Poland's President signs bill raising CIT for lenders
Poland's President Karol Nawrocki has signed a bill raising the corporate income tax for banks, according to a video statement published by the presidential office on X.
"I have also signed a bill raising taxes on banks. It cannot be the case that the tax burden is borne by the average citizen or small business, while foreign corporations or large financial institutions reap record profits. In recent years, banks have achieved above-average profits," President Nawrocki said.
"I therefore decided that it was reasonable to direct a larger portion of these profits to the state. This is particularly important in view of growing needs, including those related to financing the security of the Republic of Poland and expanding our armed forces," he added.
The amendment to the corporate income tax act and the act on tax on certain financial institutions raises the CIT rate paid by lenders from the current 19 percent to 23 percent, with the rate rising to 30 percent in 2026 and 26 percent in 2027.
On the other hand, entities starting their business activity whose revenues do not exceed EUR 2 million would pay a rate of 13 percent (currently 9 percent). However, in 2026, this rate will be 20 percent, and in 2027 – 16 percent.
In addition to the increase in CIT rates for banks, the bill also includes provisions for a reduction in the tax on certain financial institutions, i.e. the so-called bank tax. The tax, currently amounting to 0.0366 percent of the tax base, will be reduced to 0.0329 percent of the tax base, and from 2028 it will be 0.0293 percent of the tax base.
According to the bill, the provisions concerning changes in CIT for banks are to come into force on January 1, 2026, while those relating to the banking tax are to enter into force on January 1, 2027.
The provisions of the act have been criticised by banks. The Polish banking lobby ZBP argues that raising the income tax rate for only one sector is unconstitutional and unfair.
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