What is a Steueridentifikationsnummer?
Also known as a Steuer-ID or Persönliche Identificationsnummer, your Steueridentifikationsnummer is your German tax ID number. This tax ID is a life-long, permanent number used by the German tax office (Finanzamt) to identify you for tax purposes.
Essentially, your German Tax ID is used to process everything regarding your income tax. When starting a job in Germany, your employer will need your Steueridentifikationsnummer in order to process your income tax correctly.
To receive your Steueridentifikationsnummer, you must first officially register at an address in Germany, a process that is known as Anmeldung. Once you have completed your Anmeldung, your tax ID will be automatically generated and posted to your registered address. You will usually receive this within 2–4 weeks of completing your Anmeldung.
For more information, see our blog post on the Steueridentifikationsnummer.