The Minister of Finance changes his mind. The new tax is getting closer
The situation on the fuel market in Poland is changing very quickly. Prices are so high that the government has reduced VAT on fuel. The concept of a tax on excess profits is also coming back.
There is no need to explain to anyone that an increase in fuel prices means in a short time an increase in everything around: from transport, through goods in stores, to the prices of services. To avoid this, the government decided to reduce VAT on fuel sales. According to the Prime Minister’s announcement, the reduction in fuel prices is expected to reduce prices by approximately PLN 1.2 per liter of each type of fuel.
But the VAT reduction on fuels also means lower budget revenues, which need to be compensated somehow. Hence a return to the idea of introducing a new tax – on excess profits of fuel companies (windfall tax). We are talking about even 50 percent.
Andrzej Domański changes his mind on the tax
– We are not working on introducing a windfall tax. We see that oil prices have dropped since yesterday. We will take actions appropriate to the situation, said Andrzej Domański on March 24, 2026.
Two days later, the narrative of the Ministry of Finance changed: – The government does not exclude the possibility of introducing a tax on excess profits of fuel companies, although it is not currently working on such a solution – said the Minister of Finance and Economy on March 26 in an interview on Radio Three.
He added: – At the moment, such decisions have not been made yet. Nevertheless, we do not rule out the introduction of such a tax on excess profits resulting from the fact that margins, for example in refining, not only in Poland but throughout Europe, are simply at a very high level – he explained.
Donald Tusk announces directly: there will be a tax on profits
– The situation is so paradoxical that the higher prices on world markets and the more people pay at gas stations, those who operate in this business have greater profits – Prime Minister Donald Tusk prepared Poles for the new news on March 26, during a press conference.
“We are reducing VAT and excise duty, we will introduce a maximum retail price and a tax on excess profits, Orlen maintains the promotional package. Citizens will benefit, not corporations,” Miłosz Motyka, Minister of Energy, declared a moment later on social media.
We didn’t have to wait long for the market’s reaction: Orlen’s share price fell by over 6%.
