Employees will lose 150 euros, the better earners even more. They are already the poor relations in the region
10.09.2025 10:05
The latest wave of consolidation, presented by Minister of Finance Ladislav Kamenický, will also affect the wallets of ordinary employees. Above-average earners will pay more in taxes, but the saving will also be borne by those who do not receive thousands into their account.
One of the top consolidation measures is namely the increase of health insurance contributions by one percentage point. This should bring the state 358 million euros.
Since the start of the current government of Robert Fico, the tax and contribution burden on labour has been deteriorating. For companies this means that employing people is ever more expensive.
According to the calculations of the Association of Industrial Unions and Transport, the tax and contribution burden on labour is not only the highest in the V4 region, but also exceeds Germany or Austria.
At a gross wage of 1,500 euros, employees in Slovakia are left with only 1,143 euros in net wages. That represents a 56-percent share of the net wage in the cost of labour. In Germany, at the same gross salary, employees receive 1,197 euros, in Czechia 1,204 euros and in Austria as much as 1,273 euros.
Although Slovak employees receive the least, Slovak companies pay the most – 2,043 euros. In Czechia it is 2,007 and in Germany even only 1,952 euros. This is one of the reasons why we earn little.
Minister of Finance Ladislav Kamenický has made this situation even worse.
He announced that he would increase health insurance contributions by one percentage point. This means that instead of a health insurance contribution of 13.4 percent, employees will pay 14.4 percent.
„We face an increase in health insurance contributions by one percent. That is pure fleecing of people and companies,“ declared SaS deputy chairman Marián Viskupič in reaction to the new consolidation.
A model example is a gross wage in the amount of 1,500 euros. If the health insurance contribution did not change and remained at the level of 13.4 percent, the employee would next year pay monthly in health insurance contributions, at a wage of 1,500 euros, 201 euros. Since the contribution increased to 14.4 percent, they will pay 216 euros.
In 2026, the non-taxable part of the tax base per taxpayer will be 497.23 euros monthly. In net terms, after paying the 19-percent income tax (152.90 euros), the employee will thus be left with a net wage of 1,134.52 euros. If the health insurance contribution had not increased, they would receive 1,146.7 euros into their account, that is, almost 12 euros more per month.
Over the year they will thus lose almost 150 euros, and in the case of an employee with a salary of 2,000 euros even almost 200 euros.
