Steuerkennzeichen

Steuerkennzeichen, literally “tax identification mark,” is a term used in German-speaking tax administration to describe a code or identifier that attaches to tax-related records, documents, or accounts. It is not a single nationwide system, but a generic label for the reference used to locate and process a tax matter within administrative subsystems. In everyday practice, the concrete identifiers most commonly used are the Steueridentifikationsnummer (IdNr) for individuals and the Steuernummer for taxpayers such as natural persons with business activity or legal entities. These official numbers have specific legal roles and are issued by competent tax authorities; they are normally referred to by their precise names rather than the broad term Steuerkennzeichen.

The phrase Steuerkennzeichen may appear in forms, databases, or correspondence as the field where the relevant tax reference number is entered or displayed. It serves as an internal or cross-system reference to ensure that payments, declarations, or notices are correctly associated with the right taxpayer or tax matter. Because of its generic nature, the term can vary in meaning across different agencies or contexts, but it always points to an identifying marker used in tax processing.

International and cross-border contexts may use equivalent concepts with different official terms, such as national tax numbers or VAT identifiers the respective authorities assign to taxpayers. Data protection laws govern the handling of any tax identifiers, restricting access to authorized tax personnel and systems.

See also: Steueridentifikationsnummer, Steuernummer, ELSTER.