{"id":30705,"date":"2026-08-20T12:43:49","date_gmt":"2026-08-20T10:43:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/help-center\/starting-a-new-business-activity-what-you-need-to-know\/"},"modified":"2026-08-24T17:27:15","modified_gmt":"2026-08-24T15:27:15","slug":"starting-a-new-business-activity-what-you-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"help_center","link":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/help-center\/starting-a-new-business-activity-what-you-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Starting a new business activity? What you need to know"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">In Germany, you can\u2019t simply add new activities to your existing tax number. Each new business activity must be officially registered with the Finanzamt (tax office). <\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">Depending on the nature of the activity, it could require a separate tax number. Properly managing and tracking each activity\u2019s registration ensures everything stays in order and avoids any issues with tax filings. \u2705<\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">\n<h1 class=\"font-degular\" id=\"h_e947db5a31\">\ud83d\ude80<b> Start a new activity <\/b><\/h1>\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">When you start a new business activity, it must always be officially registered with the Finanzamt (tax office) through the Fragebogen zur steuerlichen Erfassung (questionnaire for tax registration). This ensures that the tax office has all the information it needs to assess whether you need a separate Steuernummer (tax number) or not. <\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">If your new activity is very different from your current one, the Finanzamt will likely issue a new tax number for that specific activity. <\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">\ud83d\udca1 Different business activities can have different tax implications, such as VAT rates. It\u2019s also crucial to keep the revenues and expenses for each activity separate. This helps ensure that your tax filings are accurate and that each activity is treated correctly for tax purposes. Mixing them together could create confusion during tax filing, potentially leading to incorrect calculations or even delays in processing your VAT or income tax returns. By tracking each Steuernummer separately, you\u2019ll keep everything organized and compliant.<\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">However, if your new activity is very similar to your existing one, the Finanzamt may decide to group them under the same Steuernummer. This decision is entirely up to the Finanzamt, and you must wait for their official response.<\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">\u2757 Regardless, every new activity needs to be properly registered, and you should always wait for confirmation from the Finanzamt before proceeding. This way, you\u2019ll have clarity on whether you\u2019ll be assigned a new Steuernummer or if your activities will be combined. <\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">\ud83d\udcc2 For more guidance on how to fill out the <b>Fragebogen zur steuerlichen Erfassung<\/b>, check out our detailed article: <b><a href=\"https:\/\/help.accountable.eu\/en\/articles\/11736628-how-to-fill-out-the-fragebogen-zur-steuerlichen-erfassung-tax-registration-questionnaire\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"intercom-content-link font-inter\">How to fill out the Fragebogen zur steuerlichen Erfassung (tax registration questionnaire)<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">\n<h1 class=\"font-degular\" id=\"h_0e92bedd77\">\ud83e\udd14 What happens if the tax office makes a decision? <\/h1>\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">If the tax office decides that your new activity can be managed under your existing tax number, you&#8217;ll receive an official confirmation. This means you can handle the new activity alongside your existing one under the same tax number.<\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">However, if the tax office determines that a separate tax number is required, you will be informed and receive the new tax number for your activity, inlcuding the tax obligations. <\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">In both cases, you can ensure that your tax declarations are filed correctly and that the activities are properly separated for tax purposes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">\n<h1 class=\"font-degular\" id=\"h_983bfd4e3a\"><b>\ud83d\udd22 Managing multiple business activities<\/b><\/h1>\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">If you have multiple activities, you cannot generally use the same Steuernummer for each one. The Steuernummer is directly tied to the activity you\u2019ve registered with the Finanzamt. <\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">\u274c This means that you can\u2019t start a new activity using the same Steuernummer as an existing one, as each tax number is associated with the specific business activity you\u2019ve reported.<\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">For example, if you\u2019re running a freelance graphic design business and decide to start a catering business on the side, you\u2019ll need a separate tax number for the catering. Even though both activities fall under the same VAT status (e.g. subject to VAT), they are different in nature, and the Finanzamt will assign a new Steuernummer for the new activity.<\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">\ud83d\udca1 It\u2019s essential to keep each tax number linked to the right activity, as it affects how you handle VAT, and other filings. Keeping your activities separate ensures that you stay compliant and organized. <\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">\n<h1 class=\"font-degular\" id=\"h_d7ba1f0d6f\"><b>\u2753Can I use Accountable with multiple Steuernummern? <\/b><\/h1>\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">Yes &#8211; with some limitations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">You can use Accountable with multiple tax numbers, but you\u2019ll need to create one separate Accountable account per Steuernummer. This ensures that your bookkeeping, expenses, and submissions stay cleanly separated for each activity.<\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">\u26a0\ufe0f <b>Important:<\/b><br \/>If you have several Steuernummern, you must submit your income tax declaration and VAT declarations with a different tool, for example through Elster. <\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">However, you can submit your E\u00dcR and, if applicable your trade tax declaration through Accountable for each individual account.<\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">This way, everything stays organised, compliant, and easy to manage across all your activities.<\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">\ud83d\udcc2 For more details, check out our article: <\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\"><b><a href=\"https:\/\/help.accountable.eu\/en\/articles\/8029274-i-have-2-or-more-tax-numbers-steuernummer-can-i-use-accountable\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"intercom-content-link font-inter\">I have 2 or more tax numbers (Steuernummer). Can I use Accountable?<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">We\u2019ve got the paperwork covered, so you can focus on growing your business. \ud83d\ude80<\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">\n<hr>\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">Don\u2019t hesitate to contact us whenever you have a question at <a href=\"mailto:tax-coach@accountable.eu\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"intercom-content-link font-inter\">tax-coach@accountable.eu<\/a> &#8211; we\u2019re here to help and guide you further. \ud83d\ude0a<\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">\n<p class=\"no-margin font-inter\">\ud83d\udca1 Want to find out more? In our free webinar, <b>Be your own boss<\/b>, we explain step by step how to get started as a self-employed person in Germany \u2013 including registration, tax obligations and a live Q&amp;A session. <a href=\"https:\/\/app.livestorm.co\/accountable\/start-as-self-employed-in-germany?s=fda66ca2-2142-4c65-a101-0b0fb21b5dac&amp;utm_source=push_in_helpcenterarticle\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"intercom-content-link font-inter\">Register here<\/a>!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Starting a new business activity? That\u2019s exciting! But it\u2019s important to stay organized, especially when it comes to taxes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","help_label":[439],"class_list":["post-30705","help_center","type-help_center","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Starting a new business activity? 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