Vorabpauschale 2026: what it is, how it is calculated & how to minimise it
The Vorabpauschale is the annual mini-tax on accumulating ETFs in Germany — it ensures investors are not only taxed at sale but pay a small advance amount each year. For 2026, the relevant Bundesbank base rate is 2.29 %. This guide explains the mechanics, the formula with a concrete worked example, and three levers you can use to minimise the burden legally.
The result is the base yield. The actual Vorabpauschale is the smaller value of base yield and real ETF appreciation in the year — if the price falls, the Vorabpauschale is zero. For equity ETFs, the 30 % partial exemption additionally applies, so only 70 % of the Vorabpauschale is actually taxed.
What is the Vorabpauschale anyway?
The Vorabpauschale was introduced with the Investment Tax Reform Act 2018. Before that, investors could effectively “park” accumulating ETFs (funds that reinvest dividends instead of distributing them) tax-wise — taxes were only due at sale. The tax office, however, did not want to wait 20 years. Solution: a small flat tax per year that assumes the fund would have earned a risk-free minimum return.
The trick: whatever you have already paid as Vorabpauschale is credited back at later sale. So it is not an additional tax burden, but an advance portion of the capital gains tax that would have been due anyway.
The base rate 2026: 2.29 %
The Bundesbank publishes the base rate at the start of each January — it is based on long-term German government bond yields. For tax year 2026 it has been set at 2.29 % (as of January 2026). For context:
| Tax year | Base rate | Effective rate after 70 % | Burden per €10,000 equity ETF |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2.55 % | 1.79 % | ~€33 |
| 2024 | 2.29 % | 1.60 % | ~€30 |
| 2025 | 2.53 % | 1.77 % | ~€33 |
| 2026 | 2.29 % | 1.60 % | ~€30 |
Burden calculated as Vorabpauschale × 70 % equity partial exemption × 26.375 % capital gains tax + Soli, without church tax and without offsetting the Sparerpauschbetrag allowance.
Worked example: €50,000 world ETF
You hold an accumulating MSCI World ETF worth €50,000 at the start of 2026. The ETF pays no distributions. Over the year the value rises to €55,000.
Calculation: 50,000 × 0.0229 × 0.7 = €801.50 → × 0.7 (equity partial exemption) × 0.26375 = €147.98. If less than the €1,000 Sparerpauschbetrag is used up, the tax disappears completely.
Three levers to minimise the Vorabpauschale
- Set up a Freistellungsauftrag up to €1,000 with your broker — the Vorabpauschale disappears entirely as long as the allowance is not yet used up.
- Prefer equity ETFs (≥ 51 % equity quota) — 30 % partial exemption reduces the burden by a third.
- Actively use the loss-offset bucket for same-year price losses — the Vorabpauschale is offset against losses before liquidity is withdrawn.
- Move ETFs to foreign-domiciled brokers — Vorabpauschale applies to all German tax residents, broker location is irrelevant.
- Switch to distributing ETFs hoping to save the Vorabpauschale — distributions are taxed in full, that is usually more expensive.
- Wait for the sale year — Vorabpauschale is credited later anyway, you only shift liquidity.
Related topics — deeper sub-pages
This hub page gives you the quick overview. For deep mechanics, special cases and concrete optimisation strategies, the following detail pages go further:
- Distributing or accumulating ETF — which is more tax-efficient? — worked examples for savings & withdrawal phase, liquidity trap, optimal strategy by life phase.
- ETF partial exemption 30 % — how it works and which ETFs benefit — the four quotas 30/15/60/80 % with concrete example ISINs from equity, mixed and real-estate funds.
- VP MSCI World — iShares vs Vanguard vs Xtrackers — direct numbers for the three most popular world ETFs.
- VP FTSE All-World (Vanguard VWCE) — worked examples for €10k, €50k, €250k portfolio values.
- Avoid Vorabpauschale legally — 5 strategies — concrete levers that work and the ones that do not.
- Freistellungsauftrag 2026 — €1,000 allowance — how to split the allowance correctly across several brokers and push the Vorabpauschale to zero.
- ETF taxation & partial exemption — the 30 % rule in detail: which quotas apply for mixed, real-estate and bond ETFs.
- German capital gains tax 2026 — basics 25 % + Soli + church tax where applicable, with which the Vorabpauschale is ultimately charged.
- Tax overview for investors — all tax topics for DE and AT at a glance.
Frequently asked questions about Vorabpauschale
When does the broker deduct the Vorabpauschale?
In the first business days of the new year — typically early January 2027 for tax year 2026. The broker debits the tax directly from the settlement account. If there is not enough cash, the broker can forcibly sell ETF shares or let the account go negative — depends on the broker.
Does the Vorabpauschale also apply in loss years?
No. If the ETF does not rise in value during the calendar year (appreciation ≤ 0), the Vorabpauschale is zero by law — no matter how high the base rate is. 2022 was such a year; many investors had €0 Vorabpauschale.
What happens to the Vorabpauschale at sale?
The amount already taxed is subtracted from the sale gain, so no double taxation occurs. In practice: you pay the same total tax over the holding period as without Vorabpauschale — just in small annual portions instead of one large lump at the end.
Does the Vorabpauschale also apply to distributing ETFs?
Yes, in principle — but in most cases it effectively disappears. Reason: the distribution is subtracted from the base yield. If the distribution yield is above the base rate × 0.7 (i.e. above about 1.6 % for 2026), the Vorabpauschale is automatically zero.
Do I have to declare the Vorabpauschale in my tax return?
At a German broker with a Freistellungsauftrag: no, the broker handles everything automatically. At a foreign broker (e.g. Interactive Brokers, DEGIRO without KAP-compliant certificate), you must enter the Vorabpauschale yourself in form KAP.
How much is the Vorabpauschale for a bond ETF?
Bond ETFs have no 30 % partial exemption — the full Vorabpauschale is taxable. In practice: at €50,000 bond ETF and 2.29 % base rate, about €211 in tax is due, instead of €148 for an equity ETF.
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