When you start a business in Germany, you must fill the Fragebogen zur steuerlichen Erfassung. This form is how you register your business with the Finanzamt.
When you fill this form, you get:
- a tax number (Steuernummer)
- a VAT number (Umsatzsteuernummer)
- an entry in the trade register (Handelsregister)
Since 2021, there is no paper form. You must fill this form online.1 You can also let a tax advisor fill the form for you, or use Sorted’s easier business registration tool.