Frequently we are asked by expats, including foreign founders, if there is any Polish taxation when leaving Poland?
The answers is yes. We have so called exit tax charged at the rate of 19% on the value of assets transferred outside of Poland. Or to be more precise, assets which would not be subject to Polish income tax, due to the change of the tax residence to other than Polish. Due to its nature, the exit tax will apply mainly to stock, shares and financial derivative instruments (this may include stock options).
However, sometimes bad news is good news. Exit tax applies only if the value of assets transferred outside of Poland exceeds PLN 4 million. If you are below this threshold, you do not have to worry about it.
Obviously, PLN 4 million threshold may sound as high, but think about a case of a founder of a startup with valuation of some PLN 4 million – PLN 6 million (in case an investor is onboard)… Or an expat working as a manager of the Polish company, well rewarded in the form of stock or stock options. Or, any Polish tax resident who successfully invests into stock, ETFs, bonds etc. It may happen that moving from Poland and change of tax residency to other country (for example permanent relocation to US to seek investors or simply a decision to move to a country with more pleasant weather) may have unexpected tax consequences.
If you consider relocation from Poland to other jurisdiction and you are concerned about taxes, please contact me at tomasz.rysiak@ttkraft.pl
