What is the company number?
The company number (Betriebsnummer) is an eight-digit identifier that uniquely identifies every business within the German social security notification procedure. It appears on every DEÜV notification, on the contribution statement and on the payslip. It is issued by the company number service (Betriebsnummern-Service) of the Federal Employment Agency in Saarbrücken.
Who needs one?
- Every employer who employs at least one employee subject to compulsory social insurance.
- Also for businesses with exclusively marginally employed staff (mini-jobs), via the Minijob-Zentrale.
- When employing apprentices, paid interns and working students.
- Not required for self-employed people without staff, or for private households using the household voucher (Haushaltsscheck) procedure.
Applying
- Online via the company number service of the Federal Employment Agency — this is the standard route.
- Information required: full name and address of the business, legal form, address of the business premises, economic sector according to the WZ 2008 classification, contact person, telephone number and email address, expected number of employees.
- The number is generally communicated in writing within a few working days.
Important: as a rule, a separate company number is required for each business premises with its own address that falls under a different regional employment agency district.
Choosing the right economic sector code
The WZ code determines statistical classification and, among other things, affects which trade association (Berufsgenossenschaft) and levy procedures apply. Choose the code according to the actual focus of the business's activity and correct it if the business model shifts.
Reporting changes
| Event | Action required |
|---|---|
| Change of name or legal form | Notify the company number service of the change |
| Move within the same district | Update the address, the number stays the same |
| Move to a different regional employment agency district | New company number, deregister the old one |
| Cessation of business | Have the company number deactivated |
Order of steps when starting a business
A sensible sequence is: trade registration, tax registration, company number, registration with the relevant trade association, then the first personnel notifications. Anyone starting a business in a sector subject to the immediate notification requirement should have the company number in hand before the first employee's first working day.
Keeping records
The letter confirming the company number belongs permanently in the business's personnel file. Send change notifications to the authorities in writing and in a traceable way — if queries arise, the date of receipt is what counts.