Tax In Brief: Public Finance Program; Tobacco excise; VAT on postal services

The Sejm is to debate the first draft bills under the Public Finance Recovery Program as early as May 13. In related news, the Finance Ministry has agreed on the introduction of a new 17% tax band for society's poorest. (Gazeta Prawna, May 5) ... Cigarette producers' feelings on the newly-proposed excise duty regulations seem mixed. The happy ones are the players in the cheap cigarettes sector where prices will grow more slowly than in the case of Philip Morris and BAT products. (Puls Biznesu, May 6) ... All services offered by national post offices should be subject to VAT the same as with private postal operators. (Gazeta Wyborcza, May 7) J.K. (Tax News is based on PricewaterhouseCoopers Tax Department web service, www.taxonline.pl)