Consultation on opening a business in Poland
Many choose Poland for doing business, as this country is a world leader in developing conditions for business. The reasons lie in its geographical location, flexible taxation system (which can vary depending on the field of activity), transparent legislation, and most importantly - equal rights for both citizens of the country and foreigners.
Separately, we can highlight the profit tax of 19% - the lowest in Europe. And opening a company in Poland will not take much time or resources. When establishing a limited liability company (this form of business is chosen most often), it will be necessary to contribute a charter capital of 5000 zlotys.
Step-by-step registration of a company in Poland
- Depending on the type of activity, it is necessary to determine the form of ownership of the company.
- Preparation of information about the future company - company charter, charter capital (not required in case of sole proprietorship), selection of PKD - the analogue of our KVED.
- To register a company in Poland, it is necessary to submit an application to the National Court Register - Krajowy Rejestr Sądowy, KRS.
- Obtaining a REGON number (unique identifier of a legal entity). It is processed online for individual entrepreneurs and by application to the statistical office for other forms of company ownership.
- Opening a business account for the company.
- Registration of the company with the State Treasury Service.
- Obtaining a NIP tax number from the tax office.
- Registration of the company as a VAT payer, if the company plans to sell or sells goods/services for an amount of 150,000 zlotys per year.
- Insurance of the company in ZUS - the social insurance institution.
- Making a company seal with the company name, registration number, contacts.
Legal assistance in opening a company in Poland
Opening a company in Poland and registering it in this country requires knowledge of legislation, tax calculation and can take a long time for a foreigner who is doing this for the first time. Therefore, specialists from the legal marketplace "Consultant" can help with this through legal consultation and accountant consultation, prepare all necessary documents for company registration, and also fully accompany the registration or do it for you, saving your time.
Opening a business in Poland. What you should know
To open a business in Poland, it is necessary to have documents for legal stay in the country. It is important to control the validity of your documents, submit for extension on time, because in case the business owner loses grounds for legal stay in the country, the business will be excluded from the register.
Legal stay in Poland can be based on a Residence Card, visa, Polish Card, long-term EU resident, and stay can also be based on the Poland.Business Harbour program. With a Polish Card when opening a company in Poland, you can apply for citizenship, as well as count on state assistance in maintaining the business.
If a foreigner has become a co-founder of a Company, he has the right to receive a D visa, which allows staying in Poland for at least 6 months.
It is important to note that opening a profitable business in Poland is a basis for obtaining a Temporary Residence Card, and later - a permanent one.
There are 4 forms of ownership in Poland:
- Sole proprietorship (jednoosobowa działalność gospodarcza);
- Limited Liability Company (spółka z ograniczoną odpowiedzialnością);
- Joint Stock Company (spółka akcyjna);
- Civil Law Partnership (spółka cywilna).
Depending on the form of company registration in Poland, there will be different taxation and the amount of charter capital.
You can get a detailed consultation on how to open a business in Poland by choosing a lawyer on "Consultant". You can also order a turnkey business setup service.
Registering a business in Poland has a number of advantages:
- stable banking system;
- flexible taxation system;
- open market of goods and services throughout the EU;
- advantageous business lending;
- possibility of receiving state support in the form of a grant;
- ability to buy and invest in real estate;
- ability to conduct business while being outside Poland.
Business taxation in Poland
We have prepared a list of taxes that Polish companies pay depending on their activities.
- CIT - a tax that depends on the company's profit. It is calculated after deducting all expenses related to current activities: accounting, office space rental, purchase of office equipment, tickets, etc. If the turnover was less than 2 million euros per year, the tax is 9% of the profit. If the turnover does not exceed 1.2 million euros - 15%.
- VAT - value added tax. The basic rate is 23% in case of annual turnover of 150 thousand zlotys. For some types of services and goods, rates from 0 to 8% are provided. For example, 5% - production of bakery, meat and dairy products, books and periodicals. Pharmaceutical and medical companies, companies in the passenger transport sector, companies providing temporary accommodation or residence services, construction companies and others pay 8%.
- Zero VAT rate applies when purchasing and supplying goods from EU countries to Poland.
- The amount of overpaid VAT can be returned from the budget. Zero VAT rate applies when purchasing and supplying goods from EU countries to Poland.
- PIT - income tax for individuals is 18% if income is up to 19,834 euros, and 32% - above this amount.
- Social security contribution - 19.52%, disability insurance - 8%, health insurance - 2.45%.
- In case of real estate sale, you need to pay 19%.
Opening a business account when opening a company in Poland
A bank account will be needed when paying taxes and for receiving payment for your services. In case of individual entrepreneurship, you can use a personal account, but you can open a separate business account if invoices for services amount to 15,000 zlotys or more, and it will also be needed if making Split Payment transfers.
The following documents are required to open a business account:
- company registration documents - extract from the court register KRS and the organization's charter;
- sample of the director's signature;
- certificate of obtaining NIP and REGON;
- original and copies of foreign passports of the director and beneficiaries of the company, as well as their addresses in the country of residence;
- PESEL identification number;
- questionnaire-application for opening an account;
- notarized power of attorney in case of remote account opening.
Permits and licenses in Poland
Depending on the type of activity when opening a company in Poland, the following permits may be needed: concession, license or permissive documents.
Concession - this is a type of permit that is focused on areas of economic activity that are part of the state monopoly. A concession can be obtained for a period of 5 to 50 years, and it is issued for types of activities in the following areas: radio and television, weapons, tobacco products, casinos, air transportation, mineral extraction, fuel and energy (production, transportation, storage), security activities.
Permit and License can be issued to a legal entity, to a specific employee or depending on a specific location.
For catering, three of the listed are needed at once.
Permissive documents are necessary for passenger transportation (taxis, public transport), alcohol sales, banks and credit organizations, construction sector, insurance activities, pharmaceutical business.
Obtaining permissive documents, licenses when opening a company in Poland will take up to 2 weeks. But it is worth noting that depending on the location, there may be questions about alcohol sales. If licenses for alcohol sales have already been issued at this address/street, there may be a refusal, as Polish authorities are against creating a concentration of businesses selling alcohol in one place. Therefore, when choosing a location for opening a cafe or restaurant, it is better to consult with a specialist.
Conclusions
Any foreigner who has grounds for legal stay in the country can open a business in Poland. But knowing all the nuances will help to carry out the opening procedure quickly, easily and without repeated expenses. Lawyers on the "Consultant" marketplace will provide consultation, and will also be able to provide full legal support and assistance in opening a company in Poland.
