Bank Accounts Under Scrutiny of Tax Administration

January 1^st is the day on which the so-called “STIR Act” comes into effect. The new regulation is to counteract tax administration and fraud and money laundering. Polish lawmakers prepared a series of amendments that will allow them to create a new system for exchanging and analyzing financial information between financial institutions and using the data to detect suspicious transactions and dishonest taxpayers.

STIR, or System Teleinformatyczny Izby Rozliczeniowej [Clearance Chamber ICT System], is a tool that will collect financial data from banks and carry out analyses of operations in order to determine whether account holders perform certain types of actions that may indicate they may be using their bank accounts for illegal activity. Banks are now obliged to present the National Fiscal Administration with information on account holders and their activity.

The Head of National Fiscal Administration will be given some new powers. They will be able to freeze bank accounts for the period from 72 hours to 90 days. Suspicious bank activity will also constitute grounds for losing one’s VAT number without prior notice to the tax administration. Another new thing will be a register of entities whose VAT registration for some reason got canceled or who reapplied for VAT number. The register will be publicly available.

The changes are expected to bring 2.5 billion PLN within 12 months. The new solutions against fiscal crime are regarded as the most important amendments from the point of view of the state budget. STIR will be used to target VAT-related offenses, such as carousel frauds, known also as missing trader schemes, or issuing empty invoices, i.e. such that do not reflect actual business operations. From 2018, operations of the National Fiscal Administration are to be more effective.

The act on STIR was passed by the Polish Parliament last November on the tax administration. President Andrzej Duda signed the bill on the 28^th of December.

What This Means for Businesses in Poland

Tax policy changes in Poland have direct implications for both domestic and foreign-owned businesses. Companies operating in Poland must stay informed about regulatory developments to optimize their tax position and maintain compliance. The Polish tax system includes CIT (19% standard, 9% for small taxpayers), VAT (23% standard rate with reduced rates of 8% and 5%), and various sector-specific levies.

For international entrepreneurs and investors, understanding the Polish tax landscape is essential for business planning. Poland offers several attractive incentives including the Polish Investment Zone (up to 15 years of CIT exemption), R&D tax relief (up to 200% deduction), and the IP Box regime (5% effective CIT rate on qualified intellectual property income). Professional tax advisory can help identify the most beneficial structure for your specific situation.

The interplay between Polish domestic tax law and international tax treaties is particularly important for foreign-owned entities. Transfer pricing regulations, withholding tax provisions, and anti-avoidance rules (GAAR) require careful navigation to ensure both compliance and optimization.

If you are doing business in Poland or considering entering the Polish market, Zalewski Consulting can help. Learn more about our tax advisory services in Poland, or contact us for a free consultation.