“Polish Order” economic programme brings disorder and could cost PiS dearly

Being a sort of Polish-style New Deal, the “Polish Order” programme includes a tax reform component that, with its entry into force on 1 January, has become a cause for confusion

“Polish Order” economic programme brings disorder and could cost PiS dearly Fotó: KRYSTIAN MAJ [phone]

Government members and spokespersons insist, as Family Minister Marlena Maląg did again just recently, that “the tax measures brought about by the Polish Order programme are intended to help Polish families live better” and that people earning less than 12,800 zlotys a month (approx. €2,800) will not lose out, while those earning up to 5,700 zlotys (approx. €1,200) will benefit from the reform. However, they do not mention the more than 2.5 million self-employed Poles who, for the most part, are going to lose out under the latest PiS reform. This is mainly because, instead of paying a fixed amount for compulsory health insurance, which until 2021 was for the most part deductible from the income tax base, they will now have to pay 9% of their income for this contribution, which is now non-deductible from the income tax base, and gives access to the free care offered by a very poor public health system.