Germany VAT Rates 2026
Germany (Deutschland) levies Value Added Tax under the name USt-IdNr. (Umsatzsteuer-Identifikationsnummer). The standard rate is 19%, applied to most goods and services. Reduced rates of 7% apply to essential categories including food, medicines, and cultural services.
Current rates — 2026
| Type | Rate | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | 19% | Most goods and services |
| Reduced | 7% | Food, transport, cultural goods |
Access rates via API
The TaxID API returns current VAT rates for all 27 EU countries. Use the /api/v1/rates/DE endpoint to get Germany rates programmatically. Responses are cached for 24 hours.
curl http://localhost:3000/api/v1/rates/DE
# No authentication required for rate lookups
# Response:
# { "country_code": "DE", "standard_rate": 19,
# "reduced_rates": [7], "currency": "EUR" }About Germany VAT
Germany's USt-IdNr. is distinct from the Steuernummer (local tax number). Only the USt-IdNr. is used for EU cross-border transactions and VIES validation. German companies may take up to 4 weeks to receive their USt-IdNr. after registration.
The Germany USt-IdNr. is administered by the national tax authority and validated through the EU VIES system. Before applying any VAT rate or zero-rate exemption to a Germany business customer, validate their VAT registration number first.