Overview
- Lohnsteuer-kompakt’s review of about one million digital filings reports a nationwide average processing time of 50.2 days, up slightly from 2024’s 49.5 days but well below 2023 levels.
- Mülheim taxpayers currently wait roughly 54 days for notices, placing the office 72nd in North Rhine-Westphalia and 341st nationwide in the Lohnsteuer-kompakt ranking.
- Smartsteuer’s 2025 data identifies Korbach-Frankenberg as the slowest office at 119 days, and shows timing matters, with March averaging 43 days versus 80 days in August.
- The fastest office is the Viechtach branch of Zwiesel at 28.4 days, while Berlin International averages 90.4 days; regional snapshots show wide spreads, such as Hoyerswerda near 40 days and Löbau at 61.5 days in 2025.
- State tax administrators say more than 97% of returns finish within six months and note longer cases often require follow-up questions or additional documents, as routine work is increasingly sped up by automation.