What to consider when choosing a Polish accounting office?

When choosing an accounting office providing services in Poland, consider:

• The organizational and legal form in which it operates and check the records in the appropriate register for that office (e.g., Polish National Court Register, CEiDG – Polish Central Register and Information on Economic Activity).
• The qualifications (and experience) of the accountants employed there, and if you also outsource payroll and HR matters, the qualifications (and experience) of the employees dedicated to providing these services for you (your company).
• Whether you will have direct contact with the people directly handling your accounting and payroll matters (if you outsource them).
• The contract proposed by the Polish accounting office for signing, ensuring there are no hidden fees for additional services, no high contractual penalties, and that you can easily and quickly terminate it if you are dissatisfied with the manner and quality of the services provided.

How to verify a Polish accounting office?

Verifying an accounting office providing services in Poland is possible by:

• Checking its registration data (the type of register depends on the legal form in which the accounting office operates).
• Confirming it has professional liability insurance (for service-based bookkeeping, having such insurance – a policy – is mandatory).
• Checking whether it is involved in any civil lawsuits initiated by former clients for damages caused by its actions or omissions (improper or unreliable service provision).
• Verifying the qualifications (including experience) of its accountants (employees).
• Reviewing the types of accounting software used by the accounting office in providing accounting (and often payroll) services.

How to verify if a Polish accountant has the appropriate qualifications? How to verify the skills of a Polish accountant?

Polish accountants providing services before 2014 should hold a certificate from the Polish Ministry of Finance authorizing them to offer bookkeeping services. This certificate confirms their qualifications. Since the Ministry of Finance stopped issuing such certificates post – 2014 (though previously issued certificates remain valid), verifying the qualifications of accountants who started working after this date is slightly more challenging. For these accountants, it is worth checking whom they provide services for, how long they have been doing so, and if they have a reference list indicating for whom they have worked so far and in what capacity (e.g., in an independent position).

How to check if you are dealing with a reliable Polish accounting office?

A reliable accounting office is one that provides its services to clients accurately and treats them fairly. Reliability in service provision means timely and correct tax settlements and proper bookkeeping or other records management. Reliability in client treatment means offering a fair contract that does not favor either party, without hidden fees, without high contractual penalties, and allowing clients dissatisfied with the services to terminate the contract within a short period.

Does a Polish accounting office need to have a certificate? Are there any mandatory certificates for accounting offices in Poland?

Currently, there are no legal requirements or legally defined certificates for Polish accounting offices. Until 2014, the Polish Minister of Finance issued certificates authorizing the provision of bookkeeping services (these were certificates for individuals, not companies). After the Polish Act of May 9, 2014, on facilitating access to certain regulated professions, these certificates are no longer issued. Certificates issued earlier remain valid, but no new ones are issued. You may encounter advertisements from private companies in Poland offering certificates for accounting offices, but these are private initiatives (private certificates) without any legal standing. Statutory, official certificates for accounting offices do not exist in Poland at this time.