Find your tax ID (Steuer-ID) or have it sent again

Your tax ID (Steuer-ID) is shown in your income tax assessment and on your payroll tax certificate. If it is not there, the Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt) sends it again, only by letter to your registered address. You can do this yourself via a form on bzst.de; according to the BZSt it currently takes about 4 weeks. We send your signed letter by post for 19 euros.

Where do I find my tax ID?

  • In the income tax assessment from the tax office.
  • On the payroll tax certificate issued by your employer.
  • In the letter «Mitteilung Ihrer Identifikationsnummer» (notification of your identification number) that the BZSt sends after birth or after moving to Germany.
  • You do not strictly need it for your income tax return: the tax office knows the number or finds it.

Tax ID: the essentials

Digits
11 digits, assigned once in a lifetime, valid permanentlyAs of: 26.10.2026 · BZSt
Changes
stays the same after a move, marriage or change of nameAs of: 26.10.2026 · BZSt
Delivery
only by letter to the registered address; not by email or phoneAs of: 26.10.2026 · BZSt
Processing time
currently up to four weeks according to the BZSt, longer with queriesAs of: 26.10.2026 · BZSt
All details (4)
How to apply
input form on bzst.de, BZSt online portal or letter
Newborns
newborns get the letter automatically once the registration office has sent the data
Only one number
a natural person may receive only one identification number (§ 139b AO)
Behördenfix fixed price
€19 for your signed letter, by post to the BZSt; the reply goes to your registered address

How we request your tax ID

  1. 1Give your detailsName and email.
  2. 2Pay the fixed price19 euros; the BZSt names no fee.
  3. 3Send your dataDate of birth, place of birth, registered address.
  4. 4You sign, we sendYour letter by post to the BZSt; the reply goes to you.

Requesting the tax ID yourself

The way without us, step by step

You can request the new notification without us. The BZSt describes these ways:

  • Online: the input form «Identifikationsnummer verlegt, verloren oder vergessen?» (number misplaced, lost or forgotten) on bzst.de asks for surname, first name, registered address, date and place of birth. The chatbot ViOlA can fill in the form. Keep your ID card at hand so the spelling is right.
  • The BZSt online portal (BOP) offers the same; you need an account there, but not for the input form.
  • By letter: the same data to the Bundeszentralamt für Steuern, Referat St II 7, 11055 Berlin.
  • Phone: +49 228 406-1240, Monday to Friday 9 to 14. The service team may not give out the number by phone.
  • The form only works for your own number, sent to your current registered address. Your surname must be on the letterbox, or the letter will not arrive.
  • Costs compared: the BZSt names no fee on its pages, so 0 euros. With us you pay 19 euros: we draft the letter, you sign it, we send it by post.

Open the official page

The details you need

  • Surname and first name, spelled as on your ID.
  • Registered address (main residence) with street, house number, postcode and town.
More documents (3)
  • Date and place of birth.
  • Your surname on the letterbox of the registered address.
  • If you order from us: your signature on the letter to the BZSt.

Tax ID, tax number, VAT ID

The official name of the tax ID is Identifikationsnummer, IdNr for short. Under § 139a of the Fiscal Code the BZSt assigns it to every person registered in Germany, based on data from the registration office. It has eleven digits, the last being a check digit, and it contains no information about you.

All details (2)

The tax number (Steuernummer) is something else. According to the BZSt it is only assigned when needed and can change, for example after a move, because it depends on the responsible tax office.

The VAT identification number (USt-IdNr) is a third number. The BZSt issues it to businesses on application under § 27a UStG, in addition to the tax number, for trade in the EU single market. It plays no role for employees and children.

When does help with the tax ID make sense?

You do not need it if you can fill in the BZSt input form. It asks for five details and, according to the BZSt's pages, costs nothing.

It can help if German forms are hard to understand for you or if you handle the request together with other official matters through us. We draft the letter in your name, you sign it, and we send it by post to the BZSt in Berlin. We do not fill in the online form for you.

What we do not do: we never see the number; it goes only to you. We cannot speed up the dispatch or redirect it to another address. We give no tax advice.

Questions about the tax ID

Where do I find my tax ID?

According to the BZSt usually in your last income tax assessment or on your employer's payroll tax certificate. The tax ID is also in the first BZSt letter you received after birth or after moving to Germany, headed «Mitteilung Ihrer Identifikationsnummer». The eleven digits are printed there in groups, in the BZSt sample as 99 999 999 999.

I lost my tax ID – do I get a new one?

No, the number stays the same. The BZSt only tells you it again, also after marriage, a move or a change of name. For this you need surname, first name, registered address, date and place of birth, online in the input form or by letter to the BZSt in Berlin. Under § 139b of the Fiscal Code there may not be a second number.

How long does it take for the tax ID to arrive?

The BZSt states on its form that, due to the high number of requests, processing can currently take four weeks, longer with queries. Postage to your registered address comes on top. If you recently moved to Germany and still have no tax ID after three months, send the BZSt a copy of your ID and your registration confirmation.

When does my baby get a tax ID?

Automatically, without an application: the BZSt sends the letter once the registration office has passed on the data after the birth registration. According to the sample letter, the number also goes to the Familienkasse shortly after birth. The child's surname must be on the letterbox. If nothing arrives, clarify this with the registration office or, if there is no birth certificate, with the register office.

What is the difference between tax ID and tax number?

You get the tax ID once in your life from the BZSt; it is permanent and belongs only to you. The responsible tax office assigns the tax number only when needed, and it can change, for example after a move. Businesses can also apply to the BZSt for a VAT ID for trade within the EU.

Can I get the tax ID by email or phone?

No. For data protection reasons the BZSt only sends the number by letter, to your registered address. The service team may not give it out by phone. It only goes to another address with your written power of attorney by letter and a copy of your ID. This also applies to the letter we send for you.

Official sources

Sources (5)

Reviewed by M. Gabal on 27.10.2026

Provided by Behördenfix (M. Gabal). Behördenfix drafts the letter requesting a new notification of your identification number in your name; you sign it, and we send it by post to the Federal Central Tax Office. The number goes by letter only to your registered address; we do not see it. We are not an authority and give no tax advice.

Related services (4)
What we do and what we don't
  • We fill in applications based on your details, file them and follow them up.
  • We give no legal or tax advice and do not assess chances of success.
  • We are a private service, not a public authority.
Have your tax ID requested· 19 €