Everyone registered in Germany gets a tax identification number (Steuer-ID). It's 11 digits long, stays the same for life, and is assigned automatically when you first register your address. You don't apply for it.
The letter
- It comes by post from the Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt), usually 2 to 4 weeks after your Anmeldung.
- If nothing has arrived three months after you registered, ask the BZSt to send it again through their online form.
- Your employer needs it before your first payslip. Without it you're taxed in class VI, the most expensive, until it's sorted out.
- Banks ask for it too, and you'll need it for your tax return.
Request your tax ID again
The Federal Central Tax Office's online form resends the letter if it didn't arrive or you've lost it.
Go to Federal Central Tax OfficeYour tax class (Steuerklasse)
Your tax class decides how much income tax your employer deducts each month. It doesn't change what you owe for the year; your tax return settles the difference.
| Class | Who |
|---|---|
| I | Single, divorced or separated |
| II | Single parents |
| III and V | Married couples where one partner earns much more: the higher earner in III, the other in V |
| IV | Married couples with similar incomes (the default for couples) |
| VI | A second job alongside your main one |
Your employer fetches your class electronically using your tax ID and date of birth. If you marry, the classes change automatically; you can apply to switch between the married combinations at your Finanzamt.
Track Steuer-ID letter in HomeSettled
HomeSettled counts the weeks since your Anmeldung and tells you when to chase the letter.
Sources
Rules and amounts change. Check the official source before you rely on a figure.