🇩🇪 Germany · Tax Compliance
Filing calendars, registration thresholds and the official tax authority.
In Germany, taxes are administered by the local tax offices (Finanzämter) under the federal/state system, with the Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt) handling cross-border and central matters. Businesses register with their Finanzamt, obtain a tax number (and VAT ID where needed), and file returns — increasingly electronically via ELSTER — by the statutory deadlines.
- Register with the local Finanzamt for a tax number (and a VAT ID where required).
- File returns by the statutory deadlines, increasingly via the ELSTER online system.
- The BZSt handles central and cross-border tax matters (e.g. VAT ID, withholding).
Official authorities
- Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt)
Federal tax authority (central & cross-border matters).
Official-information aggregation, not legal advice. Always verify on the authority's own site.
Government portals
- Federal Government of Germany — Germany's Federal Cabinet official website — policy, legislation, news, and government programs
- Federal Office for Migration (BAMF) — German visas, EU Blue Card, asylum, integration courses, and permanent residency
- Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt) — Tax ID (IdNr) registration, tax identification lookup, withholding tax refunds — the key authority for foreign taxpayers in Germany