The tax authorities are looking ever more closely at Poles' money
Tax offices in Poland have significantly stepped up their enforcement activity aimed at taxpayers who hold foreign bank accounts and carry out transactions on the cryptocurrency market. Reports of a growing number of summonses are coming in both from taxpayers themselves and from lawyers representing people subject to verification proceedings.
The scale of the tax authorities' interest can be striking. There are known cases in which a Polish Tax Office (urząd skarbowy) demanded explanations concerning funds of up to PLN 2.5 million held in a foreign bank account linked to a European cryptocurrency exchange. This is a clear signal that the tax administration has increasingly advanced tools for identifying potential irregularities.
Importantly, the consequences of failing to cooperate with the tax office can be exceptionally severe. In certain cases, where a taxpayer is unable to demonstrate the legal source of their funds, undisclosed income may be taxed at a rate of as much as 75%. That is why it is so important to prepare properly for a possible inspection and to secure documentation confirming that the funds you hold are legitimate.
How does the tax office know about your foreign accounts?
The main tool that allows the Polish tax administration to obtain information on financial assets held abroad is the CRS (Common Reporting Standard) system. It is an international mechanism for the automatic exchange of data on financial accounts, operating between several dozen countries around the world.
Under the CRS, participating countries share key financial information with one another, including data on:
- bank account balances held for foreign tax residents,
- interest and dividends earned on foreign accounts,
- proceeds from the sale of assets, including securities,
- identification data of account holders (first name, surname, tax identification number (NIP), address).
This means that the Polish tax authorities automatically receive detailed information on funds belonging to Polish taxpayers, even if they are held in accounts in other countries. This data reaches the tax offices without any need to send individual requests - the exchange takes place automatically and periodically.
An additional source of information in the near future will be the EU DAC8 directive, which will introduce the automatic exchange of data on crypto-asset transactions. Under it, crypto service providers will be required to pass on their clients' data and the details of the transactions concluded to the tax administration.
Cryptocurrencies under the tax authorities' microscope - why is 2021 key?
According to information provided by lawyers specialising in cryptocurrency tax law, the main focus of tax analysts at present is the 2021 tax year. This was a period of dynamic growth on the cryptocurrency market, which translated into significant profits for many investors - profits that in some cases may not have been reported correctly.
As attorney Maciej Grzegorczyk, creator of the kryptoprawo.pl website, points out, the tax authorities are currently carrying out verification proceedings on a large scale, which are not yet a full tax audit. They focus solely on settlements relating to virtual currencies, rather than on a comprehensive examination of the taxpayer's entire assets. This is an important distinction - verification proceedings are less formal than an audit, but they can lead to one.
Who do the tax authorities select for checks?
According to experts, three key elements matter when taxpayers are selected for verification proceedings:
- Links with cryptocurrency exchanges - the people most often checked are those whose bank accounts show transfers from cryptocurrency companies exceeding several thousand zlotys.
- Analytical algorithms - the tax administration uses advanced analytical tools to identify suspicious transaction patterns.
- Tip-offs - information from third parties, including friends or colleagues, is an important source of knowledge for the tax authorities.
It is worth stressing that there is no single fixed monetary threshold that triggers action by the tax authorities. As Mr Grzegorczyk notes, the threshold is flexible and depends, among other things, on location - in large cities, where there are more investors, the bar is sometimes higher and usually hovers around PLN 300,000-500,000.
A 75% tax on undisclosed income - a real threat
The most serious consequence that taxpayers unable to document the legal source of their funds may face is taxation of undisclosed income at a rate of 75%. This is a penal tax rate provided for in the Personal Income Tax Act, applied where income is found that is not covered by disclosed sources of revenue.
In practice, this means that if a taxpayer holds, for example, PLN 1 million in an account and cannot show where those funds come from, the tax office may charge tax of PLN 750,000. The financial consequences are therefore potentially devastating and can lead to the loss of a substantial part of accumulated wealth.
The Ministry of Finance confirms the scale of the activity under way. In 2025, more than 100 customs and tax audits and tax inspections were carried out concerning financial services and cryptocurrency trading. In the first half of 2026 there were already more than 40, which points to a continuing trend of intensive inspections in this area.
How to prepare for a tax office inspection
A key element of protection against adverse tax consequences is proper documentation. Lawyers specialising in tax law stress that taxpayers should collect and keep all evidence confirming that the funds they hold are legitimate, in particular:
- transaction history from cryptocurrency exchanges,
- confirmations of bank transfers relating to the purchase and sale of crypto-assets,
- documentation on the sources of funding for investments,
- tax returns for the years in which cryptocurrency profits were made,
- contracts, invoices and other documents confirming legitimate sources of income.
It is worth remembering that the primary aim of the tax authorities' activity in cryptocurrency cases is to detect undisclosed profits and collect the tax due on capital income. Correctly and promptly reporting cryptocurrency transactions in your tax return is the most effective protection against the penal 75% rate.
Receiving a summons from the tax office does not necessarily mean serious problems, but responding to it requires care and professional support. Ill-considered answers, or no answer at all, can significantly worsen the taxpayer's position.
Don't wait for a summons from the tax office - protect yourself now
If you invest in cryptocurrencies, hold foreign bank accounts or have received a summons from the tax office asking you to explain the origin of your funds - do not delay seeking legal advice. Properly preparing your documentation and strategy can protect you from severe financial consequences, including the 75% tax on undisclosed income.
Contact our firm - our tax law specialists will help you report your cryptocurrency transactions correctly, prepare a response to the tax office's summons and protect your interests at every stage of the proceedings. The sooner you act, the greater your chances of a favourable outcome.
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