When German vendors for example, want to expand their business, they usually look first at their direct neighbors. One of them is Poland, which is popular not only for selling products but also for storing them. If you want to store your products there, you need to be registered for VAT and get a VAT ID number in Poland.
Antonia Klatt
Last Updated on 22 October 2021
VAT Threshold Poland
In addition to storage, reaching the delivery threshold via distance selling is also a reason for having to register for VAT in a country.
If the Polish delivery threshold limit of 160,000 PLN or approx. 40,293 EUR net per year is exceeded with sales to Polish end consumers, then the seller has to get a VAT ID in Poland.
All EU countries have their own VAT Registration Thresholds, >here< you find a brief overview.
VAT ID Poland
As usual, the Polish VAT identification number is a way to identify the respective company in the European Union in the turnover-taxed trade of goods and services. In Poland this number is called “Numer Identyfikacji Podatkowej” and is abbreviated as “NIP“. The country code here is “PL” and is followed by ten digits that make the company uniquely identifiable.
In order to register for VAT in Poland, it is advisable to work with a Polish translator, as correspondence with the Polish tax office is conducted in their national language.
Hellotax clients won’t need that as our Tax Letter Inbox automates all correspondence with tax authorities.
Tax Letter Inbox
In order to simplify communication with the Polish Tax Office and with all other tax offices, we have developed a feature in our VAT tool called Tax Letter Inbox. This tool automatically scans and translates tax letters.
>Find out more about the Tax Letter Inbox<
Registering for a VAT ID in Poland
When starting to handle VAT duties in Poland, you need to get in touch with the authorities in charge. The responsible tax office for companies from Germany that are subject to VAT in Poland is the following:
Head of the Second Tax Office Warsaw Center
(Second Tax Office for Warszawa-Śródmieście)
ul- Jagiellońska 15, 03-719 Warszawa
Phone: 0048 22 11 3500
Fax: 0048 22 5113502
E-Mail: [email protected]
The application for a VAT ID Poland is made using the VAT-R form. If you want to register there as a German company without a registered office, branch or residence in Poland, you will need a so-called fiscal representative – i.e. a tax consultant. For this purpose a notarized contract must be concluded between your company and the fiscal representative.
How long does it take to get my VAT ID in Poland?
If you and your fiscal representative now correctly submit the VAT-R form and the other required documents to the responsible Polish tax authority, they will process them within three to four weeks and confirm you as registered for VAT.
As a result, you must now include your new VAT number in your Polish invoices.
Which other documents do I need to get my Polish VAT ID?
Other documents to be submitted together with the VAT-R form:
- Extract from the Commercial Register, which is less than three months old (companies without an entry in the Commercial Register will obtain an extract from the Trade Register)
- a copy of the memorandum of association (the Polish Tax Office also requires a translation)
- a copy of the identity card of the managing director
- a proof of activity for taxable transactions in Poland (e.g. invoices, import documents, etc.)
Conclusion
The language barrier can be easily overcome in the case of tax obligations in Poland by the already obligatory cooperation with a corresponding fiscal representative. This enables a quick, one-month VAT registration in Poland and the sale of products or services to Polish consumers can begin.
