Income tax is automatically deducted from your remaining wages each month.
Zenjob automatically deducts these as legally required based on the registered tax class, the amount earned, and the time range between the first and last day worked within the month.
If you end up or plan on earning less than the minimum required to owe income tax, you can claim the paid tax in your tax declaration after the year is over.
The calculation basis for income tax is:
- the taxable wage (gross wages)
- the payroll period (the period between your first shift and your last shift within a month) and
- the individual electronic income tax deduction criteria (including tax class and child allowance).
Part of these calculations include how much is earned on average for each day within the time span between the first and last day worked in the month.
This means that with a shorter the payroll period and a higher gross income, more income tax is calculated.
Conversely, the longer the payroll period and the lower the gross income, the less income tax is due.
It may even happen that no payroll taxes are deducted. In this case, you do not need to worry. The payroll period was therefore long enough and your gross wages accordingly low, so that no income taxes were deducted. The tax calculation is done automatically using industry-standard payrolling software.
A tip to get as little income tax deducted as possible: Try to work your first shift as close to the beginning of the month, and last shift as close to the end of the month as possible.
If you want to know more about how the filing period affects withheld taxes, click here: How can I keep tax deductions as low as possible?
For all income taxes paid, you can file a tax return in the following year and get a refund within the tax allowance of €12,348 per year (as of 2026).
If you have any further questions on this topic, click Submit a Request.