Compare business accounts in Poland

No, the law does not impose a general requirement for a sole trader to hold a separate business account. In practice a business account becomes necessary once the entrepreneur pays another business more than 15,000 PLN (VAT whitelist) or uses the split-payment mechanism, since both only work through a company settlement account. A bank's terms may also state that a personal account is not meant for business transactions.

Yes. A company is a separate entity that settles with the tax office on its own, so in practice it needs its own settlement account. The account number is reported to the tax office on form NIP-8.

It's a free, electronic register of VAT taxpayers (registered, unregistered and deregistered), maintained by the National Revenue Administration, listing companies' NIP and REGON numbers and bank accounts among other things. Since 1 January 2020, payment for an invoice over 15,000 PLN issued by an active VAT payer must go to the account shown on this register.

The expense can no longer be counted as a tax-deductible cost, and the payer becomes jointly liable for the seller's unpaid VAT related to that transaction. These consequences can be avoided by reporting the account number to the tax office within 7 days of ordering the transfer, or by paying through the split-payment mechanism.

It's a payment method where the VAT amount goes to the seller's dedicated VAT account and the net amount to the ordinary settlement account. It is mandatory when, at the same time: the invoice is at least 15,000 PLN gross, it covers goods or services listed in Annex 15 to the VAT Act (e.g. steel, electronics, construction services, scrap metal), and both parties are active VAT payers. Outside that scope, businesses may use it voluntarily.

Yes. At banks and branches of foreign banks, BFG guarantees also cover funds of legal persons and entities that a statute grants legal capacity, up to the equivalent of 100,000 euro per depositor at a given bank. Exclusions include funds of the State Treasury, the central bank, banks, financial institutions, investment firms, insurance undertakings, investment and pension funds, and local government units.

For a sole proprietorship, a printout from the CEIDG register is usually enough. A civil partnership needs a CEIDG printout for each partner plus the partnership agreement, while a general, professional or limited liability company needs a current extract or printout from the KRS register. A limited liability company in organization needs the partnership agreement in notarial form plus confirmation of its NIP and REGON numbers. The exact list depends on the bank.

Yes. A sole trader's account number is reported automatically when the CEIDG entry is updated, while companies file form NIP-8. The report must be made within 7 days of opening the account.

Not quite. The statutory, simplified procedure for switching a payment account between banks, with guaranteed deadlines, is described by banks as a service for individuals. Moving a business account follows both banks' own terms and conditions, and usually requires an in-person application at the new bank plus closing the old account yourself.

Yes. Bonuses and cashback received in connection with a business account count as business income and must be taxed under the rules for the company's chosen form of taxation. They are not covered by the tax exemption that applies to prizes received by private individuals outside business activity.

No. Basic banking services, including maintaining a money account and carrying out payment transactions, are exempt from VAT under Article 43(1)(40) of the Polish VAT Act. A business account's maintenance fee is therefore not increased by VAT, unlike some additional bank services, which can be taxed when they are not a necessary part of the exempt core service.

Yes. Bank Guarantee Fund (BFG) protection covers funds held in any currency, and their value for payout purposes is converted into zloty at the NBP average exchange rate from the day the guarantee condition is met (e.g. the day the bank's activity is suspended). The 100,000 euro limit applies to the total value of a given depositor's funds at a given bank, regardless of how many accounts or currencies they are held in.