Refugees from Ukraine who work in Poland remotely for a Ukrainian company may be exempt from paying taxes.

The Polish authorities have decided to refuse to collect taxes from Ukrainians who have found refuge in the country and work remotely, paying income tax in their country. Thus, Poland refused to collect taxes in favor of the Ukrainian side.

The relevant order from the Ministry of Finance of Poland was sent to the Ukrainian Office on July 6. Thus, the Polish government goes to meet the refugees who were forced to leave Ukraine since February 24 and work remotely for a Ukrainian employer.

"As for the residents of Ukraine in Poland, I assure you of the very flexible and individual approach of the Polish tax authorities. Taking into account the special needs of Ukrainian taxpayers, we have introduced a special regulation for citizens of Ukraine, which allows them to choose taxation according to their wishes, as if they were Polish tax residents", - said Jakub Jankowski from the tax department of the country's Ministry of Finance.

The official commented that the voluntary tax regime is valid for the period from the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine until the end of 2022. The special law applies exclusively to Ukrainians who fall into the category of military refugees.

"These Ukrainian citizens can freely choose the requested regime in order to be taxed more favorably than under the general rules", -  Jankowski notes.

As the Polish side adds, Ukrainian refugees who work in Poland for a Ukrainian company are obliged to comply with Polish tax rules and the Polish-Ukrainian agreement and, thus, will be able to avoid double taxation.

As you know, according to national and international rules, refugees who crossed the Polish-Ukrainian border on February 24 and since then did not leave Poland, but worked remotely for their Ukrainian employer all the time, from August 25 (i.e. after 183 days of stay in Poland) become tax residents of Poland. It is about PIT tax (Personal Income Tax), which is paid by everyone who receives income in Poland. So, Ukrainians who came to Poland on February 24, previously had to pay such a tax in September and then pay it every month.