I was there for over a year.

I did have a tax number, since I got paid and presumably paid taxes.

I never went anywhere just to register my address though. That sounds so insane to me.

Man, I wish I could "presumably" pay taxes like you... :)

I mean they were definitely paid. I never bothered filing a return or anything though, so I just never got any kind of refund assuming I would have.

My point being that you get a tax number after your first address registration ("Anmeldung einer Wohnung")

I don't think I had my apartment yet when I got my tax number, but OK.

Still a crappy system.