Parental benefit calculator 2026
Calculate the parental benefit based on your average income. In 2026 the ceiling is 3806.10 € per month.
The benefit ranges from €946.00 to €3,806.10 per month.
Approximate calculation. The exact amount is confirmed by the Social Insurance Board or the Tax and Customs Board - check the official source.
Sources: Sotsiaalkindlustusamet: perehüvitiste määrad
Last updated: 2026-06-03
How is parental benefit calculated?
The parental benefit equals your average monthly income of the previous calendar year that was subject to social tax. From 2026 the ceiling drops from three times to twice the national average wage - 3806.10 € per month. The minimum is the minimum wage, 946 € from 1 April 2026 (886 € from January to March); if there was no income subject to social tax, the parental benefit rate of 886 € is paid. The benefit has three parts: maternal (100 days), paternal (30 days) and a shareable part (475 days) that parents split between themselves and can use until the child turns 3. The exact amount is set by the Social Insurance Board.
How it is calculated
Formula
benefit = average monthly income subject to social tax, clamped to [minimum wage; maximum]. The benefit itself is taxable income.
Rates used
Example
Average monthly income 2000 € → benefit 2000 € (between the minimum and maximum).
Worked examples at four income levels
The calculator shows three numbers: the average income used, the gross benefit and an approximate net amount. Net is found by subtracting the 700 € basic exemption from the benefit and charging 22% income tax on the rest. Below are four typical situations worked through with the 2026 limits.
- Average income 1500 €. The benefit sits between the limits and is 1500 € gross. Taxable part 1500 - 700 = 800 €, income tax 800 × 0.22 = 176 €, net about 1324 €.
- Average income 2600 €. Benefit 2600 €, taxable part 1900 €, income tax 418 €, net about 2182 €.
- Average income 5200 €. The benefit is capped at 3806.10 € and the calculator shows the note "Capped at the maximum". Income tax (3806.10 - 700) × 0.22 = 683.34 €, net about 3122.76 €.
- Average income 400 €, for example from part-time work. The benefit is raised to the minimum wage, 946 € from 1 April 2026, with the note "Raised to the minimum". Income tax (946 - 700) × 0.22 = 54.12 €, net about 891.88 €. If there was no income subject to social tax at all, the parental benefit rate of 886 € applies instead, a case the calculator does not show separately.
Finding the right input
The input is the previous calendar year's income subject to social tax, as a monthly average - not today's salary and not a net figure. If your pay changed during the year, add up the year's gross income and divide by the months. Eight months at 1800 € and four at 2700 € give 14,400 + 10,800 = 25,200 €, an average of 2100 € a month. An autumn raise therefore only feeds into the benefit by a third.
Income subject to social tax includes not only base pay but also, for example, bonuses and holiday pay, which are taxed like salary. The most reliable source is the Tax and Customs Board e-service, where your social tax data is shown month by month. Complex cases, such as how months without income or on another benefit are treated, are decided by the Social Insurance Board.
The year selector and the 2026 ceiling
The calculator lets you pick a year and see that year's minimum and ceiling. This helps you see how much the 2026 change affects you. With an average income of 5200 €, the benefit would stay at the full 5200 € under the 2025 ceiling of 5265.09 €, but becomes 3806.10 € with the 2026 limits. The difference is 1393.90 € gross a month.
If your average income is below 3806.10 €, the lower ceiling does not change your benefit at all. The change only affects higher-earning parents.
Which parent takes the shareable part
Each parent receives the benefit based on their own income, so the family total depends on who uses the 475 shareable days. If the mother's average income is 1500 € and the father's 2600 €, each month the father stays home brings 1100 € more gross, about 858 € more net.
Money need not be the only criterion, but it is worth knowing the gap before deciding who stays home and for how long. The calculator makes it quick to work out each parent's amount separately.
Working while on the benefit: an example
From 1 January 2026, earned income no longer affects the parental benefit payment. Say the shareable benefit is 2600 € and the parent returns to part-time work earning 1500 € gross a month. The benefit stays at the full 2600 € and the salary is paid in full too, 4100 € gross a month in total. Work is allowed during the shareable benefit, but not during the mother's 100 days or the father's 30 days.
Take-home pay depends on where the basic exemption is applied. On the benefit: 2182 € from the benefit and 1127.88 € from the salary (unemployment insurance 24 €, II pillar at 2% is 30 €, income tax 318.12 €), 3309.88 € in total. On the salary: 1281.88 € net salary and 2028 € from the benefit, the same 3309.88 €. This calculator does not work out net salary; use the salary calculator for that.
What the calculator does not account for
The approximate net assumes the 700 € basic exemption is applied to the benefit. If you also receive salary or other income that already uses the exemption, full income tax is withheld from the benefit and net is lower: 2028 € instead of 2182 € on a 2600 € benefit.
The calculator shows a monthly figure. The actual payment depends on the number of calendar days, when the benefit period starts and ends, and the Social Insurance Board's exact calculation. Use the result for budgeting and confirm the final amount in the board's offer in its self-service portal.
Frequently asked questions
How large is the parental benefit?+
The benefit equals the average monthly income subject to social tax, but not less than the minimum wage (946 € from 1 April 2026) nor more than the current ceiling. With no income, the parental benefit rate of 886 € is paid.
Is the parental benefit taxable?+
Yes, the parental benefit is income subject to income tax.
How long is maternity leave and how much is the maternal benefit?+
The maternal benefit is paid for 100 calendar days, of which up to 70 can be used before the estimated due date. It equals 100% of the previous calendar year's average income subject to social tax, with the same limits as in the calculator.
For how many days is the parental benefit paid in total?+
605 days in total: 100 for the mother, 30 for the father and 475 shareable days. The shareable part can be used until the child turns 3, and payments can be paused and resumed by calendar days.
Can I work while receiving the parental benefit?+
Yes, but only during the shareable parental benefit. From 1 January 2026 there is no earnings limit and earned income does not affect the benefit payment, so the salary and the benefit are both paid in full. You may not work during the maternal benefit (100 days) or the paternal benefit (30 days).
How can parents share the benefit?+
Parents split the 475 shareable days freely and can take turns. For up to 60 days both parents may receive the benefit at the same time, which shortens the total period by the overlapping days.
Where and when to apply?+
The benefit is granted by the Social Insurance Board. After the birth is registered, the board makes a personal offer in its self-service portal that you simply confirm; you can also apply yourself.
What changed in 2026?+
The ceiling dropped from three times the Estonian average wage to twice - 3806.10 € per month. The calculation principle is unchanged: the benefit equals the previous calendar year's average income.