How to open your own business in Poland: action algorithm

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06 Jan. 2023

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How to open your own business in Poland: action algorithm

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Who can open their own business in Poland?
Grounds for legal stay in Poland
PESEL number and trusted profile
What are the forms of ownership of enterprises in Poland?
What is required for individual-entrepreneur registration?
How to register a business in the National Court Register?
Detailed instructions for business registration in Poland
Useful contacts

Ukrainians who have already arranged their own lives in Poland often think about opening their own business in the country. Learn more about what is required to open a business in Poland

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You can open a business in Poland even without Polish citizenship. In order to conduct activities, it is sufficient for a Ukrainian to be legally in the country.

We have collected information about the main stages of starting your own business in Poland, as well as the necessary documents and useful contacts.

Who can open their own business in Poland?

A Ukrainian who is legally in Poland and has a PESEL tax identification number can create a business of any organizational and legal form under the same conditions as a Polish citizen.

Grounds for legal stay in Poland

For legal stay, you must have one of these documents:

• issued temporary protection status (for Ukrainians who arrived in the country after February 24, 2022);

valid residence permit;

• A Pole's card, on the basis of which you legally left Ukraine after February 24, 2022, arrived in Poland and declared your intention to stay in the country;

• a stamp in the travel document confirming that the person has started the procedure for processing documents for a legal stay in Poland.

PESEL number and trusted profile

In order to issue a PESEL number, it is necessary to submit a corresponding application to any commune administration in Poland.

Importantly! When receiving a PESEL, a Ukrainian who plans to do business must create a trusted profile. To do this, you must add an email address, mobile phone number, consent to enter information in the register of contact data of individuals and consent to confirm the trusted profile to the application on PESEL.

A trusted profile is created free of charge and allows you to confirm your identity and sign electronic documents when interacting with Polish state institutions.

It is thanks to the trusted profile that you can register a business online on the CEIDG portal (Central Register of Entrepreneurial Activities).

What are the forms of ownership of enterprises in Poland?

In Poland, you can choose one of the forms of ownership for your business:

• A private enterprise (an analogue of a sole proprietorship in Ukraine) is the simplest form of ownership. The advantages include: free registration, no amount of required capital, the entrepreneur has the right to choose the form of taxation and in some cases it is possible not to pay VAT. If the income does not exceed 2 million euros, then you can keep simplified accounting.

• A limited liability company is created by several shareholders. The minimum amount of authorized capital is PLN 5,000. Shareholders are liable for the company's obligations, but are limited to the amount of their contributions.

• A joint-stock company is also created by several persons, the authorized capital is from PLN 100,000. This form of ownership is characteristic of large companies. Such a business cannot be registered online, it must be notarized.

• A civil partnership can be founded by entrepreneurs or companies, therefore it is not a separate legal entity, but a certain contract concluded between the members of the partnership. Advantages include: ease of registration and the ability to choose a simplified system of taxation and reporting. Also, there is no minimum starting capital here. Later, the civil partnership can be re-registered into a company with a different form of ownership.

What is required for individual-entrepreneur registration?

Individual-entrepreneurs are registered in the CEIDG, that is, in the Central Register of Entrepreneurial Activities, which is an electronic register of private entrepreneurs in Poland. In your personal account on the entrepreneur's portal, you can create a company, change data, suspend, resume or close your own business.

Company registration can take up to 30 days, but usually the document is received within 7 days.

To register online, you will need a PESEL number and a trusted profile.

You can also register a non-profit organization in the commune administration.

How to register a business in the National Court Register?

Other enterprises are registered in the KRS, i.e. the National Court Register. Registration can also be done online: in the S24 system or through the PRS portal.

The entrepreneur creates his own account in the system and confirms it using a trusted profile or a trusted qualified signature.

Registration takes place on the basis of a residence permit in Poland.

Detailed instructions for business registration in Poland

• Stage 1 - choose the form of ownership of the enterprise

Depending on the type of future activity, choose one of the forms of ownership.

• Stage 2 — preparation of the charter and authorized capital

Authorized capital is not required if you register as a private entrepreneur. For other forms of ownership, the minimum amount of the company's capital is PLN 5,000, there are no restrictions on the maximum amount. The cost of registration is calculated depending on the size of the authorized capital (the larger it is, the more expensive it is).

• Stage 3 — application for registration in the accounting of economic activity

A company officially becomes a legal entity when a corresponding entry appears in the National Court Register.

• Stage 4 — REGON number

A business will not be able to operate legally without a REGON number. A private entrepreneur can issue it online. When registering companies of other forms of ownership, submit an application to your municipality or the nearest branch of the statistical office.

• Step 5 — bank account

You can open an account in the name of the company in any bank.

• Step 6 — registration with the State Treasury Service

It is necessary to pass this stage before receiving the first money to the account of your company.

• Step 7 — NIP tax number

To issue a tax NIP number, contact the tax inspectorate.

• Stage 8 — registration as a VAT payer

This stage can be skipped for companies that annually sell goods worth less than PLN 150,000 or a private entrepreneur provides services that are exempt from VAT. To register, you need to write a corresponding statement to the tax office.

• Stage 9 — insurance of the company

For business insurance, it is necessary to submit an application to the Social Insurance Institution.

• Stage 10 — production of a company seal

On which the full name of the company, contacts and registration number should be placed.

Importantly! If an entrepreneur loses the grounds for a legal stay in Poland, his business is excluded from the register.

Useful contacts

Questions regarding the registration of the individual-entrepreneur in the CEIDG can be asked at the contact numbers 801 055 088 or 22 765 67 32.

Consultations on online registration of companies and limited liability companies can be obtained at (71) 748 96 00. After dialing the phone number, select 4 (Electronic access to registration courts). Or send a request to the e-mail address: [email protected].

You can get answers to questions about insurance:

• in the ZUS call center at 22 560 16 00 (the cost of the call is according to the operator's tariffs);

through form;

• by e-mail: [email protected];

• via Skype: zus_centrum_obslugi_tel.

Regarding the taxation system, contact the State Tax Information Service at the following telephone numbers:

• 22 330 03 30 (from mobile phones)

• 801 055 055 (from landlines)

• +48 22 330 03 30 (from abroad)

A lot of useful information for future entrepreneurs is collected in the Biznes.gov.pl Help Center.

Photo: Unsplash.com