Digital companies earn billions, but pay pennies. The expert indicates the solution
Facebook Poland earned billions, paid millions. Has time for digital tax in Poland has just come?
Information that Facebook Poland generated in 2024 revenues of PLN 1.82 billion, and despite such an impressive amount showed only PLN 42.5 million of profit, from which it paid PLN 10.6 million in income tax, caused a lot of stir in public space. There is a question about digital tax. The model of global technology companies has been controversial in the context of local tax systems for years.
– Such a structure, i.e. reducing income, e.g. by purchasing licenses and other services from a mother’s company, leads to amazing delamination: Digital services generate huge revenues, which, however, rarely translate into real support for the Polish budget – notes Piotr Juszczyk in an interview with “Wprost”, the main tax advisor of Infakt.
Digital tax in ministerial infancy
There are more and more votes indicating the need to introduce tax on Big Techów. Meanwhile, as follows from the information provided by Money.pl, the Ministry of Digitization informs that it ends “analyzes related to digital tax modeling, which would make the paying by large taxes of taxes in Poland to pay.” This is to be taxation of revenues, not profits, and the introduction of solutions that will increase the transparency of Big Techów finances. “The experiences of other countries, such as France, Great Britain or Canada, show that it is the most achievable” – emphasizes the department of digitization, quoted by the website.
Expert: “The introduction of digital tax is even urgent”
– In this light, conversations about the introduction of digital tax based on revenues instead of profits become not only justified, but even urgent – emphasizes Piotr Juszczyk.
As he notes, such a model, already used, e.g. in France (3 percent from large digital concerns), brings measurable benefits in the form of additional tax revenues to the budget.
– In my opinion, honest taxation of digital companies requires taxation of revenues, and not just nominal profits. It is necessary to increase the transparency of intra -group operations, so that the costs of settlement with the headquarters do not mask the actual level of income achieved in Poland – says Juszczyk.
In his opinion, these solutions should be consistent with EU and global regulations to avoid tax arbitration.
– Only in this way can we provide equal conditions of functioning of technology companies and a real benefit for Polish society and infrastructure – notes the expert.
