Most Germans Confused by New Automatic Tax Reporting for Platforms and Crypto

Germany's Platform Tax Transparency Act (PStTG) and crypto reporting law (KStTG) took effect in January 2026, requiring platforms like eBay, Airbnb, and Coinbase to automatically report user income to tax authorities. A representative survey of 1,010 Germans conducted by Norstat in January 2026 found that 52.9% feel unsure or totally overwhelmed about correctly declaring such income, while only 16.1% feel fully confident. Contrary to expectations, younger digital-native cohorts are not the most confused — the 'totally overwhelmed' share rises sharply with age, reaching 25% among those aged 60–64 compared to just 7.4% among 30–39-year-olds. A gender gap also exists, with 55.4% of women reporting low confidence versus 50.0% of men. The findings suggest that automatic reporting has not translated into taxpayer confidence, particularly among older Germans least likely to use these platforms.