Overview
- From 1 September 2026 citizens will generally need to book appointments before visiting Finanzamt service centers, with bookings available online via each office or through the ELSTER portal or by phone.
- Authorities say the goal is to cut queue times and let staff spend more time on individual consultations, building on a statewide appointment system first introduced in summer 2024.
- Offices will keep their normal opening hours but reserve one weekly Thursday period for visits without prior appointments, with exact Thursday hours varying by office and posted on local Finanzamt websites.
- Local offices (for example Fürstenfeldbruck, Dillingen and Nördlingen/Donauwörth) have published phone numbers and direct links for booking and urge taxpayers to use ELSTER for digital submissions.
- The shift centralizes scheduling and could change how residents plan in-person tax visits, though phone booking and the Thursday walk-in window aim to reduce barriers for people without internet access.