The Ministry of Digital Affairs (MC) does not intend to withdraw from work on preparing the digital tax – assured Deputy Prime Minister, head of the ministry Krzysztof Gawkowski on Tuesday. The Ministry of Finance informed that the ministry is not currently working on the digital tax.
Gawkowski announced on Monday that the Ministry of Digitization will present a model of a digital tax on the revenues or profits of big tech companies in Poland in the coming months.
“The Ministry of Finance is not currently working on a digital tax. Only the Minister responsible for public finances is responsible for Polish tax policy,” the Ministry of Finance wrote in response to questions from PAP Biznes.
“This is not very smart! A self-destructive tax that will only harm Poland and its relations with the US. President Trump will also retaliate, as he should. Cancel the tax to avoid consequences!” wrote Tom Rose, Donald Trump's nominee for the position of US ambassador to Poland, on the X website.
As Deputy Prime Minister Gawkowski pointed out on Tuesday on Radio Zet, the US ambassador, who has not yet started his term in Poland, is practically ordering the Polish government to withdraw from this. “This is sick, this turning democracy upside down,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.
“The time when any country, even a superpower, believes that someone will be in some way a fiefdom of another country is over,” Gawkowski noted. He added, “it cannot be that any politician will dictate to another country, even a friendly one, what is and is not allowed in Poland.”
Asked whether the ministry intends to withdraw from work on introducing a digital tax, he said: “I do not intend to withdraw, because it is normal in countries that consultations on various projects and ideas are underway and various areas of the state should take up challenges – and the challenge of the future is digitization.” As he said, money from the tax on technology companies could be allocated for this purpose, as well as for the development of technology, Polish startups and support for Polish companies.
“Large corporations, not only American but also global ones, are making money on Poland and other countries,” Gawkowski emphasized. He pointed out that the digital tax was introduced by, among others, Spain, France, Great Britain and Austria. “And why is it possible for others, but not for Poland,” he asked.
He emphasized that Poland in Eastern Europe is the “most reliable” partner for the United States. “I think that Donald Trump and other representatives of the American administration know perfectly well that Poland is looking for cooperation and guarantees it,” he noted. He explained that this concerns, among other things, armaments and the fact that Poland buys “a lot” of various types of equipment from the US, including helicopters and tanks.
Asked whether he has the support of Prime Minister Donald Tusk in his plans to introduce a digital tax, Gawkowski said that “Prime Minister Tusk always supports his ministers.” He added that the work began at the Ministry of Digital Economy because “this is the place where it should take place,” since “the ministry has contact with large organizations and big tech.”
The head of the Ministry of Digital Affairs announced that this year the ministry will present “legal solutions” related to the problem of violating the privacy of Polish citizens by technology companies that trade in data. “The ministry is carrying out work on data processing and how such infrastructure should be protected,” the deputy prime minister added.
Ministry of Digital Affairs or Ministry of Finance?
On the same day, the Ministry of Finance issued the following statement: “The Ministry of Finance is not currently working on a digital tax. Only the Minister responsible for public finances is responsible for Polish tax policy .”
Work on the digital tax model is underway at the Ministry of Digital Affairs, due to the fact that the ministry is in constant contact with corporations and organizations related to the digital market – Minister of Digital Affairs Krzysztof Gawkowski informed journalists before the government meeting.
“These works are being carried out in the Ministry of Digital Affairs, in connection with the fact that (the ministry – PAP) is talking to representatives of various organizations, corporations (from the digital market – PAP), but organizations also come (to the ministry – PAP) as stakeholders in various matters. The Ministry of Digital Affairs started these works because it is the right place where all supporters and opponents can meet and discuss,” Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski told journalists when asked about the position of the Ministry of Finance.
Gawkowski also pointed out that the first MC consultations took place with entities supporting and opposing the digital tax on digital giants.
“We are at the beginning of the process, I am surprised that American politicians are talking about such matters, saying that we should not talk about it at all. It will be a long process regarding the digital tax, no one will solve anything overnight (…) We need to (…) count the costs, revenues, see how it will look in terms of the Polish market,” he explained.
On Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Gawkowski announced that the funds that would be added to the budget from the new tax would support the development of companies and startups from the digital-technology and media sectors. “It could transfer profits from powerful global corporations, regardless of their place of origin, to the budget, and they could then work for the development of Polish technology companies, support Polish startups, deep tech, cloud companies or the creation of quality content by the media,” he explained, adding that similar taxes operate in 35 countries.
On Monday, Donald Trump's nominee for the position of US ambassador to Poland, Tom Rose, announced on the X platform that the introduction of a digital tax would harm Poland and its relations with the US, and President Trump would retaliate.
On Monday, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Affairs Krzysztof Gawkowski told PAP Biznes about the plans to introduce a digital tax. As he said, the model of the digital tax on revenues or profits of big tech companies will be presented in the coming months, and the funds that would support the budget from the new tax would support the development of companies and startups from the digital and technology sector and the media.
According to EU Trade Commissioner Marosz Szefczovicz, the European market is a source of up to 40% of revenue for some American giants. Digital services are also an area where the United States has a large surplus of €109 billion (in terms of trade in goods, the European Union has a surplus of €157 billion ).
On Tuesday morning, Gawkowski announced on Radio Zet that the digital tax could increase the state budget by an amount between PLN 1 and 3 billion. However, he added that the final estimates should wait until the tax model is completed. (PAP Biznes)
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