All taxes imposed on legal and natural persons are regulated by separate acts passed by the Polish Parliament. These in turn serve as the basis on which ministerial decrees are published, in most cases by the Minister of Finance.
- "tax on products and services", which is the Polish name for value added tax (VAT), and excise tax;
- income tax, which is imposed both on legal (corporate income tax) and natural persons (personal income tax), with the exception of forestry and agricultural activities, where the agricultural tax is imposed, albeit similar in character to income tax.
- local taxes and charges;
- in addition, treasury stamp and notary fees;
- import tax paid in respect of the import of goods into Poland (in addition to customs duties). The tax amounts to 5%;
- tax on stock exchange transactions.
All laws on taxation are complemented by the Act on Tax Liabilities, which defines general issues related to the situations in which tax liabilities commence and end, as well as to the methods of their enforcement. It also empowers the Minister of Finance to define the rights and duties bestowed on the tax authorities.
Ministerial decrees contain a set of rules which, by virtue of their nature, are frequently revised, for example those concerning tax exemptions for specific groups of taxpayers or a detailed description of the methodology to be observed while settling taxes due.
This information is correct as of 17 September 1997.
Tax laws and practise are constantly being revised and, whilst every effort is made to ensure that the information is accurate and timely, no decision should be taken on the basis of the information herein without first consulting with KPMG Polska.
Should you have any questions in relation to the above issues, please contact:
Oliver Sinton KPMG Polska LIM Center - Marriott Hotel - IX floor Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79 00-697 Warsaw, Poland Tel: +48 (22) 630 7236 Fax: +48 (22) 630 6355
