Tax assessment notice
Steuerbescheid · sent by Finanzamt
Respond soon — routine but not ignorable
What this letter is
The Finanzamt's official answer to your tax return: how much tax you actually owed, what you paid, and the resulting refund or back-payment. It looks dense, but the number that matters is in the first block: "Erstattung" (refund — money coming to you) or "Nachzahlung" (you owe). It is a legal decision with a deadline attached.
What to do
- Find the verdict: Erstattung = refund, transferred automatically to the IBAN in your return. Nachzahlung = pay by the stated date, or the surcharges start.
- Compare it with what you filed — the Finanzamt explains deviations in the "Erläuterungen" section (e.g. deductions they rejected).
- Disagree? You have exactly one month to file an Einspruch (objection) — free, informal, a letter or ELSTER message stating what's wrong and why. After the month, even obvious errors stand.
- File the Bescheid away permanently — banks, landlords and some visa processes ask for it as income proof.
- Emails claiming to be a Steuerbescheid with a link or QR code are phishing — the real one comes by post or into your ELSTER inbox.
General information, not legal advice. Always verify payment details on the sender's official website before transferring money.