A Simple Guide to the German ‘Steuernummer’
This page covers everything you need to know about your German Steuernummer, an essential tax number for setting up as a freelancer in Germany.
What is a Steuernummer?
Commonly known as a Freelance Tax Number, the Steuernummer is a specific tax number issued to freelancers and business owners by the German tax office (Finanzamt). It is used by the German tax authorities to identify you and your self-employed work.
Your Steuernummer is 10 or 11 digits and is unique to you. It commonly takes the following format:
Your Steuernummer is specifically linked to your local Finanzamt. If you move within Germany (and therefore fall under the jurisdiction of a different local Finanzamt), then you will need to apply for a new unique Steuernummer.
⚠️ The Steuernummer (freelance tax number) is often mistaken for the Steuer-ID (German tax ID). These are not the same thing – for detailed information about the Steuer-ID (German tax ID), see this guide.
Who needs a Steuernummer?
💻 If you run a business or are a freelancer in Germany, you need a Steuernummer.
You need a Steuernummer to:
Legally invoice German clients and customers.
Complete and submit your freelance taxes.
Communicate clearly with the tax office.
In short, the Steuernummer is essential to your self-employed success in Germany as without it you cannot send invoices or file taxes related to your self-employed work.
How can you apply for a Steuernummer?
You receive your Steuernummer after successfully registering your freelance activity or business with your local tax office (Finanzamt). You can find your local Finanzamt by typing in your German postcode using this tool.
There are two ways to register your freelance activity or business; an easy way and a hard way:
👍 The easy way
In Germany, there is a brilliant company called Sorted. They offer a free registration tool for obtaining your Steuernummer. The service is super simple and in English – you can access the registration tool here.
Sorted will even take care of submitting your application for a Steuernummer to your local tax office.
👎 The hard way
If Sorted’s service does not take your fancy then you can take the traditional route. Here you will need to complete an 8-page German form called the Fragebogen zur steuerlichen Erfassung – it must be completed via ELSTER, the official online tax tool of the German tax authorities.
📬 Whichever route your choose, you can expect your freelance tax number to arrive in the mail at your registered address within 3 – 6 weeks of applying.
We hope you have found this short, sharp guide to the German Steuernummer helpful! For further tips about self-employment in Germany, check out the following guides: