Banks will pay more in 2026. Then the rates will drop
The Parliament increased CIT for banks: 30% in 2026, 26% in 2027 and 23% from 2028. The government explains the changes with increasing defense spending.
The Sejm passed an amendment to the CIT Act and the Act on tax on certain financial institutions. 238 MPs voted for the changes, 187 were against and 18 abstained. The key point of the amendment is the increase in corporate income tax for banks: the rate will be 30%. in 2026, it will drop to 26%. in 2027, and from 2028 it will reach the target level of 23%. (from the current 19%).
Changes to the Act
The Act also provides for changes for the smallest taxpayers starting their businesses and generating revenues of up to EUR 2 million. In their case, the CIT rate will be increased to 13%. (currently 9%), with a transitional period: 20%. in 2026 and 16 percent in 2027
At the same time, the amendment introduces an adjustment to the tax on certain financial institutions. The current rate is 0.0366%. the tax base will be reduced to 0.0329 percent, and from 2028 to 0.0293 percent. Changes in banking tax are to enter into force on January 1, 2027, while the increased CIT will come into force from January 1, 2026.
The bill will now go to the Senate, and the final step will be taken by President Karol Nawrocki. Minister of Finance and Economy Andrzej Domański emphasized in an interview for CNBC that additional revenues from higher CIT for banks are needed due to priority defense spending. As he noted, state security is the primary goal, and the government also plans to take measures to reduce the deficit in the coming years.
Record profits for banks
The head of the Ministry of Finance assessed that the banking sector has a strong capital position and benefits from high real interest rates. He also pointed out that similar solutions towards banks are used in many European countries. In his opinion, the increased CIT should not disrupt the liquidity of domestic institutions, especially since banks generated record profits last year, and the tax covers the sector’s profits.
The package of changes therefore combines two opposing corrections: a temporarily higher CIT for banks (with a reduction path of up to 23% from 2028) and a gradually lower bank tax. The government argues that such a comparison will allow for increasing revenues for defense purposes, while stabilizing the fiscal burden on financial institutions in the longer term.
