19 percent only on paper? Data from the largest companies show a completely different rate

The nominal CIT rate in Poland is 19%. However, data regarding the largest capital groups listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange show a much higher level of actual burdens. According to the Grant Thornton report “Tax Reality of Capital Groups”, in 2024 the average effective rate was 33%.

The authors of the report draw attention to the large difference between the nominal CIT rate and the actual level of burden on the analyzed enterprises. Their data also shows that the increase was not a one-off. In 2024, the rate went up again and reached 33%.

The effective tax rate is rising

At the same time, the financial results of the surveyed groups deteriorated. Their total gross profit in 2024 decreased to PLN 90.9 billion, while a year earlier it was approximately PLN 97 billion. However, the amount of tax paid did not decrease in proportion to the profits.

As a result, the average tax burden has increased. The report also shows that this is not a one-year phenomenon. For six years, the largest groups from the WSE have been transferring nearly one third of their gross profit to the tax office.

Why 19 percent turns into 33 percent?

One of the reasons for the discrepancy between the nominal CIT and the actual burden are the rules for determining the tax base. As indicated in the material, some business costs that are non-deductible costs and some one-off events are not taken into account for tax purposes in the same way as they affect the company’s financial result.

This means that a decrease in gross accounting profit does not necessarily result in a proportional tax reduction. This mechanism is one of the elements leading to the difference between the statutory rate of 19%. and the effective load level.

State-owned companies with a rate of 54%.

An even higher result was recorded in the case of groups controlled by the State Treasury. In 2024, their effective tax rate was 54%. and was the highest in the history of the study.

Moreover, one third of the state entities covered by the analysis recorded a loss during this time and still paid tax. The data therefore show how much the actual burden may differ from a simple comparison of the nominal CIT rate with the company’s financial result.

More and more tax capital groups

The report also indicates the increasing popularity of Tax Capital Groups. In 2024, for the first time the number of active PGKs exceeded 100 and reached 111. This meant an increase of 20%. compared to the previous year.

The authors of the study emphasize that the average effective rate is 33%. is not a one-off anomaly. According to the data presented, the increased level of actual burdens on the largest capital groups has been maintained for years.