Setting up a company in your own country can be scary. Setting it up abroad seems to be even scarier. Well, in Poland things are not as difficult as one may think.

Things to do before you start!

  1. Go to www.firma.gov.pl – English version available, this page is a fantastic source of information for new entrepreneurs.
  2. Register for PESEL – all residents of Poland are required to have this identification number while living in Poland.

Form available [ here ]

3. Choose Form of Activity: Sole Trader or Business

SOLE TRADER (SELF-EMPLOYMENT) BUSINESS
– registered in the Central Register and Information on Economic Activity (can be registered online)
– it does not require a minimum amount of capital
– accounting depends on the form of taxation. When taxing on a general basis, simplified accounting (revenue and expenditure ledger) may be maintained, but only if in the previous year the revenue did not exceed the amount of EUR 2 000 000, for lump sums records of lump sums are required. There is no obligation to keep accounting records for the tax card
– the entrepreneur is liable with all his assets for obligations arising as a result of running the business
– the company (name) of the entrepreneur given in CEIDG must include at least the name of the applicant – e.g. John Smith. It is possible to add other elements to the company, e.g. defining the profile of the activity
– the entrepreneur has the sole right to represent his activity
– the entrepreneur is a PIT payer
– the entrepreneur may be subject to VAT
TYPES OF BUSINESS: Civil law partnership Registered partnership Professional partnership Limited partnership Limited joint-stock partnership Limited liability company Joint stock company

The comparison chart of all types of business is available on [ link ]

A civil law partnership should be reported to the Central Statistical Office (GUS).
– REGON – business identification number required
The remaining companies are registered in the National Court Register. You have the possibility to register a limited liability company and a limited partnership with the use of a model contract on-line through the portal of the Ministry of Justice, as well as by traditional means.

SOLE TRADER BUSINESS
REGISTRATION Has to be registered at CEIDG. it can be done: • at the office • by post • electronically
Online application: [ … ]

– electronic signature required
– you can either lodge the application online or pencil down the code of your application and lodge it in person at Urzad Miasta Wroclaw or Ministerstwo Przedsiebiorczosci i Technologii
– FREE of charge
– VAT registration if required can be done during business registration with CEIDG.


Go to: [ link ]
Fill out the form.
Define the type of business activity number.Choose as many as you want to describe the business activity. You can find them [ here ]
DOCUMENTS NEEDED EU/EOG citizens:
IDENTITY CARD/PASSPORT
non EU/EFTA/EOG citizens:
– ID/Passport
– residency permits
TAX OFFICE You will automatically receive NIP number from Tax Office You will automatically receive NIP number from Tax Office.
ZUS You can apply to the Social Insurance Institution during the registration process (online or at the office). If you want to do this after you have registered, you have 7 days to do so. When you register your company you will automatically be reported to the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) as a payer of insurance premiums. However, you will also need to apply for insurance. If you are setting up a business for the first time or if you have had a long break since leaving, you can take advantage of the start allowance (you can only pay health insurance for 6 months) or the “small Social Insurance Institution”.
(additional info about the company has to be provided to the Tax Office (business address, place of keeping accounting documents etc.)
VAT If you want to be a vat payer from the very beginning of your business or if you are legally obliged to be one, register with the Tax Office as a VAT payer. If you want to buy services from other companies in the EU and settle VAT on these purchases,  you should also register as a VAT-EU taxpayer.
PERMITS/LICENSES ensure all the necessary licenses and permits necessary to run your business are provided to the appropriate institution
BANK ACCOUNT open a separate business bank account for keeping the business transaction records in one place
RECORDS OF EXPENSES AND INCOME keep a tax book of income and expenses, it is necessary to make and enter in the book a physical inventory as of the date of commencement of business activity.
other OBLIGATIONS remember to fulfill other obligations for some businesses, like: cash register, or radio/tv subscription fees etc.

IMPORTANT NUMBERS:

CEIDG (Central Registration and Information on Business) ZUS (Social Insurance Institution) TAX OFFICE
call 801 055 088 or 22 765 67 32 Call Centre 22 560 16 00 22 330 03 30 (from mobile phones)
s24@gdansk.sa.gov.pl FORM https://www.zus.pl/o-zus/kontakt/zadaj-pytanie-zus 801 055 055 (from landline phones)

CHAT https://www.zus.pl/wirtualny-doradca?czat +48 22 330 03 30 (from abroad)
E-mail: cot@zus.pl
Skype: zus_centrum_observance_tel
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