7 Ways to Make Your Customer Pay Your Invoice on Time
February 19, 2025
JDG vs. inflation
February 24, 2025
The VAT rollercoaster, or how not to get lost in the constantly changing regulations
If you think that the biggest dose of adrenaline will be on the rollercoaster in Energylandia, it means that you have never tried to keep up with changes in Polish VAT regulations. There is no room here for carefree "just moving forward" - any change can turn your business cart upside down faster than a loop in Formula 1.
It's time to get on the tax wagon, fasten your seat belts, and find out how to survive without a heart attack.
Starting Station: Welcome to the Land of Chaos!
Imagine an amusement park where the order of attractions, the length of the queues and the rules of entry change every month. One moment you get a discount, the next you have to pay extra, and then it turns out that you could have used a preferential rate after all... but only if you did it three weeks in advance and during a full moon.
This is what VAT looks like in Poland.
What's worse, this park is constantly being improved by officials, adding new twists in the regulations. You've barely got used to the tax relief, JPK, KSeF, split payment are already in place, and the authorities suggest that "it's not over yet."
First loop: VAT rates - lottery for advanced users
Is the bun 5% VAT or 23%? It depends on whether it has a filling or not, and whether it doesn't contain nuts, because then it could be considered sweet. And books? 5%, 8% or 23%, depending on whether they are printed, digital or maybe someone just sent a PDF.
Changes to VAT rates are like playing the lottery – you hope you get it right, but you don't know for sure until the tax audit.
Taxpayer vs. Tax Office: Who Outsmarts Who?
On the one hand, we have an entrepreneur trying to run his business, and on the other – the tax office, who acts a bit like a referee in football: the decision depends on the interpretation of the regulations, and unfortunately there is no VAR.
The question is: does your interpretation match the official one? Because if not, the rollercoaster is picking up speed. And not in the direction you want it to.
Free-fall zone: New regulations, new adventures
Every year brings new “facilitations” for entrepreneurs. The National System of e-Invoices (KSeF) was supposed to be a salvation from paperwork, but for now it looks like another attraction called “Fear and wait.”
Do you have a business? Well, wait:
new dates
for new rules
to decide whether something will come into effect or not
for another version of the system that was supposed to work, but somehow it didn't work out
360 degree loop: How not to go crazy?
Can you find your way around all this? You can! Here are some proven methods:
- Make friends with an accountant – this is your only chance to survive. You can try to handle everything yourself, but you risk waking up after a few months from a nightmare in which the tax office takes your laptop.
- Read tax rulings… but don't take them too seriously – today it is like this, tomorrow it may be different. It is better to follow it up-to-date, but not to get emotionally attached to any interpretation.
- Set reminders for changes to regulations – otherwise one day you will wake up and find out that the new JPK-VAT has been in force since yesterday, and you did not even know that the old one had ceased to exist.
- Don't believe the assurances that "this is the last change" – history teaches us that this is never the last change. There will always be another one. And another one.
Finish? No, this is just the beginning…
The VAT rollercoaster never stops – you can only learn to ride it with your eyes closed and hope that the next change won't throw your business off the tracks.
Best advice? Don't panic, don't believe promises of "easier" solutions, and always have your accountant on speed dial.
Virtual Office is:
Prestigious address in the city center – ideal for registering your company and building customer trust.
Cost savings – no expenses for rent, utilities and office maintenance.
Correspondence handling – we receive and forward your mail, so you can focus on your business.
Flexibility – you work wherever you want, and your company still operates at a prestigious address.
Join modern entrepreneurs and take your company to the next level – without unnecessary costs.
English (UK) 
Polski