As part of the digitalisation of administrative processes, citizens should no longer have to repeatedly provide the same data or evidence to different authorities. Instead, the required information is to be exchanged between authorities in a straightforward manner. To avoid confusion, however, it will be necessary to clearly identify individuals in the various registers.
Whether it's a payslip, opening a bank account, registering a car or applying for child or care allowance: The personal tax identification number - also known colloquially as the tax ID - is already used in many places.
The eleven-digit identification number is automatically transmitted to each individual citizen by the Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt) at birth or when they move to Germany. It is already used for unique identification in various administrative procedures.
The tax identification number can be found on various documents, for example on the personal (income) tax assessment notice, the income tax statement or on the income tax card. The tax ID is also recorded in the Elster portal (online portal of the tax authorities). In addition, every citizen has received their tax ID from the Federal Central Tax Office by post.
Further information on the tax ID can be found on the website of the Federal Central Tax Office. The code number can also be requested there again if required.
The job centre informs that the tax ID must also be stated in the citizen's allowance applications in future and asks benefit recipients to provide the authority with the personal tax identification number for all members of the respective benefit community on a one-off basis to complete the information.