Your German tax ID (Steuer-Identifikationsnummer)
The tax identification number, known as the Steuer-ID, IdNr or Steuer-Identifikationsnummer, is an 11-digit number that identifies you for income tax in Germany for life. You do not apply for it: once you complete your Anmeldung, the Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt) automatically generates it and mails it to your registered address, usually within two to three weeks. Your employer needs it to run payroll, and without it you may be taxed at the highest provisional rate. It is permanent and stays with you even if you move or change jobs, which is why you should keep the letter safe. If you lose it, the BZSt can resend it, but only by post for data-protection reasons.
What the Steuer-ID is
The Steuer-Identifikationsnummer (Steuer-ID or IdNr) is a unique 11-digit number assigned to every person registered in Germany. It was introduced to simplify tax administration and replace older identifiers. It is yours for life, does not change when you move within Germany or switch employers, and is not deleted until many years after death.
It is used by tax authorities, employers, banks, and other institutions to identify you for income-tax purposes. You will be asked for it when starting a job, opening accounts, claiming child benefit (Kindergeld), or filing a tax return.
How you get it and why your employer needs it
You do not file an application. After you complete your Anmeldung, the local registration office notifies the Federal Central Tax Office (Bundeszentralamt fuer Steuern, BZSt), which then generates your Steuer-ID and sends it by post to your registered address. This normally takes about two to three weeks. Newborns receive theirs automatically shortly after birth registration.
Your employer needs the Steuer-ID to retrieve your electronic wage-tax deduction details (ELStAM) and to apply the correct tax class. If you cannot provide it during your first weeks of employment, the employer may have to apply the most unfavourable tax class (Steuerklasse VI), meaning higher provisional deductions. Once you supply the number, your payroll is corrected and any overpaid tax is typically reconciled in your next payslips or annual tax return.
Steuer-ID vs Steuernummer: do not confuse them
The Steuer-ID (IdNr) is personal and permanent. The Steuernummer (tax number) is different: it is issued by your local tax office (Finanzamt) and is tied to a specific tax file, often relevant for the self-employed and freelancers, and it can change if you move to a different tax office's area or change your tax situation. There is also a separate VAT number (Umsatzsteuer-Identifikationsnummer) for businesses trading across the EU.
For most employees, the only number you need at the start is the Steuer-ID. Freelancers and the self-employed will additionally receive or request a Steuernummer (and possibly a VAT number) from the Finanzamt when they register their activity.
If you lose it or it never arrives
Before requesting a replacement, look for the number on documents you may already have: your annual income-tax assessment (Einkommensteuerbescheid), any letter from the BZSt, and your monthly payslips, where the 11-digit Steuer-ID is usually printed.
If you still cannot find it, use the BZSt's online form to request that your IdNr be re-sent. For data-protection reasons the BZSt will only communicate the number by post to your registered address; it cannot be given out by phone or email. Allow up to about four weeks for delivery. If your Anmeldung is very recent and no letter has arrived after several weeks, you can also ask at your local Finanzamt, which can often tell you the number in person after verifying your identity.
- 1Complete your Anmeldung first; the Steuer-ID process starts automatically from there.
- 2Watch your postbox for an official BZSt letter over the following two to three weeks.
- 3Store the letter safely and note the 11-digit number somewhere secure.
- 4Give the number to your employer promptly so payroll uses the correct tax class.
- 5If lost, check your payslip, tax assessment, or BZSt letters first.
- 6If still missing, submit the BZSt online re-notification request and wait for the postal reply.
- BZSt: the identification number (English)
- BZSt online portal: obtain tax identification number (re-notification)
- Handbook Germany: tax ID and tax number
- Make it in Germany: taxes in Germany
General information for expats in Germany, not individual advice. Rules and figures change; verify against the official sources above and your own situation.