Steuer-ID (Identifikationsnummer)
The 11-digit personal tax identification number issued by the Federal Central Tax Office.
The steuerliche Identifikationsnummer is an 11-digit number that the Bundeszentralamt für Steuern assigns to a person once, for life. People who were registered at a German address in the past already have one, even after moving abroad; it is printed on old payslips, tax assessments and the original BZSt letter. Owners who never lived in Germany often have none at first; the number is then assigned through the tax procedure. It is not the same as the Steuernummer, which identifies your file at one Finanzamt. In ELSTER, the Steuer-ID is used to identify you on the return and is requested when you register a user account; a missing ID is a practical obstacle to registration, so check for it early rather than in July.
Last reviewed: by Yann Lephay.