Online portal of the Federal Central Tax Office; registration
If you want to submit applications and returns electronically via the online portal of the Federal Central Tax Office, you must register in advance to use it.
Description
The online portal (BOP) of the Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt) allows you to file a wide range of tax data in a national and international context completely paperless.
You can use the online portal as a private individual, but it is also aimed at companies, tax consultancies, certain administrations and banks or insurance companies.
To ensure that your data records arrive at the BZSt confidentially and securely - called authenticated transmission - you must register once on the BOP. If you want to send a large amount of data, you must also participate in the BZSt's ELMA5 procedure for bulk data. You will need to be specially activated for this. However, registration in the BOP is a prerequisite.
Analogous to the ELSTER software certificate in the ELSTER online portal of the tax administration, you will receive a so-called BOP certificate when you register 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 with this certificate and the corresponding password.
As a rule, the certificate file or software certificate is the best choice for you as a user. Other login options available to you include a security stick or signature card.
The BOP certificate is valid for 2 years. When the certificate expires, you will usually receive a notification by e-mail. If you then log in again with your data, the certificate will be automatically extended. If you do not log in directly and the registration has expired, you can register again with the known BZSt number and the secret.
Prerequisites
1. alternative: you have an ELSTER certificate file
2. alternative: to register with the BOP, you must apply in advance for an individual BZSt number and a secret value
Procedure
Before registration:
Apply in advance for an individual BZSt number and the so-called secret value:
- Visit the home page of the Federal Central Tax Office on the Internet:
- Click on one of the following tabs as needed:
- Private individual
- Company
- Select the appropriate department for your request and click there on the sub-item "electronic data transmission".
- Fill out the form linked there with the necessary information and explanations and click on "Submit".
- If your information is complete, you will receive a letter with your personal BZSt number and an e-mail with the secret value in the following days.
Registration process Certificate file:
If you have decided to use the login version by means of a certificate file on the BOP, you can register as follows:
- Visit the BOP website and click on "Create user account" on the home page.
- You will automatically be taken to the "Account Creation - How to" subpage, where you will see an overview of the registration process and will be guided through the rest of the process.
- On the following page, select your favorite login option. For most users, the recommended selection option "Certificate file" is the best choice.
- Enter your personal data and the BZSt number you applied for in advance in the following online form.
- Under the "Shared secret" heading, select "BZSt secret" from the drop-down list, enter your personal secret and confirm it.
- Assign a user name and answer a security question of your own choice.
- Finally, check the data you have entered and submit it if it is correct.
- After sending the data, you will receive a 1st e-mail for verification of your e-mail box, the receipt of which you must confirm.
- After successful confirmation you will receive a 2nd e-mail for verification with an activation ID as well as an activation code by mail.
- After receiving this 2nd e-mail and the letter, click on the link from the 2nd e-mail or go to "My user account" on the start page of the "BOP" and further to "Activate user account".
- Then click on the item "Certificate file" under the heading "Registration".
- Enter the personal activation ID from the e-mail and the activation code from the letter and click "Submit".
- In the next step, assign a personal password for the use of 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 have to register again.
- Finally, you will receive a certificate file with the extension ".pfx" to download and save on your computer.
- With this, you have successfully created a BOP user account, which you can now use to transfer your applications and notifications to the BZSt without a signature and electronically.
- To complete the registration process, log in to the portal for the first time using your login details and the certificate file and complete your profile.
Deadlines
You must complete the registration process within 100 days.
Processing time
As a rule, registration takes 10 working days.
Remedy
You will not be able to appeal.
Links to more information
Status: 24.04.2022
Responsible for editing: Bundesministerium der Finanzen
- Online transactions, Bavaria-wide
- Online transactions, locally limited
- Prefillable Form, Bavaria-wide
- Legal bases, Bavaria-wide
- Legal bases, locally limited
- Fees, Bavaria-wide
- Fees, locally limited
If you select a location under "Localization" the contact details of the responsible authority and, if applicable, locally valid information will be displayed.