Employers' group joins calls for revised tax system

The Polish Confederation of Private Employers (PKPP) has joined the campaign for lower taxes and has appealed for the introduction of a unified tax rate. "We have proposed that citizens with an annual income below zl. 5,000 - the minimum to live on - should be exempt from paying income tax. Those who earn more should pay a proportional tax of, for example 18%, and at the same time all tax concessions should be abandoned. The system should be introduced gradually over the next four years and would be ready to operate fully by 2007," said Henryka Bochniarz, head of the PKPP. She stressed that the present tax system may seem unfair to companies paying higher taxes. "Such a system encourages hiding the companies' real incomes. It is also very costly and tax declarations are complicated to fill in. An average tax payer spends 40 hours a year on their completion, on becoming acquainted with constantly changing tax rates and concessions, and on visiting tax offices," said Bochniarz. (Puls Biznesu, p. 6) K.Z.