Get your tax ID & tax class in Germany

After your Anmeldung in Germany, your tax ID (Steuer-Identifikationsnummer) is generated automatically and posted to you — you don't apply for it. The Finanzamt is where you go for everything else tax-related: changing tax class, registering as a freelancer, or filing a return, most of it now handled online through ELSTER.

⏱️Free. The tax ID arrives by post 2–3 weeks after your Anmeldung.

Good to know — wherever you live

• ✓Didn't get the letter? You can request your tax ID again from the Bundeszentralamt für Steuern — it's reissued by post, never by phone or email.
• ✓Give your tax ID to your employer fast: without it you're taxed at the highest emergency rate (tax class 6) until it's on file, then refunded later.
• ✓Married couples can split into tax classes 3/5 or 4/4 — the right choice can noticeably change monthly net pay, so it's worth a quick check.
• ✓Freelancers register via the Fragebogen zur steuerlichen Erfassung on ELSTER; this is also where you get your separate tax number (Steuernummer).