Federal Central Tax Office
The Federal Central Tax Office is a German federal agency responsible for administering sections of the national tax code. It was established on 1 January 2006 as part of the Federal Ministry of Finance and employs around 2,200 staff.
Since July 2007, the BZSt has issued a unique national identification number to every resident, replacing the formerly decentralized system. It also operates databases for local tax offices.
Departments
Department Q : legal affairs, compliance, HR, internal services, IT, reporting, risk management, automation, and legal documentation Department I : VAT refunds, auditing, civil penalties, VAT ID issuance, and EU VAT reporting Department II : insurance and fire brigade taxes, child benefits, private pensions, capital gains exemptions, bank auditing, and certification of pension plans Department III : treaty procedures, assistance with direct taxes, services for foreign investors, capital gains relief, and tax processing for foreign artists and athletes Federal Tax Auditing Departments I–III: employ about 500 auditors overseeing approximately 15,000 corporations
Offices
The BZSt has its main offices in Bonn at An der Küppe 1 and Platanenweg 33. Additional offices are located in Berlin, Saarlouis, and Schwedt/Oder.