Getting through to the Finanzamt is one of the most common frustrations for freelancers and directors in Germany. The difficulty is not just the hold music. It is that most people do not know which office to contact, what hours to call, or what to do when the phone goes unanswered for days.
This guide covers how the Finanzamt is structured, how to find and contact your local office, what the phone hours actually look like, and what escalation options exist when normal contact fails.
How the Finanzamt is structured
This is the point most guides miss. There is no single German Finanzamt. There is no national phone number you can call for case-specific queries.
Germany has over 600 local Finanzamt offices, each administered by its own Bundesland (federal state). Bayern, NRW, Baden-Württemberg, Hamburg and every other state runs its own tax administration. Your local Finanzamt is determined by your registered home address for personal taxes, or your registered business address for business taxes.
The practical implication: phone hours, contact routes, appointment systems, and even response times vary by state and by office. NRW Finanzämter operate under different hours to Bavaria or Baden-Württemberg. Advice that applies to one office may not apply to another.
Finding your specific Finanzamt is therefore the first step. The correct tool is the Finanzamtsfinder on the BZSt website. Enter your postcode and it returns your responsible office with its address and direct contact details.
Phone hours: what to actually expect
Because each Bundesland sets its own rules, there is no single answer. The honest picture across the major states:
NRW: Monday to Thursday 8am to 6pm, Friday 8am to 4pm. IWW
Baden-Württemberg: Monday to Thursday 9am to 12pm and 1:30pm to 3:30pm. That is the stated phone availability window for most offices in the state. Finanztip
Bayern (Munich): Phone hours listed directly on the office page. Generally Monday to Thursday with a midday break, similar to Baden-Württemberg. Check your specific office’s website for the current times.
Hamburg: Phone hours published per office on the Hamburg city portal. Generally available Monday to Thursday with limited Friday availability.
The pattern across states: phone availability is significantly narrower than office opening hours. Most offices reserve specific morning and afternoon windows for telephone contact. Calling outside those windows typically reaches an answering machine or no answer at all.
The most important practical point: always look up the current phone hours on your specific Finanzamt’s own page before calling. Times change, and several offices have reduced their phone windows in recent years.
The Dienst-115 general line
The government service telephone number 115 is available Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm and handles general questions about federal, state and local government services. Calls are charged at local rates.
This line is not a substitute for your local Finanzamt for case-specific queries. It handles general information and can direct you to the right office. For questions about a specific Steuerbescheid, a pending assessment, or a formal correspondence, you need the direct number for your responsible office.
ELSTER: the most reliable contact route for case-specific queries
For most case-specific contact, the ELSTER contact form is consistently the recommended route across all states. The Mein ELSTER portal at allows you to submit messages directly to your Finanzamt linked to your tax file. Unlike a phone call, it creates a documented record and connects to the relevant case directly.
To use the contact form for case-specific matters, you need a registered Mein ELSTER account. Registration requires your Steueridentifikationsnummer and takes a few days as a certificate is sent by post. If you do not have an account, now is the time to set one up rather than waiting until you need it urgently.
Written letters sent to your local Finanzamt by tracked post remain the backup option where ELSTER is not available or appropriate. Your Steuernummer should be on every letter. Keep a copy and the tracked postage receipt.
In-person appointments
Walk-in access is no longer standard at most Finanzämter. Virtually all offices now require an appointment for in-person visits. Most offer online appointment booking through the Terminvereinbarungssystem on their state portal.
Some Finanzämter in Baden-Württemberg are also piloting a Rückrufsystem, where taxpayers can book a specific time slot for a callback rather than waiting on hold. Check whether your state office offers this, as it is considerably more time-efficient than calling during the phone window and hoping to get through.
How long should I wait for a response?
This is the question that determines when to escalate.
For a submitted tax return, the Finanzamt aims to process and issue a Steuerbescheid within 6 to 8 weeks during normal periods. Outside the peak filing window (roughly July to October), processing can be faster. During peak periods, 12 weeks or more is not uncommon for complex returns.
For a document request or correspondence, a response within 4 weeks is standard. If you submitted documents in response to a Finanzamt request and heard nothing after 4 weeks, a follow-up via ELSTER is appropriate.
For a formal Einspruch against a Steuerbescheid, the Finanzamt has up to 6 months to decide. If no decision is issued after 6 months and the Finanzamt has no sufficient reason for the delay, an Untätigkeitsklage before the Finanzgericht is available under § 46 FGO.
For phone or written queries that are not time-sensitive enforcement matters, a response within 2 to 4 weeks is reasonable. After that, a follow-up in writing via ELSTER is the correct next step.
The practical rule is the same as with any German authority: know the defined timeline, and once it passes, use the formal follow-up route rather than continuing to call.
The role of a tax adviser and Power of Attorney
For most ongoing Finanzamt contact, the most efficient structure is having a Steuerberater (tax adviser) authorised to act on your behalf. A Steuerberater with a Vollmacht (Power of Attorney) can correspond with the Finanzamt directly, access your file through professional ELSTER credentials, and handle document requests, Einsprüche, and queries without you needing to be involved in each interaction.
The Vollmacht needs to be documented and submitted to the Finanzamt before the adviser can act. It covers the scope you specify. For more on What usually makes Finanzamt contact harder than it needs to be
A few patterns come up repeatedly.
Calling without your Steuernummer to hand. Every Finanzamt will ask for it immediately. Not having it wastes the call.
Calling outside the phone window. Many people call during general office hours and wonder why no one answers. The phone windows are narrower than the office hours and vary by state.
Using regular email. Most Finanzämter do not use standard email for case communication. The ELSTER contact form is the correct digital route. Regular email to a Finanzamt address is often not read or not processed in the same way.
Not knowing which office is responsible. If you have moved recently and not updated your registration, the Finanzamt for your old address may still hold your file. Always confirm which office is actually responsible before contacting.
Waiting too long before escalating. The Finanzamt has defined processing timelines, and once those pass, formal escalation routes exist. Most people wait longer than necessary. For a full breakdown of what those escalation paths look like and how to use them, see our guide to Frequently asked questions
Is there a single Finanzamt phone number in Germany? No. Each of Germany’s 600-plus local Finanzamt offices has its own contact details. Use the Finanzamtsfinder to find yours.
What are typical Finanzamt phone hours? They vary by state. NRW offices are generally reachable Monday to Thursday 8am to 6pm and Friday 8am to 4pm. Baden-Württemberg offices typically offer narrower windows: Monday to Thursday 9am to 12pm and 1:30pm to 3:30pm. Always check your specific office’s current hours before calling.
Can I email the Finanzamt? Most offices do not use standard email for case-specific queries. The ELSTER contact form at is the recommended digital route as it connects directly to your tax file. Can I just turn up at the Finanzamt? In most states, in-person visits require an appointment booked in advance through the office’s online appointment system.
What if the Finanzamt does not respond to my Einspruch? If no decision is issued within 6 months, an Untätigkeitsklage before the Finanzgericht is available under § 46 FGO. For more on the Einspruch process and how to avoid common mistakes, see our guide to The bottom line
The Finanzamt is not unreachable. It is structurally decentralised, which means the answer to “how do I contact them” is always “which one, in which state, for what purpose.” Once you have identified your responsible office and know its specific phone window, the ELSTER portal, and the escalation path when things do not move, the process is manageable.
The harder question is whether managing it yourself is the best use of your time. For most high-earning freelancers and directors, the answer is increasingly no.
Tired of chasing the Finanzamt yourself? Richmond Blackwood handles it for you, flat €30 a month. Get in touch and we will take it from here.
Disclaimer
This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute tax, legal, or financial advice. Tax outcomes depend on your facts, residency position, entity types, and the jurisdictions involved. Always take advice from qualified professionals before restructuring, signing transaction documents, or completing a disposal.
