Living together without getting married? Fiskus sees income in it and charges the tax!

Living together under the same roof without a formal relation is simply a modern norm for many Poles. It is estimated that over 2.5 million couples live in informal relationships in Polandand their number is constantly increasing. Unfortunately, this romanticist imagination of a common future may prove more costly than you think. Polish taxation office is increasingly looking into the wallets of specified couples, treating the common flat as... a origin of income. If you own the property and your partner throws himself in charge, you can unwittingly exposure yourself to additional income tax. Treasury officials already have a ready-to-count mechanism, even if you haven't signed any documents. This is simply a serious trap that could hit the budget of many households as early as 2025.

An informal debt trap. erstwhile does the fiscal see revenue?

The key to knowing the problem is the concept ‘loans’. According to Polish law, it does not require written form. It is adequate that the owner of the flat agrees to live together, and there is simply a presumption that the property is free of charge. And that's where the stairs start. While counter charges – specified as gas, water or electricity bills – are treated as current maintenance costs and do not rise objections from officials, regular payment for administrative rent, property taxation or housing insurance is simply a red flag for the tax. The IRS may consider that the property owner has become rich at the expense of his partner by accepting benefits from him, which in fact constitute his income. In practice, this means that if your partner transfers to your account all month, say, PLN 800 to cover part of the rent and another fixed charges, this 800 PLN can be treated as your income from which you must pay the tax.

Importantly, only the owner of the flat is liable for the settlement with the taxation officeNot the individual who moved in with him. It is up to him to show this ‘income’ and to settle claims. The absence of specified a declaration may require not only the payment of outstanding taxation but besides interest and penalties. Treasury officials, as experts indicate, are increasingly looking at specified informal arrangements, especially erstwhile regular, documented bank transfers are involved.

Millions of Poles targeted. How do officials verify relationships?

How does the fiscals know that you live with your partner without getting married and sharing the costs? There are respective possibilities. First of all, authorities have access to an expanding scope of data, including information on bank transfers which may be monitored in case of suspected irregularities. The description of the transfer of the kind ‘rent per apartment’ or ‘real property charges’ is simply a clear signal for the controller. Secondly, it cannot be excluded anonymous reportswhich unfortunately are inactive rather common in the Polish taxation reality. Finally, officials can analyse data from another sources, e.g. reports, although this is simply a little commonly utilized path.

It is worth noting that each case is assessed individually. If a casual partner throws in a power bill, the hazard is low. However, erstwhile on a regular basis, for many months, the amount of respective 100 zlotys due to the “holding of real estate” enters into the owner's account, the taxation has a solid basis to initiate proceedings. Officials realize that the valuation of benefits in an informal relation can be difficult, but in a situation of clear bank transfers, They won't hesitate to number their taxes.. This shows that even in the private sphere of life, specified as surviving together, caution and awareness of the taxation consequences must be exercised.

Financial implications and how to defend yourself. Numbers don't lie.

Potential financial consequences may be severe. Let's presume that your partner transferred PLN 700 to cover the costs of administrative rent and property taxation for 3 years each month. During this period, you would have gathered ‘income’ of PLN 25,200. At a taxation rate of 12% (for the first taxation threshold), this means 3024 gold unpaid tax. Additionally, there is interest on late payment, which may amount to respective 100 zlotys per year, and possible penalties for concealing income. These are the amounts that can hit the home budget hard.

So how can we defend ourselves from specified a situation? There are any applicable solutions. First, consider formalisation of the relationship – matrimony or registered partnership (if available in 2025) changes legal and taxation status. Secondly, if you don't want to formalize a relationship, you can sign the lease agreement, even for a symbolic amount. Then the partner will be the tenant, and you will account for the lease, which is clear to the tax. Third, avoid wire transfers with descriptions suggesting the sharing of property costs. Instead, the partner can pay straight for his bills (e.g. electricity, gas), and the remainder of the money is transferred in another form, more hard to interpret as income. Finally, the safest solution is to consult the taxation advisorthat will aid you match your strategy to your individual situation and avoid unpleasant surprises from the IRS.

Love under 1 roof is simply a beautiful thing, but the Polish fiscal strategy is increasingly treating it as a origin of income. In 2025, in the face of the expanding vigilance of taxation authorities, Legal and taxation awareness becomes crucial for couples surviving in informal relationships. Don't let love turn into an unexpected taxation debt. Act preventively and safe your financial future.