Taxfix Study for Equal Pay Day 2026: The Gender Pay Gap Costs Women More Than Just Money

Berlin, 28 February 2026

• One in two women sees financial independence as a prerequisite for being able to leave an unhealthy relationship.
• Four in ten women have not made important life decisions due to financial reasons.
• Women suffer from severe financial stress almost twice as often as men.

Equal Pay Day makes the reality visible: statistically, women in Germany have been working for free up until today – while men have been earning since 1 January. The reason: a persistent gender pay gap of 16 per cent. The income gap reaches far beyond the pay cheque: it shapes women's life decisions, relationships and mental health. And the divide around financial dependency has widened significantly, as a new representative study by tax platform Taxfix reveals.

The study illustrates concretely how financial insecurity limits women's choices: 39 per cent of women have already held back from making a significant life decision – such as changing jobs, ending a relationship or moving – due to a lack of financial security. Among men, the figure is 31 per cent. This gap has grown sharply year-on-year, rising by 5 percentage points among female respondents compared to male respondents.

For many people, financial freedom means freedom of choice. Overall, a growing number of people feel insufficiently protected: one in four women (26 per cent) feels financially poorly or not at all protected when it comes to major life decisions – compared to 20 per cent of men.

The gap in the sense of financial independence between men (48 per cent) and women (38 per cent) is significant. The majority of women (53 per cent) cite insufficient income as the biggest barrier to their financial independence, compared to 44 per cent of men. Here too, women show a strong year-on-year increase (+6 percentage points), while the figure for men remains unchanged.

The majority of respondents see a connection between relationships and money. Almost three quarters of women (73 per cent) say that financial independence is important to them in order to be able to leave an unhealthy or difficult relationship. Around two thirds of men (66 per cent) share this view – a gap of 18 percentage points.

Those who are not financially independent find it extremely difficult to leave a relationship. In some cases, such asymmetries lead to financial abuse and beyond. According to the Federal Criminal Police Office, more than 187,000 women were victims of domestic violence in 2024. Multiple studies confirm that financial dependency increases the risk of violence in intimate partner relationships.

"Money is often used as a tool of power in relationships. Financial abuse is frequently invisible: no access to the bank account, control over every Euro spent, debts taken out in a partner's name. The consequences are devastating – and the way out, without money of one's own, is almost impossible. Those who are financially dependent cannot make free choices – including the choice to leave a relationship," says Nadine Reko, couples therapist and expert in financial dynamics in relationships.

Income inequality weighs not only on the bank account but also on mental health: 86 per cent of women feel stressed about money, with 28 per cent experiencing strong to very strong stress – compared to just 16 per cent of men. Women therefore suffer from severe financial stress almost twice as often as men.

The vast majority of Germans – 86 per cent – have experienced financial worries affecting their mood. For 27 per cent of women, money concerns noticeably affect their mood often or very often; among men, this applies to just one in five. Across all respondents, a higher income is seen as the solution to reducing financial stress – a view shared by 72 per cent of women and 63 per cent of men.

The study also reflects structural inequalities in the world of work: only 42 per cent of female respondents work full-time, compared to 72 per cent of men. Some 22 per cent of women work part-time, versus just 7 per cent of men. Full-time parental leave (4 per cent of women vs. 0.4 per cent of men) reveals significant differences with a direct impact on women's financial situation. Mothers take full-time parental leave ten times more often than fathers.

These figures correspond to the gender care gap of 44 per cent: according to the Federal Statistical Office , women spend nearly 30 hours per week on unpaid care work – men just 21 hours. The result: less time for paid employment, lower incomes, smaller pensions and fewer free choices.

"Financial independence is not a luxury – it is self-determination. When one in two women says she needs financial security to be able to leave a difficult relationship, that is not an individual problem – it is a societal one. Filing your own tax return can be a first step towards greater financial independence," says Martin Ott, CEO of Taxfix, Europe's leading AI platform for digital tax management.

The study was commissioned by Taxfix and conducted by market research firm Qualtrics, surveying a representative sample of 2,035 individuals in Germany – 1,012 women and 1,018 men – aged 18 and over who have previously filed a tax return, via an online survey in January 2026. The prior-year study data was gathered by market and opinion research firm YouGov, commissioned by Taxfix, from a representative sample of 2,000 individuals aged 18 to 64 in Germany between 26 January and 3 February 2025.

Taxfix is Europe’s leading AI platform for digital tax management, with over 8 million tax returns submitted and more than €4.5 billion in refunds reclaimed. Taxfix’s mission is to empower people to take control of their finances and fix finance for all. Powered by scalable technology, integrated AI, and user-centric design, Taxfix turns one of life’s most complex, stressful tasks - filing taxes – into a simple, secure, and personalised experience.

The platform, with its brands Taxfix and Steuerbot, offers AI-powered tax filing for diverse needs: intuitive self-filing with guided Q&A, expert services with certified tax advisors managing the entire process, and specialised financial services for the self-employed and SMEs. For Taxfix’ tax accountant partners, the platform provides smart tools, automation, and AI-driven workflows for efficient, high-quality delivery at scale.

With offices in Berlin, London, Madrid, and Tallinn, Taxfix serves millions across Germany, the UK, and Spain and employs over 400 professionals from more than 50 nationalities. The company is backed by leading investors including Index Ventures, Valar Ventures, Creandum, Redalpine, and Teachers’ Venture Growth (OTPP).