Finance Minister Belka plans simplified tax procedures for small businesses

Finance Minister Marek Belka has unveiled plans to amend the tax regulations , with a view to simplifying procedures, making life easier for small busine sses and encouraging investment. The changes are part of the government's "E ntrepreneurship First" program and are likely be approved by the Cabinet on April 16. The changes include imposing stricter requirements on tax control officials, for example requiring them to tell a taxpayer when they plan to f inish an audit. Smaller companies will not be required to pay VAT every mont h, but only every quarter. Companies investing in new production facilities will be able to take advantage of a new, favorable depreciation scheme, allo wing for 30% of the value to be written off in the first year of a given fix ed asset's use. The Finance Ministry also plans to reorganize the tax contro l administration. The changes will include the separation of a few tax contr ol offices, which will focus only on auditing the largest companies. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 25) T.J.