How to Get Your German Tax ID When the Letter Never Arrives

You did your Anmeldung (address registration), you started a new job, and HR keeps asking for your Steuer-ID (tax identification number). But the letter never came. This is very common, and the fix is simple.

The Steuer-ID is created automatically after you register your address. It comes from the BZSt (Bundeszentralamt für Steuern, the Federal Central Tax Office), and for data protection reasons it is sent only by post. Nobody will give it to you by phone or email.

First, check if you already have it

If you lived or worked in Germany before, the number is already on some of your papers. Look at:

• Your Lohnsteuerbescheinigung (yearly wage tax statement from your employer)
• Your Steuerbescheid (income tax assessment from the Finanzamt)
• Your ELSTER account, if you have one
• The original BZSt letter, maybe in a pile of "I will read this later" mail

The number never changes. It stays the same when you move, marry or change your name.

What you need before you request it

• Your first name and last name, exactly as registered
• Your registered address (street, number, postal code, city)
• Your date of birth and place of birth

That is all. The service is free. If a website asks you to pay for your tax ID, close it.

Steps to request it again

1. Make sure your name is on your mailbox. The letter goes to your registered address, and if the postman cannot find your name, it goes back.
2. Open the BZSt page about the tax ID (link below) and use the Eingabeformular (online input form) to ask for a new notification. This is the fastest way.
3. Fill in your data exactly as it appears on your Anmeldung. Small spelling differences in your name can slow things down.
4. If you prefer paper, you can send a letter with the same data to: Bundeszentralamt für Steuern, Referat St II 7, 11055 Berlin.
5. Wait for the letter. Plan for a few weeks. The BZSt says delays can happen when they get many requests.

When should you request it? The BZSt says that if you registered and still have no number after three months, you should send them your data. In practice, if your employer needs it now, I would not wait that long.

What happens with your salary meanwhile

This is the part that scares people. Without the tax ID, your employer cannot get your tax class electronically.

• If it is not your fault that the number is missing, the law (§ 39c EStG) lets your employer use your expected tax class for up to three calendar months.
• If you still have no number after that, or you simply do not give it to them, payroll must use Steuerklasse VI (tax class 6), which takes much more tax.
• Some employers use class VI from the start to be safe. That money is not lost. Once you give them the number, they correct it in a later payslip, and anything left you get back with your tax return.

So tell HR early that you already requested the number, and send it the same day the letter arrives.

Tips

• Do not confuse the Steuer-ID (11 digits, for life) with the Steuernummer (tax number from your local Finanzamt). They are different numbers.
• Keep a photo of the letter somewhere safe. You will need it for every new job, your tax return and many other forms.

Checked in October 2026. Rules change, so please check the official page before you rely on this.

Sources

• BZSt: Tax identification number (English)
• BZSt: Fragen und Antworten zur IdNr (German)
• § 39c EStG on dejure.org
• Lohnsteuer kompakt: Steuerklasse VI ohne Identifikationsnummer
• finanzamt24: Steuer-ID verloren