Short Answer
Germany automatically places all newly married couples into Tax Class 4/4, which over-taxes you if one partner does not earn an income. This default classification operates under the assumption that both spouses earn identical salaries.
What Most Expats Don't Realize
You got married and assumed your monthly take-home pay would instantly increase because your spouse was unemployed. You did not realize the local authorities quietly assigned you both to Tax Class 4, which heavily taxed your sole income as if your partner were also making a full salary. This administrative oversight drained your household account of 350 € every single month until you discovered why your paycheck remained so small.
What To Do
- Open the official ELSTER portal using your digital security certificate.
- Apply for an immediate switch to the Tax Class 3/5 combination to lower the high earner's monthly burden.
- "Wir möchten unsere Steuerklasse auf Drei und Fünf wechseln." (We would like to change our tax class to three and five.) — ask for this adjustment at your local tax office if you prefer to submit paper forms.
The Truth
The German system assumes a traditional breadwinner model, but the default 4/4 is their way of being neutral until you tell them otherwise.