Owners of several apartments under pressure. The new levy is expected to change the market

The New Left has presented a draft bill that assumes the introduction of a new tax on the so-called housing business. The proposal is intended to cover natural persons who own at least three apartments in Poland. According to the assumptions, the new levy would be calculated on the value of the third and each subsequent residential premises.

Limitation on the purchase of apartments

The authors of the project argue that the purpose of the changes is to limit the purchase of apartments by investors and increase the availability of premises for people who are looking for their own place to live. According to the New Left, the current situation on the housing market means that many real estate properties are treated primarily as a form of capital investment, rather than as a space for living. The new tax would encourage owners to sell excess apartments and thus increase the supply of apartments on the market.

The project assumes gradual introduction of the load. In the first five years from the entry into force of the act, the rate is to be 0.5%. real estate values. Then, for the next ten years, the tax would increase by 0.1%. annually until it reaches 1.5%. apartment value. This solution, according to the project’s assumptions, is to give investors time to adapt to the new rules and possibly organize their real estate portfolio.

According to the presented estimates, the new tax would cover a small part of society, approximately 1%. Poles. This is how many people should have more than one apartment. The date of purchase of the property will determine which premises will be subject to the levy. The tax will be charged on all apartments owned by a given person, regardless of where in the country they are located.

The revenues from the new tax would go to local government budgets. At the same time, local authorities would be able to regulate the amount of this burden within specific ranges. This means that local governments could leave the tax at a minimum level or decide to increase it.

Tax calculation

The project also specifies the method of determining the value of apartments, which is to be the basis for calculating tax. The reference point is to be the market value of the premises. The valuation would be based on data from the government portal DOM, i.e. the Housing Trade Data portal, which is scheduled to be launched in 2027. If a given property is not included in the transaction list, the basis for determining the value will be the conversion rate of the replacement cost of one square meter of usable area of ​​residential buildings, i.e. the average construction cost per square meter.

The bill also provides for exceptions. The new tax will not be paid by, among others, municipal companies, Social Housing Associations, Social Housing Initiatives, housing cooperatives, owners of apartments leased to a social rental agency, owners of training and supported apartments and state legal entities. The New Left’s proposal is therefore intended to cover primarily private individuals who own several premises, and not entities operating in the social or public system.