The tax number and tax ID are often mistaken to be the same while they are different. We hope to help you understand the difference between these two in this article.
The tax ID which also has other names (such as in German): steuer-ID, Steueridentifikationsnummer, IdNr.) is your permanent tax identification number in Germany.
It consists of 11 digits in the following format: XX XXX XXX XXX.
This tax ID is very important and will be sent to you by post once you register for the first time in Germany.
This tax ID is needed by your employer and in most cases by your bank account.
In case you lose your tax ID, you can request it from your Finanzamt by either filling in a form and send it via post or by dropping in personally to ask about it.
On the other hand, tax number is different from tax ID and is not permanent but unique for you and assigned by the Finanzamt. The format of this tax number varies according to the state you live in.
As a final note, this article is written as general introduction to the tax number and tax ID and does not serve as a binding document for any legal matter. In case you have doubt or question, please consult a tax lawyer or a tax consultant, depending on your case.