Tax settlement in Germany can be a major challenge, especially if you’re doing it for the first time. A key step in this process is determining which tax office in Germany (Finanzamt) is responsible for your declaration. Contrary to appearances, it’s not always the office assigned to your place of residence – in some cases, the employer’s location decides, and special rules apply to posted workers. If you send documents to the wrong Finanzamt, it may delay your tax refund or require resending documents. So how do you determine your tax office in Germany? Where do you check this information and how do you avoid mistakes?
Where to submit your first tax return in Germany? The key to the right tax office
Everyone who worked in Germany and wants to recover overpaid taxes must know which tax office in Germany to send their settlement to. However, this is not as obvious as it might seem – the tax system in Germany differs from the Polish one, and belonging to a specific tax office doesn’t depend only on place of residence. Moreover, people working temporarily in Germany but without permanent registration also fall under a specific office.
Place of residence, employer, or something else? How to find the right Finanzamt
Not every taxpayer in Germany is automatically assigned to the tax office at their place of residence. The basic rule states that the registered address determines belonging to a specific Finanzamt, but if someone lived in several cities or worked seasonally, the matter becomes complicated. For people who were never registered in Germany, the employer’s address is crucial – based on this, the German tax authorities determine the appropriate office. However, there are exceptions – e.g., workers posted by Polish construction companies fall under designated tax offices, regardless of workplace location. Another important issue is the situation of married couples – if one spouse lives in Germany and the other in Poland, the Finanzamt may be determined based on income and tax class. Checking this information in advance will help avoid errors that could result in having to resubmit the declaration or delay the refund.
Poles in Germany – which tax office should you contact? Practical guide
For Poles working in Germany, the issue of tax settlement may seem more complicated than for German residents. This is because many people don’t have permanent registration in Germany, but only take up employment periodically. In such a situation, it’s important to determine which Finanzamt is responsible. If you worked only in one company and had no registration, your tax office will correspond to the employer’s headquarters location. However, if you changed jobs or were registered in Germany, it will be necessary to check the postal code of your place of residence. Additionally, people who conduct business in Germany but don’t live there permanently settle with the tax office responsible for foreign entrepreneurs. It’s worth remembering that Poles working in German construction companies fall under selected offices depending on the company name, which is an exception in the German tax system.
Don’t have registration in Germany? Check which tax office will accept your settlement
Lack of registration in Germany doesn’t mean you can’t settle taxes. In such a case, the employer’s headquarters or the place where work was actually performed is decisive. The German tax authorities assign the taxpayer to the Finanzamt responsible for the given region, and if the taxpayer worked in several different places, usually the address of the company that last paid the salary is taken into account. This is important information because many seasonal workers aren’t aware that their declaration might go to the wrong office. If you have doubts, it’s best to contact the Finanzamt directly or use the official search engine for tax offices in Germany. Importantly, in situations where the tax office in Germany cannot clearly assign you to a specific unit, temporary assignment to a special office for foreigners is possible.
Online tools, postal codes, and exceptions – how to determine the right Finanzamt in minutes?
If you’re not sure which Finanzamt you should send your first tax return in Germany to, you can use official online tools provided by the German tax authorities. Simply enter the postal code of your place of residence or employer’s headquarters to get information about the appropriate tax office. There are also other ways – you can contact the Finanzamt by phone or check which office previous settlements were assigned to. People who had registration in Germany but lost it may still fall under their previous office, especially if they didn’t change their place of work. However, you should remember that certain categories of workers, e.g., construction workers posted by Polish companies, have assigned specific tax offices, regardless of workplace.
Don’t confuse the office! What consequences threaten for incorrect tax settlement in Germany?
Sending a tax declaration to the wrong tax office in Germany can extend the waiting time for tax refund, and in some cases even result in rejection of the settlement. German offices don’t automatically transfer documents to other facilities, which means the taxpayer must correct their error themselves and resend the declaration to the appropriate Finanzamt. This is not only a waste of time, but also the risk that the settlement will be considered late if it’s sent to the correct office after the deadline. In some cases, if the Finanzamt determines that the declaration was sent to the wrong office intentionally (e.g., to obtain higher allowances), it may impose an administrative penalty. Therefore, it’s worth carefully checking where documents should be submitted to avoid unnecessary problems.
Do you work for a German company or are you posted by a Polish employer? This determines your tax office
For people employed in Germany, it’s important whether they work under a German contract or are posted by a Polish employer.
- If you have a German contract, your Finanzamt is the one appropriate for your place of registration or work (only in absence of registration).
- Posted construction workers, however, fall under four specific tax offices – in Hameln, Oranienburg, Cottbus, or Nördlingen – depending on the company name.
If you have doubts, it’s best to contact the office before sending the declaration to avoid errors. Planning a settlement? Choose the tax refund app Taxando, which ensures that the return is correct and reaches the appropriate office.
Maciej Wawrzyniak ist ein erfahrener Unternehmer, dessen Unternehmen jedes Jahr mehr als 40.000 Steuererklärungen erstellt. Als Mitbegründer von Taxando bringt er seine Erfahrungen und Kenntnisse in den Bereichen Finanzen, Marketing und Steuern in das Projekt ein.
Privat liebt Maciej sportliche Herausforderungen, spielt Gitarre und schwimmt gerne im See. Außerdem ist er stolzer Vater von drei Söhnen.
