal advice, the Vorsorgedepot-Lotse service.

The year-end strategy: managing special payments based on your cash position

Self-employed people with a fluctuating income can pay into the new Altersvorsorgedepot extremely flexibly from 2027. The solution lies in a pragmatic combination of small monthly minimum contributions during the year and a targeted one-off payment in December. Because the new state subsidy under the Riester reform is designed to be contribution-proportional, the savings rate can be adjusted to the respective cash position without complicated calculations^[4]. The Förderrechner Altersvorsorgedepot (subsidy calculator) can be used to work out the optimal annual own contribution precisely.

With this strategy, self-employed people secure the full state allowance, which is a maximum of 540 euros at an annual payment of up to 1,800 euros. The statutory minimum contribution is just 120 euros a year. Instead of financially constraining yourself with rigid monthly rates, you pay in only this minimum amount, or a moderate base amount, each month. As soon as your final liquidity position is clear in December, you top up the account with a special payment to your desired target amount. This way, your liquidity during the year stays protected, while you still benefit from the full state subsidy. You'll find further details on flexible tariffs in our knowledge section. The subsidy scenarios shown are for illustration and do not constitute investment advice (not investment advice within the meaning of § 1 Abs. 1a Nr. 1a KWG).

Income situation and contribution strategy compared directly

For self-employed people with a fluctuating income, the new Altersvorsorgedepot offers maximum flexibility in pension provision from 2027. Unlike the old Riester-Rente, the state subsidy is now tied directly to your actual payments and no longer depends in a complicated way on your previous year's income. You can increase your savings rate in economically strong times or flexibly lower it in weaker phases. To use the state subsidy, only a minimum annual contribution of 120 euros is required, while with contributions of up to 1,800 euros a year you make full use of the maximum state Grundzulage of 540 euros^[1]. That makes contribution planning especially straightforward, particularly for freelancers.

This flexible adjustment can be managed directly through the account, so you can react immediately to financial squeezes or unforeseen expenses. A pragmatic strategy for self-employed people is to save only the minimum contribution during the year at first, then make a one-off payment in December depending on your cash position. If you want to calculate how different annual savings contributions affect your expected final capital and your personal subsidy rate, our digital Förderrechner Altersvorsorgedepot (subsidy calculator) can help. For further regulatory details on the new statutory rules, you can also use our neutral knowledge section. These model calculations and comparisons are purely illustrative and do not constitute investment advice within the meaning of § 1 Abs. 1a Nr. 1a KWG.

Tax and the compound-interest effect on the Altersvorsorgedepot for the self-employed

For self-employed people and freelancers, the new Altersvorsorgedepot offers substantial tax benefits from 2027 that accelerate wealth-building. You can claim your own contributions of up to 1,800 euros a year as Sonderausgaben (special expenses) for tax purposes, which lowers your immediate tax burden in the current financial year^[1]. In parallel, the maximum compound-interest effect unfolds during the accumulation phase: all returns, capital gains and dividends stay tax-free inside the account and are reinvested directly. Taxation only applies during the payout phase in retirement (deferred taxation), when your personal tax rate as a pensioner is typically much lower than during your active working phase.

Especially attractive for founders and freelancers with irregular income streams is the high flexibility in contribution payments. Because the state subsidy on the Altersvorsorgedepot is calculated in proportion to contributions and no longer tied to complicated calculations of previous-year income, you can adjust your savings rate to your liquidity at any time. In strong-revenue months, you simply increase your savings rate, while you can lower or pause it in weaker phases. A targeted one-off payment at year-end is also easily possible, to make full use of the tax allowance. You can transparently simulate how different savings rates and state allowances affect your final capital in the long term with our Förderrechner Altersvorsorgedepot (subsidy calculator).

Please note that the scenarios and calculations shown here are for illustration only. Not investment advice within the meaning of Paragraphen 1 Absatz 1a Nummer 1a KWG. For a detailed assessment of your personal tax situation, we recommend the expert articles in the knowledge section, or brokerage to one of our competent partners.

The path to the right Altersvorsorgedepot: neobroker or advice?

For wealth-building in the new Altersvorsorgedepot, two equally valid paths are open to you from 2027: the self-directed path via cost-effective neobrokers, or personal advice for complex financial situations. As a self-employed person with a fluctuating income in particular, you benefit from remarkable flexibility. Because the state subsidy will in future be organised on a contribution-proportional basis and no longer rigidly tied to your previous year's income, your savings rate can be steered without complication. You can adjust your monthly savings rate flexibly as needed, or use good business months in a targeted way for a one-off payment at year-end, to secure the full state subsidy^[2].

• Self-directed investors save independently and minimise account costs through a modern neobroker.
• Those seeking advice resolve complex tax and financial questions in a personal conversation with licensed experts.
• Both strategies can be combined seamlessly with irregular payments or flexible rate changes.

To make the decision that's optimal for your situation, the knowledge section offers you a range of neutral tools. With the Förderrechner Altersvorsorgedepot (subsidy calculator), you can calculate your expected state allowances and play through different contribution scenarios. If you want to handle the implementation yourself, the Kriteriengestützter Anbietervergleich (provider comparison) helps you choose the right account. If, on the other hand, you'd prefer tailored guidance, our Unabhängige Beratungsvermittlung (independent advice service) connects you with qualified, independent experts who tailor your pension provision precisely to your self-employed work.