Proposals to change personal income tax under consideration in parliament

The Sejm begins work today on Cabinet proposals to change the Personal Income Tax (PIT) bill. According to Rzeczpospolita, parliament should not have any major problems passing the most significant changes, among them a freeze of tax thresholds, the introduction of an import tax, and the elimination of various tax breaks for construction and renovation. The Polish Peasants Party (PSL), a member of the ruling coalition, also wants to see the introduction of a new 50% PIT rate for high income earners, should the tax on interest from savings not be passed. Deputies of the Samoobrona Party plan to propose lowering the bottom PIT rate from 19% to 17%. Civic Platform (PO) is believed to be critical of the PIT proposals and plans to remind the government that money should be raised not by increasing the tax burden but by improving the government's fiscal responsibility. (Rzeczpospolita, pp. A1, B1) P.J.