Poland should introduce a 15% digital tax, similar to the tariffs imposed by the US president on most goods imported from the EU, Jan Oleszczuk-Zygmuntowski of the Polish Economic Network told PAP. He added that countries that have implemented a low digital tax want to increase it.
Co-chair of the Polish Economic Network, Jan Oleszczuk-Zygmuntowski, pointed out in an interview with PAP that US President Donald Trump has imposed 15% tariffs on most European exports .
“It wants to replace imports with domestic, American production, which will be cheaper. We should respond with the same, i.e., impose a 15% tax on American big tech companies (they would primarily pay the digital tax – PAP). Then we would have a negotiating position and could potentially waive this tax,” the expert pointed out.
He noted that Poland spends PLN 40 billion annually on importing digital services, which he described as “colonial dependence.” “It's comparable to how we had to send trainloads of coal to the USSR during the communist era,” he said.
He noted that Spain, France, and the United Kingdom, which have introduced “low rates” (2-3%) of digital tax, are now talking loudly about revising it and raising these rates. He added that in the UK, the desire to raise the tax enjoys cross-party consensus.
“Even the Liberal Democrats, a party with very libertarian views, are demanding an increase in this levy. They justify this by citing the need to use the digital tax funds to address the costs of addiction, mental illness, and suicides caused by tech companies' products and services,” he noted.
Oleszczuk-Zygmuntowski presented his proposal for a 15% digital tax during Wednesday's meeting between the Ministry of Digital Affairs, the technology industry, and non-governmental organizations. According to his account, Deputy Prime Minister Gawkowski stated during the meeting that the European Commission does not rule out further talks on the digital tax, and that Poland is at the forefront of countries seeking to reinstate the EC's action on this matter.
“I'm not convinced that Poland needs to rely on the European Commission. Countries that didn't do this and introduced a digital tax independently are now billions of euros ahead,” Oleszczuk-Zygmuntowski added.
During Wednesday's meeting with industry and non-governmental organizations, the Ministry of Digital Affairs presented a proposal for a digital tax in Poland, which would be paid by companies with global, consolidated revenues above EUR 750 million.
At the meeting, representatives of the Instrat Foundation presented a report containing an overview of solutions already in place around the world and recommendations for introducing this type of tax in Poland based on 3%, 4.5%, and 6%. According to PAP Biznes, the ministry favors the so-called broad variant presented in the report, with a tax rate of 3%, which would guarantee PLN 1.7 billion in budget revenues in 2027, over PLN 2 billion in 2028, PLN 2.5 billion in 2029, and over PLN 3 billion in 2030.
The opinions of Wednesday's meeting participants will be taken into account in developing the proposal, which will be translated into a draft law and subject to further consultations, the Ministry of Digital Affairs declared. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Affairs Krzysztof Gawkowski announced that the ministry aims to present the draft law by the end of the year.
Work on the digital tax
In the first half of July, the Politico website reported that the European Commission had decided to withdraw its plans to impose a tax on the largest digital companies. According to the website, the digital tax the European Commission was supposed to be working on has been removed from the list of proposed taxes for the next seven-year EU financial framework.
Gawkowski first announced the introduction of a digital tax in Poland in March of this year. Tom Rose, Donald Trump's nominee for the US ambassador to Poland, commented on the news. In a post on the X website, he threatened that Trump would retaliate against the introduction of the digital tax. According to Gawkowski, the introduction of the digital tax will not spark a trade war with the US and President Donald Trump.
Finance Minister Andrzej Domański announced in March that his ministry was not working on introducing a digital tax. He also noted that tax policy in the country is shaped by the Ministry of Finance.
Digital taxes are in force in countries such as the UK (at 2%), Italy, France and Spain (3%), Austria (5%), Hungary and Turkey (7.5%), Japan (10%) and Canada (3%). Countries that have not implemented them include Finland, Sweden, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, the US and China.
On July 27, the US President and the European Commission President announced the conclusion of a trade agreement between the EU and the US. Ursula von der Leyen announced that a 15% tariff would apply to most EU exports to the US, including cars, although tariffs on aircraft, some chemicals, generic drugs, and agricultural products would be removed. Donald Trump announced that the EU had committed to significant purchases of US military equipment and energy.
Monika Blandyna Lewkowicz (PAP)
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