Polish taxpayers have late received worrying letters from the taxation Office, which has raised many discussions and concerns. The Ministry of Finance decided to address these doubts by responding to criticism and taking action to calm the situation.
Recently, the media reported actions to send alleged behavioral letters to taxpayers. These were informal information letters in which the taxation office informed about possible irregularities in the fulfilment of taxation obligations by citizens. The contents of these letters caused quite a few emotion and concern among the public, which led the Ombudsman to intervene.
The Ombudsman, Marcin Wiązek, took steps to realize and analyse the case. He addressed the Minister of Finance Andrzej Domański, asking questions about the intent and legitimacy of sending specified letters to taxpayers, as well as the number and criteria for selecting recipients.
The answer to these questions was Marcin Łoboda, the Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Finance, who stressed that the aim of behavioral letters was to support taxpayers in the appropriate fulfilment of taxation obligations. He argued that many infringements of taxation law are due to the deficiency of awareness of taxpayers, which is the reason for the operation of the taxation office.
However, after a broad analysis of the situation, the Ministry of Finance decided to end the dispatch of behavioral letters. The Ministry reported that since 11 December 2023 the taxation offices sent a full of 3639 specified letters, and in only 1609 cases the taxpayers responded to them. The majority reacted either by submitting a taxation return or by making an adjustment, indicating the effectiveness of information activities by the office.
The decision of the Ministry of Finance to discontinue the dispatch of behavioural letters is simply a consequence of both the Ombudsman's activities and taking account of the public opinion. The IRS responds to social signals and tries to act in a way that is more understandable and accessible to taxpayers.
Citizens should be informed of their taxation obligations in a clear and understandable way, without causing unnecessary anxiety or confusion. The implementation of actions aimed at educating taxpayers and supporting them in the appropriate implementation of taxation obligations should be continued by the taxation authorities, but with greater care for the way they communicate and its impact on the recipients.
The activities undertaken by the Ministry of Finance show that the office is trying to respond to social signals and to improve communication with citizens. In the future, dialog should be continued and solutions should be sought which will be both informative and friendly to all taxpayers.
Ignacy Michałowski
OSINT investigator with experience in global journalism projects. It has been publishing materials for over 20 years for the largest releases. In social activities he engaged in various projects and initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life of people, especially those of mediocre communities. He was besides active in the fight for human rights. Contact: kontakt@legaartis.pl
