The taxation offices completed this year's PIT settlement action and its results proved to be historical. The Polish accounts received evidence amounts of overpaid tax, and the average return reached as much as PLN 5 thousand. This is simply a consequence of the mass usage of taxation concessions and preferences, but experts inform that specified advanced returns can prove a deeper problem in the system. We explain where this money came from and what it means for future accounts.
Recorded PLN 23 billion. Why specified advanced taxation returns in 2024?
This year's taxation settlements for 2023 have yielded results that have not been seen since the introduction of the Polish Deal. According to the findings of the “Fact”, taxation offices across Poland transferred to taxpayers together impressive amount of PLN 23 billion. This is the highest score in the past of the taxation program, which amazed even experienced financial analysts.
However, the average return which this year amounted to average PLN 5 000. Of course, these amounts differed according to the individual situation of the taxpayer, his income and the benefits used. The beneficiaries included even a evidence holder to whom the taxation office transferred as much as 193 1000 PLN overpayments. The money went to a wide scope of citizens, including active people, pensioners, pensioners and families benefiting from household relief.
The main reason for specified advanced returns is the increasing taxation awareness of Poles and a wide catalogue of available deductions. The taxpayers are moving more and more efficiently in the thick of regulations, maximising the benefits of relief for children, rehabilitation relief, thermomodernisation or payments to IKZE.
Poles are heavy benefiting from relief. taxation awareness is growing
The data published by the Ministry of Finance clearly confirms the increasing trend in taxation optimization. This year About 20 million taxpayers accounted for individually, and another 5 million people have decided to settle together with their spouse, which in many cases is much more profitable. The popularity of this form of settlement does not weaken as it allows for an effective simplification of the taxation base, especially erstwhile the income of spouses is varied.
Experts stress that there are more than just changes in the law behind these figures. This proves that Poles become increasingly aware of the taxation system. The improvement of online tools, specified as your e-PIT service, and easier access to information have made taxation optimization no longer a domain exclusively for advisors. More and more people are self-evaluating their situation and are actively looking for ways to legally reduce taxes.
The increasing interest in relief is simply a natural consequence to a complex taxation system. However, specified a large scale of phrases raises questions about the stableness of the current solutions and their real alignment with citizens' incomes, which can give emergence to future changes.
Is advanced return always good news? Expert explains the hidden problem
Getting a crucial transfer from the taxation office is simply a reason for most Poles to be happy. However, taxation experts are little enthusiastic, indicating that the phenomenon of mass and advanced returns can be a signal of any systemic irregularities. If, during the year, the payer pays importantly higher advance payments on income taxation than is due to his actual obligation, this means that his money for many months remains “freezing” in the state budget.
According to Piotr Juszczyk, the chief taxation advisor at the inFakt company, the perfect taxation strategy should be constructed so that the amount of advances reflects real income as closely as possible. – The taxation strategy should reflect as faithfully as possible the real income of taxpayers. Otherwise the scale of returns increases, which is not necessarily beneficial from an economical perspective – emphasizes the expert. alternatively of working on a taxpayer's account, for example on investment or investment, these funds feed the state budget and their real value is reduced by inflation.
In practice, a advanced taxation return means that we have overpaid the State throughout the year by granting it an interest-free loan. Therefore, according to experts, the current model for the collection of advances may request to be modified in order to avoid that immense sums are reimbursed annually to taxpayers.
What changes in taxes await us? The government can respond to evidence phrases
The historical results of this year's PIT settlements have surely not escaped the attention of the Ministry of Finance. specified a immense scale of returns can become a direct impetus to start work on changes in taxation legislation. The main nonsubjective of the possible improvement would be to better calibrate the income taxation advance strategy to minimise the differences between the amount paid over the year and the final taxation liability.
Experts do not regulation out that the government may consider introducing mechanisms to let more precise determination of the amount of advances, taking into account the individual situation of the payer already at the phase of their collection by the payer (e.g. the employer). This could mean additional statements by employees informing them of their intention to benefit from certain reductions.
Although specified changes could reduce yearly returns, in practice they would mean that more money would stay in Poles' wallets all month. This in turn could positively affect the current consumption and liquidity of households. The discussion on the future of the taxation strategy in Poland seems inevitable, and this year's records will surely velocity it up.
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