Register for the BZSt online portal

If you want to submit applications and reports electronically via the online portal of the Federal Central Tax Office, you must register in advance to use it.

The online portal (BOP) of the Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt) enables you to submit a variety of tax data in a national and international context completely paperlessly. 

You can use the online portal as a private individual, but it is also aimed at companies, tax consultancies, certain public authorities, and banks or insurance companies. 

To ensure your data records arrive confidentially and securely at the BZSt—known as authenticated transmission—you must register once on the BOP. If you want to send a large volume of data, you must also participate in the BZSt's ELMA5 procedure for mass data. You need to apply for separate activation for this. However, registration in the BOP is a prerequisite. 

Similarly to the ELSTER software certificate in the tax administration's ELSTER Online Portal, you receive a so-called BOP certificate when registering in the BZSt Online Portal. This electronic certificate guarantees a secure procedure.

If you already have a valid ELSTER certificate, you do not need to register for BOP and can log in using it and the corresponding password. 

As a rule, the certificate file or software certificate is the best choice for you as a user. A security token or a signature card are also available as additional login options.

The BOP certificate is valid for 2 years. When the certificate expires, you will generally receive a notification by email. If you then log in again with your data, the certificate is automatically renewed. If you do not log in directly and the registration has expired, you can register again using your known BZSt number and the secret. 

Before registration:

Apply in advance for an individual BZSt number and the so-called secret value:

• Visit the homepage of the Federal Central Tax Office on the Internet:
• Click on one of the following tabs as needed:
• Private individual
• Company
• Select the department corresponding to your request and click on the sub-item "electronic data transmission" there.
• Fill out the form linked there with the necessary information and explanations and click "Submit".
• If your information is complete, you will receive a letter with your personal BZSt number and an email with the secret value in the following days.

Registration process certificate file:

If you have decided to use the login version with a certificate file on the BOP, you can register as follows:

• Visit the BOP website and click on "Create user account" on the homepage.
• You will be automatically redirected to the "Creating an Account – How It Works" subpage, where you'll see an overview of the registration process and be guided through the rest of the process.
• On the following page, select your preferred login option; for most users, the recommended "Certificate file" option is the best choice.
• Enter your personal data and the previously requested BZSt number in the following online form.
• Under the heading "Gemeinsames Geheimnis", select the entry "BZSt-Geheimnis" from the drop-down list, enter your personal secret, and confirm it.
• Assign a username and answer a security question of your choice.
• Finally, check your entered data and submit it if it is correct.  
• After sending the data, you will receive a first email to verify your email inbox, the receipt of which you must confirm. 
• After successful confirmation, you will receive a second e-mail with an activation ID for verification and an activation code by mail. 
• Upon receipt of this second e-mail and the letter, click on the link in the second e-mail or go to the "BOP" homepage, click on "My user account", and proceed to "Activate user account".
• Then click on the item "Certificate file" under the heading "Registration".
• Enter the personal activation ID from the email and the activation code from the letter, and click „Submit“.
• In the next step, create a personal password for using your personal certificate file. You will use this PIN to log in to the BOP in the future. If you lose the PIN, you will need to register again.
• Finally, you will receive a certificate file with the extension ".pfx" for download, which you can save on your computer.
• You have successfully created a BOP user account, which you can now use to submit your applications and reports to the BZSt electronically and without a signature.
• To complete the registration process, log in to the portal for the first time using your login credentials and the certificate file, and complete your profile.

You must complete the registration process within 100 days. 

There are no costs for you. 

You cannot file an appeal.