Church taxation in Poland? Check whether you will pay 8% of your wage and how to avoid it

The discussion on the financing of spiritual communities in Poland is taking on a fresh pace. The legislature received a petition proposing an introduction church tax as in the German system. If the proposal is accepted, it could mean crucial changes in your home budget. Will your wage be reduced by a fresh fee? See what you request to know about this possible revolution.

What's a church taxation and who's it gonna touch?

The proposal, which is presently on the legislature Petition Committee, assumes that The taxation office would deduct 8 percent of your income tax (PIT) obtained from employment contracts, contract orders and contract works. This money would go straight to the spiritual communities you formally belong to. In practice, this means that if you are a declared associate of the Catholic Church or another spiritual community, any of your earnings could automatically feed the budget of an organisation.

The inspiration for this initiative is the German system, where Catholics, Protestants or Jews pay 8 to 9 percent of their income taxation to their community. The key is that non-believers are exempted from this fee. It would be akin in Poland, which opens the way to avoid a fresh tribute.

What are the differences between the present and the proposed system?

Currently, the Church and another spiritual unions in Poland are mainly based on voluntary donations of the faithful and means from Church Fund. In 2025, the Church Fund is to carry out PLN 275.7 million and comes entirely from the state budget, that is, the money of all taxpayers, regardless of religion.

The petitioner, whose name has not been revealed, criticises the current strategy as opaque. According to him, the introduction of ecclesiastical taxation would guarantee greater transparency of the finances of spiritual communities, let a reliable determination of the actual number of believers and importantly strengthen the budgets of the Churches. For you as a taxpayer, that would mean direct and compulsory backing of the selected community, alternatively of voluntary donations and indirect grants from the state budget.

It is worth noting 1 crucial difference compared to the German system: in the Polish proposal there is no mention of a protection mechanics for people with very low incomes. This would mean that the church taxation would apply to all declared believers, regardless of their material situation, which may origin controversy.

Can you avoid paying? Key Declaration

Yes, you can avoid paying the proposed church tax. According to the petition's assumptions to be released from this fee, you would gotta make an authoritative declaration of non-religious affiliation, for example, by defining itself as an atheist. This is simply a mechanics akin to that in Germany. Without specified a declaration, if you are declared faithful, the taxation could be automatically deducted from your wage by the taxation Office.

This opt-out is crucial due to the fact that it gives you the choice and control of whether and how your money supports spiritual communities. Remember, however, that this would require an informed decision and the completion of authoritative formalities.

What's next with the proposal? agenda and possible coverage

The substance is presently in the Senate, on the Committee on Petitions. The Senators will decide whether the proposal will go into further legislative work. There is not yet a circumstantial timetable, and this process can be long-term and spark quite a few public debate.

However, if the proposal goes through the legislative process and enters into force, it could cover a large part of Polish society. According to the 2021 National Census, he lives in Poland 27.6 million people declaring spiritual affiliationOf which almost 90 percent are Catholic. This means that the fresh fee could affect millions of Poles, changing the current model of financing of churches and another spiritual unions.

We will monitor developments and inform you of any fresh phase of this crucial initiative. Follow our updates to know if and erstwhile these changes can affect your finances.