According to calculations by the taxpayers' association, only around 180 euros will remain of the planned 300 euros in energy price flat rate for top earners.
Anyone who pays the wealthy tax rate because of their high income gets even less out of it, as the association calculated for the German Press Agency.
Only workers who remain below the base tax allowance of around £10,000 on their taxable income benefit from the full amount.
"By the way, it would have been a real relief if the energy price flat rate were tax-free," emphasized the President of the Taxpayers' Association, Reiner Holznagel.
Here, too, the traffic light government made mistakes in communication and aroused false expectations.
"Even pensioners and the self-employed do not receive any real subsidy," criticized Holznagel.
The energy price flat rate of EUR 300 gross is intended to benefit every employee who is subject to income tax and who is classified in tax brackets 1 to 5.
It is subject to income tax.
The money is to be paid out by the employer as a salary subsidy, with the self-employed instead reducing the advance tax payment.
According to the calculations of the association, a single person with tax class 1 and an annual salary of 72,000 euros will end up with an energy price flat rate of 181.80 euros.
The top tax rate applies to him, and the flat rate suddenly means that there is a solidarity surcharge again.
A married employee with one child, tax class 4 and an annual salary of EUR 72,000 would receive a flat rate of EUR 184.34.
With a medium salary and therefore lower income tax rate, there is a little more left.
A married employee with a child, tax class 4 and an annual salary of 45,000 euros would still receive an energy price flat rate of 216.33 euros.
With an annual salary of 15,000 euros, the same employee would receive 248.83 euros.
If he is registered in tax class 3, he remains under the basic allowance, so he does not have to pay any taxes and is paid the full lump sum.