Company formation in Poland is simple as our lawyers prepare and take care of all the documentation for you to start business in Poland quickly. Our Warsaw office provides a wide range of corporate services tailored to fit your needs. We can provide you with a turnkey solution with all necessary business services.
Company Formation in Poland
Company Formation in Poland
How we can support you in starting business in Poland:
Setting up a new limited liability company, including new shelf companies with VAT ready for business
Virtual asset service provider (VASP) licensing, AML compliance and legal services
Registered office address, registered agent and local representative service, bank account opening
The most time and cost efficient approach to register a company is to purchase a new shelf company, which can be done fully remotely with no travel to Poland needed. The alternative founding process by oneself can be a challenge to non-residents due to various requirements (e.g. share capital payment). Hence in most cases, non-residents of Poland opt for a new or aged shelf company to avoid bureaucracy as we have already taken care of all the preparations and requirements. However, we do assist with new incorporations on request. We will help you to choose the best approach according to your objectives. Pricing for company formation in Poland starts from 1980 EUR, for more information contact us for a free case evaluation and a detailed price quote »
Company in Poland
We'll get you started in Poland!
We have helped hundreds of businesses to set up in Poland. We offer time and cost efficient remote setup packages with no travel needed. Our pricing for company formation in Poland starts from 1980 euros.
Priced from 1980 euros
Remote setup in 5 to 10 days
New shelf companies available
Crypto licenses available
Full range of corporate services
Limited Liability Company in Poland
The Polish limited liability company (Spółka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnością or Sp. z o.o. in Polish) is the most common form of business as its shareholders have no personal proprietary liability for the company’s obligations. Our new limited liability shelf companies are registered in the Commercial Registry with an active registration number and no previous activity – in some cases we also create the new company as tailor-made according to your order. Further, you can also choose your preferred business name for the company.
All Polish shelf companies come with our 100% clean balance sheet guarantee and the full share capital payment of 5000 PLN pre-registered (approx. 1100 EUR) – hence there is no need to put up the share capital at time of setup as it is registered in the company cash-registry. There are no restrictions on the number or the nationality of the shareholder(s) and board member(s).
Company formation in Poland can be carried out remotely with a Power Of Attorney (PoA) issued to us or by scheduling a notary appointment in Warsaw. We also provide support with obtaining the PESEL number and Polish Trusted Profile. We prepare the full package of legal documentation and submit all applications on your behalf – we only require the basic information from your side to fill and submit the documents. After the Commercial Registry has processed all changes we forward the full legal documentation to you. The registry processing time is about 10 business days for the registry to update their database to show the new shareholder(s), board member(s) and company information, but one should consider that the official processing times are often extended by the local authorities.
What are the steps?
Step 1: Get in touch for consultation
Let us know of your target objectives and we propose the best solution for your consideration. Preliminary consultation and detailed price quotes are free of charge.
Step 2: We take care of everything
We collect and prepare all legal documentation and forward for your confirmation and signatures. As an option we offer full remote service, no travel is needed for the company formation in Poland.
Step 3: Start business in Poland
We take care of all applications and set up any corporate services needed. We notify you when the process is finalized and when your company in Poland is ready for business.
Corporate services in Poland
We provide a full range of corporate services in Poland including company formations, VAT registrations, legal and tax advisory, virtual registered office, accounting&payroll, virtual currency services (crypto) licensing and bank account opening support. Corporate secretarial services on request.
Our virtual office service is a flexible solution for companies who do not need a physical office in Poland. Our legal address in Warsaw will be used for registering with the Commercial Registry and as the administrative address for the company to receive postage. The postage sent to your company will be forwarded to you by e-mail (scanned copy) or by regular mail on request. We can also set up individual local telephone and fax numbers as well as a local domain name with web hosting for your company.
Our accounting department can take care of all of your Polish company bookkeeping, as well as consult about financial and tax questions. The monthly cost of bookkeeping depends on the company profile, for example on the number of transactions and payroll calculations. We can also provide the VAT registration form and assistance with its completion. Financial statements have to be submitted annually while VAT returns and social tax declarations have to be submitted monthly.
We work with several banks (e.g. BNP Paribas, Bank Pekao SA and mBank) to ensure the most time efficient opening of a business bank account for your company in Poland. To set up the account, a board member has to be present for a face to face meeting during the first application stage. The payment card and online banking security token are received in the second stage. Our team member can be appointed to receive these on your behalf and they will then be forwarded to you. Our compliance team will consult on choosing the best bank for your business and provide support through the account opening process.
An audit is required when two of the following criteria are exceeded for two consecutive years:
- Annual net sales of 5 000 000 euros and more
- Balance sheet volume of 2 500 000 euros and more
- An average of 50 employees in the financial year
For licensing projects please contact us for further information. Regarding Poland crypto exchange and wallet licenses please refer to: Crypto Exchange and Wallet License in Poland
Taxation basics in Poland
Poland has a corporate income tax at the rate of 19% on all worldwide income of Polish tax residents, but there is also a reduced 9% rate applied in certain cases. The general VAT rate is 23%.
Polish corporate income tax is levied at a rate of 19% (standard rate). Resident companies are taxable on their worldwide income, including capital gains. Companies with revenues of up to EUR 1 200 000 in the given tax year are able, under some conditions to use the small taxpayer company 9% CIT rate.
Poland levies a 19% flat rate final tax on distributed dividends unless a tax treaty provides a lower rate or the EU Payment Service Directive (PSD) applies. The withholding tax is levied on income from participation certificates, certain debentures, vouchers and investment coupons; and interest from bank deposits and current accounts in general. The tax rate may be reduced to zero if the dividends are distributed to a EU or EEA shareholder who holds at least 10% of the capital of the Polish company (for a minimum of 2 consecutive years).
The standard VAT rate in Poland is 23% with a reduced VAT rate of 8% for certain food items, medial products, hospital services and housing and with a super-reduced rate of 5% for certain food items such as bread, dairy products, meats and selected publications. The threshold for mandatory VAT registration for taxable person with registered office, place of business or fixed establishment in Poland is sales turnover of PLN 200 000 (approx. EUR 44 000) attained in the period of 12 previous consecutive months. VAT declarations for previous month are due to be submitted the following month by 25th date (each month, quarterly not possible).
Social and health taxes paid by the employer: 19.21%-22.41% depending on the case. The minimum wage in 2023 is approx. 800 EUR.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below we have included the frequently asked questions for company formation and corporate services in Poland and the appropriate answers.
What documentation is needed?
In order to register and process your order we ask for you your passport scan, residential address (w. utility bill), contact details and passing of our online KYC. Thereafter we can specify the steps and procedures forward.
How long does it take?
In Poland the official processing time is about 5-10 business days from the submission of the documentation. However, unfortunately from experience we can say that often there are delays in Polish government processing times and we always advise our clients to consider a longer processing time by local authorities.
Do I have to come to Poland?
The company setup procedures can be processed fully remotely with travel to Poland not required. However if you prefer we can also schedule a notary meeting in Warsaw for onsite service.
Why prefer the shelf company?
The most cost and time efficient alternative to forming a new company from scratch is to acquire a shelf company, which is very common in Poland. The advantage of the shelf company is that the business can start functioning at once and that the company already has a registration number, if preferred also an active EU VAT registration number. Further, we have already pre-registered the share capital payment, hence no separate transfers are needed at the setup phase. Only before the end of the first fiscal year the new management board has to transfer the share capital of 5000 PLN to the company bank account for compliance.
What if I am not from the EU?
Poland does not put forward any restrictions on the nationality or residency for company shareholders and/or management board members, hence there is no problem.
What is PESEL and Trusted Profile?
The PESEL number is an eleven-digit numerical symbol that allows Polish authorities to easily identify the natural person, for example it is given to every citizen of Poland after their birth. In every official correspondence with Polish Authorities natural persons should indicate their PESEL number. In certain conditions PESEL may also be obtained by a non-resident even if the person does not have residency in Poland. Our lawyers can support to obtain the PESEL number even if the applicant is not a resident of Poland, further it is possible to complete the setup by remote service (no visit needed), it usually takes about 1 week.
After the PESEL registration is issued then it is possible to apply for a Polish Trusted Profile (ePuap, eGo), which is a tool to prove your identity digitally (electronic signature). In simple terms it enables Polish citizens and foreigners to contact with authorities, to electronically sign documents and is necessary to perform certain operations whilst administering your company. Upon issuance it is valid for 3 years. The application is filled online, but in order to activate it the identity of the person must be verified and this can be done only by visiting in person a confirmation point, which is a Polish Consulate or Polish Embassy in your country.
How much does it cost?
Our pricing for both new company formation and new shelf companies in Poland starts at 1980 EUR. The final cost of your project will depend on further services required such as local registered office address, VAT registration, remote service package or similar. Also the annual costs will depend on the list of required services. We would be glad to provide a detailed quote specific to your project.
Do I need registered office address?
Having a local registered office address is mandatory for every Polish company. The legal address will be shown in the commercial registry and the official letters addressed to the company will be sent to this address. We can provide a virtual registered office address as a service and forward the postage received as scanned copies to your e-mail.
Can I choose the company name?
Yes, you can choose the company business name as a separate service. It is subject to registry availability and comes at an additional cost in case of a shelf company package selection. You may check availability for the name here: https://ems.ms.gov.pl
How do I open the bank account?
There is no shortage of international and local banks in Poland and banking systems are highly advanced. It is not possible to open the bank account by proxy or by Power of Attorney, a face to face meeting is required at the bank. We provide a full service for on-site bank account opening, inc. assistance with scheduling the meetings and accompanying you to the bank. In addition, an alternative solution for a quick start it is also possible to open with a fintech bank in the European Union which can be done online with no visit needed and then proceed to opening with a local traditional bank in Poland in later steps.
What about reporting requirements?
Irrespective of size, the Polish limited company has to file annual accounts with the commercial registry once a year. Small companies are exempted from the requirement of appointing an auditor. VAT returns and social tax declarations have to be submitted monthly. Our accounting department can take care of all reporting requirements on your behalf.
How do I get started?
In the first step please let us know of your objectives for setting up a company in Poland. In the second step we propose the best solution with a step-by-step overview and a detailed price quote for company formation in Poland. In the third step we take care of all legal documentation and applications.
Questions? Interested in starting business in Poland?
Questions regarding company formation in Poland will be answered promptly by contacting us through the contact form below. If you would like to receive an overview of procedures and pricing break-down for your project we kindly ask to include preliminary information, for example how many participants will be in the company structure and which country residency they hold. Our country manager will respond shortly with more information to address your case including detailed procedures, timing and pricing break-down.
Contact details
Our office in Poland is located in central Warsaw. Please schedule an appointment beforehand to be connected with our country manager.
Call our head office at +372.50.43.245
E-mail us at poland@maxcorp.eu
Warsaw office address:
Żelazna 32, 00-832 Warsaw, Poland