Now on iOS & Android ↗  ·  Try the web app free
🇩🇪 Germany

That Familienkasse letter?
Let’s decode it.

Kindergeld approvals, sudden repayment demands, proof-of-education requests. Here is what yours means — and why your deadline is called Einspruch, not Widerspruch.

Scan Your Letter Free →
App Store Google Play
Encrypted EU servers GDPR Art. 46 Never used for AI training
Background

What is the Familienkasse?

The Familienkasse pays Kindergeld — German child benefit — and sits inside the Bundesagentur für Arbeit (public-sector employees have their own). Legally, Kindergeld counts as a tax refund rather than a social benefit, and that single fact changes the vocabulary on your letter: you file an Einspruch, not a Widerspruch, and the rules come from the Abgabenordnung.

Common Letter Types

What’s in your envelope?

Kindergeldbescheid

Your approval. It names each child, the monthly amount and the period. Keep it — Elterngeld applications, kindergarten fees and tax filings all refer back to this document.

Aufhebungs- und Rückforderungsbescheid

Kindergeld is stopped and past payments demanded back, usually because a child finished training, moved outside the EU, or the family moved abroad. Amounts of several thousand euros are entirely normal here.

Aufforderung zum Nachweis

Proof that your child over 18 is still in school, training or studying. Without it, payments stop automatically at the end of the stated period. The dates are short and they are real.

Mitteilung über Wegfall

Notice that entitlement has ended — the month a child turns 18, finishes a first degree, or your residence status changes. Check the reason: it is often based on outdated information.

Anforderung von Unterlagen

Missing paperwork: birth certificate, proof of residence, the other parent’s details, or your Steuer-ID. Send it and the file starts moving again.

Four years of Kindergeld, back in one letter

The letter looks routine until you reach the figure: several thousand euros, repayable within a month, because a child’s training ended eighteen months ago and nobody told the Familienkasse. There is a way to object and a way to ask for instalments, and both are described in the letter — in the paragraph nobody reads to the end.

xPlainly explains what your letter says. It is not tax or legal advice. For a Kindergeld repayment of real size, a Lohnsteuerhilfeverein, a tax adviser or a family advice centre can check whether the decision holds.

FAQ

Common questions

How long do I have to object to a Familienkasse decision?+
One month from delivery. Because Kindergeld is treated as a tax matter, the objection is an Einspruch under § 355 AO, sent in writing to the Familienkasse that decided. It is free and needs no lawyer.
Do I have to repay Kindergeld immediately?+
The letter sets a payment date, but you can apply for instalments (Ratenzahlung) or, in hardship, a deferral (Stundung). Apply in writing before the date — and file the Einspruch separately if you also dispute the decision. They are two different requests.
Does Kindergeld continue after my child turns 18?+
Only with proof. It can run until 25 while the child is at school, in vocational training, studying, or doing a recognised voluntary year — but the Familienkasse needs a certificate for each period, every time.
Can xPlainly explain my Familienkasse letter?+
Yes. It reads the whole Bescheid and tells you what changed, how much is at stake and the exact date by which you must reply — in plain English or 25 other languages.
Related

Other official letters explained

How it works

From panic to clarity
in 30 seconds.

No experience needed. Works with any official letter from any country.

1
Scan, photo, or paste

Take a photo, upload a PDF, or paste the text. Works with tax notices, health insurance, government letters, fines — anything official.

2
AI explains it instantly

Claude AI extracts the sender, status, amounts, deadlines, and action items — then explains everything in plain language.

3
Act with confidence

Reply with Magic Reply, set a deadline reminder, export to calendar, or ask the AI anything — all in one place.

Privacy & Security

Your data belongs
to you.

Official letters contain sensitive information. We take that seriously.

Only you hold the key

Your saved letters are encrypted on your device before they reach our EU servers (Frankfurt). The key stays with you — we can’t read your stored letters.

AI processing 100% in the EU

Analyzed on EU servers in Frankfurt, Germany. Your document content never leaves the EU.

Never used for training

Your letters are never used to train AI — by us or by Anthropic, Claude's creator.

You control your data

Delete everything in one tap. Set auto-deletion after 1 week, 1 month, 1 year — or keep forever.

Pricing

Simple, transparent pricing.

Start free. Upgrade when you need more.

Free Trial
€0 / one-time
No credit card needed
  • 3 letter analyses
  • Action items & deadlines
  • Guest mode — no signup needed
  • Magic Reply & AI Chat
  • All 26 languages
  • Unlimited archive
Try Free — No Signup

Don't guess what it means.

Scan your letter with xPlainly. Clear explanation in your language — in seconds.