Taxes
Lohnsteuerbescheinigung
Annual wage tax certificate
Last updated: September 28, 2026
What does Lohnsteuerbescheinigung mean?
The Lohnsteuerbescheinigung is the annual certificate from your employer showing your gross pay, the wage tax, Soli and church tax withheld, and your social contributions. Employers transmit it electronically to the tax office by the end of February of the following year and give you a copy. It is the basis of your tax return.
Key facts
| Sent to tax office by | End of February of the following year |
| Shows | Gross pay, wage tax, Soli, church tax, contributions |
| One per | Employer and year |
| Needed for | Your tax return |
What to do
- Look for it in your January or February payslip documents, or ask HR.
- Check that your Steuer-ID and tax class are correct.
- When filing through ELSTER, the data can be pre-filled automatically (Belegabruf).
- Changed jobs during the year? You get one from each employer.
Worth knowing
If you left an employer during the year, they still owe you a Lohnsteuerbescheinigung. Ask for it, especially if you are leaving Germany and want to claim a refund.
Frequently asked questions
When do I get my Lohnsteuerbescheinigung?
Employers must transmit it to the tax office by the end of February of the following year and usually give you a printout around then.
I lost my Lohnsteuerbescheinigung. What now?
Ask your employer for a copy, or retrieve the data through ELSTER's pre-filled data service (Belegabruf) once you are registered there.
Read next
Sources
More German terms: taxes
Plain-English explanations of the words on your letters and forms.