Can a Polish accountant provide accounting services from their home, or do they need a separate office?

A Polish accountant does not need to provide services from a separate location or have a separate accounting office. They can offer accounting services directly at their clients’ premises or from their own home. If a Polish accountant intends to offer bookkeeping services, they must do so as part of a business activity. However, the regulations do not specify what organizational or legal form this business must take. Bookkeeping services in Poland can be conducted as a sole proprietorship, a civil partnership (e.g., with another accountant), or as a personal or capital commercial company (defined by the Commercial Companies Code).

Does the mandatory liability insurance held by Polish accounting offices cover all damages caused by the office?

The mandatory liability insurance (OC) for Polish accounting offices does not cover, according to §2 section 2 of the Regulation of the Polish Minister of Finance dated November 6, 2014, on mandatory liability insurance for entrepreneurs providing bookkeeping services (Dz. U. of 2014, item 1616), damages:

• involving damage, destruction, or loss of property, caused by the insured to their spouse, ascendant, descendant, sibling, as well as to an in-law in the same line or degree, an adopted person and their spouse, or a person with whom the insured cohabits,
• caused by the insured who no longer meets the conditions referred to in Article 76a section 3 of the Polish Accounting Act of September 29, 1994 (i.e., has lost full legal capacity or has been convicted by a final judgment for an offense against the credibility of documents, property, economic turnover, money and securities circulation, for a tax offense, and for offenses specified in Chapter 9 of the Accounting Act), unless the damage was caused in connection with the activities conducted while the insured met these conditions,
• involving the payment of contractual penalties,
• resulting from acts of war, martial law, riots, and disturbances, as well as acts of terrorism.

With whom should an agreement for accounting and/or payroll services be concluded in a Polish accounting office, and who should sign such an agreement on behalf of the office?

An agreement for accounting and/or payroll services should be concluded (signed) with a person authorized to represent the office. This will typically be the owner (co-owner) of the Polish accounting office, a board member, or a proxy or attorney authorized to conclude such agreements.

What are the biggest challenges faced by Polish accountants and accounting offices?

The biggest challenges faced by Polish accountants and accounting offices are the constantly changing legal regulations and tax interpretations in Poland, as well as the timeliness of tax settlements. Accountants and accounting offices in Poland usually include strict deadlines for clients to provide accounting documents (e.g., by the 10th day of the month following the month to be accounted for) in their contracts. However, clients often do not adhere to these deadlines and submit documents “at the last minute.” In such cases, accountants experience a work overload, which is associated with extreme stress regarding the accuracy and timeliness of settlements. Haste is the worst advisor in the work of accountants, as it easily leads to mistakes. Considering the additional uncertainty about the stability of tax regulations and the constant need to monitor them and check tax interpretations, the work of accountants is difficult and often stressful for the reasons mentioned above.

If you are looking for services we offer, contact us:

Accounting office in Warsaw

PHONE: +48 22 292 47 21
EMAIL: biuro.warszawa@prwt.pl

Accounting office in Krakow

PHONE: +48 12 345 21 06
EMAIL: biuro.krakow@prwt.pl