The Ministry of Finance announces the Taxpayer's Charter. Expert: This looks like some kind of “set”
– Maybe even the current government knows that such a Charter is needed, but it is doing it in such a way that scientists will have to criticize it. This will provide arguments that nothing will change in the protection of the rights of ordinary citizens – taxpayers – says Marek Isański, president of the Taxpayer's Rights Foundation.
Szymon Krawiec, “Wprost”: The Ministry of Finance announced the draft Taxpayer's Rights Charter. Are you happy?
Marek Isański: Theoretically I should.
And in practice, there is no smile?
Over seven years ago, I founded the Taxpayer's Rights Foundation with my wife, and our work is increasing every year.
Why?
Because the state of compliance with taxpayers' rights by the administration and administrative courts has been dismal for years.
It is basically impossible to talk about the rights of ordinary citizens. They are treated like slaves.
The tax office is perfectly aware that, first of all, the legal provisions are of poor quality and incomprehensible even to specialists. Secondly, ordinary citizens – taxpayers – neither know how to defend themselves nor have much chance if they even tried to do so. Thirdly, with the consent of administrative courts, the tax office delays proceedings against them because it charges interest on late payments and ultimately issues decisions imposing income tax even when the citizen has not earned any income, and often even when he or she has a loss. The interpretation of these poor regulations has been perfected and turns the law into lawlessness.
Somehow, no one will think to fix these terrible regulations.
Has the Ministry of Finance woken up and wants to change it?
It seems so. However, as of now, there is nothing concrete. The ministry proudly announced that it would present the draft Taxpayer's Rights Charter at the conference on the jurisprudence of administrative courts in tax matters, which took place on March 1 in Toruń.
But?
But he didn't bring anything specific to this conference. He only wanted to discuss the matter with scholars and judges. To say it's a joke is to say nothing.
Is such a Charter of Taxpayer's Rights needed in Poland?
It has been essential for years. Similar acts were introduced decades ago in countries with a high legal culture. Much higher than ours is now. In the USA, Australia and basically all of Western Europe. They basically do not need the Charter today, because state authorities, including courts, have learned – over the decades of its operation – to effectively respect the rights of citizens – taxpayers.
