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Posts by InWroclaw  

Joined: 10 Mar 2012 / Male ♂ 		Last Post: 7 Mar 2015
Threads: Total: 89 / In This Archive: 80
Posts: Total: 1910 / In This Archive: 1693 		From: Wroclaw
Speaks Polish?: No

Displayed posts: 1773 / page 15 of 60
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InWroclaw   
11 Apr 2014
Law / Poles going to live in the UK or elsewhere and their tax residency status? They pay tax to Poland? [15]

The two countries have a dual taxation agreement so people pay tax where they live and work.

From the moment they land and start working and not after any qualifying period?

Thank you for answering, Jon.

Please confirm this: the Poland earnings limit of approx. GBP600 is not applicable to a Pole in the UK during the period they would otherwise be considered tax resident in Poland? In other words, they assume the earnings limit of their host country immediately as if they were immediately tax resident in the host country?

Please also confirm: Bogdan's UK bank savings interest (say for example it's GBP1K) from his bricklaying job in South Shields is not taxable as world income by the Poland tax office during the time he would otherwise still be considered tax resident in Poland, regardless of whether interest was paid monthly or annually? The reason it's not taxable is because it's under GBP10K or because of some other taxation rule?
InWroclaw   
11 Apr 2014
Law / Poles going to live in the UK or elsewhere and their tax residency status? They pay tax to Poland? [15]

What is the position for Polish people who leave Poland and, for example, go to work in Britain indefinitely?

Once arriving in the UK and commencing work, who do they pay tax to? Because for a certain period of time they are technically tax resident in Poland, aren't they?

If Bogdan the bricklayer (I use this example because bricklayers in some parts of Britain are now supposedly able to command a salary of 500 tys PLN a year, or GBP100K) arrives in Britain and starts work, does he or his agent/employer send tax payments to the tax office in Poland for the period while he is still tax resident in Poland?

Does Agata the council office cleaner send her taxes home to Poland from her cleaning job in Hemel Hempstead until she becomes tax resident in the UK? How would she afford the accountancy fees? Accountants are very expensive on a cleaner's wages.

Does Beata the bus driver, driving the number 95 through Guildford, continue to do her PIT Poland tax return from the UK until she gains UK tax residency?

Doe she also record her UK banks' savings interest and send the Poland tax office the tax due on that?

I'm curious as to how this works. If I don't get an answer here, I'll try to delicately tackle the subject with Poles when I'm back home in Britain shortly. But, if anyone can answer my curiosity now I'd be grateful.

I forgot to point out:
in Britain, most single people don't have to pay income or savings tax until their income is approx. GBP10K (ten thousand quid). In Poland, it's approx. GBP600 (six hundred quid, yes a lot less). That means, in theory, a Pole who finds work in the UK is likely to have a tax liability with the Poland tax office from (typically) the 3rd week of their job in the UK. After gaining UK tax residency (after a qualifying period, I assume) they would probably be able to benefit from the UK's much more generous tax-free earnings limit (although I'm not sure exactly on that).

If it's covered by 'double taxation' rules, could someone explain to me how this works in this situation. Because it would seem that Poles in the UK would under these circumstances gain tax-free status until GBP10K, or still have a Poland tax liability on their earnings after GBP600 and until GBP10K.
InWroclaw   
10 Apr 2014
Work / Salary and cost of living information - Krakow [257]

It depends on your needs, size & quality of accommodation you want, lifestyle. Broadly speaking if you are good at being frugal -- just about, if you're noticeably modest in your requirements. Tax is approx. 1/5th of your income excluding ZUS (social security contributions) which is another bite out of your salary. Some may advise you to go self-employed for tax breaks, and that's been covered in other threads, maybe do a search.

Take note that some experienced schools of thought suggest 7500PLN is the minimum workable figure for Krakow, see: polishforums.com/work-study-43/cost-living-salary-details-krakow-70340

Someone asked the same question about 13000PLN, see: polishforums.com/work-study-43/cost-living-krakow-pln-gross-job-salary-enough-60881

Cost of living discussion for Krakow: polishforums.com/everyday-life-7/average-cost-living-krakow-person-67042

Links merged
InWroclaw   
7 Apr 2014
UK, Ireland / Do people in Poland live "better" than here in the UK? [150]

get really drunk, wear wrong kind of clothes

At least one in the story wasn't drunk and had a big coat on.

UK's -5°C and Poland's -20°C :)

History of winters
netweather.tv/index.cgi?action=winter-history;sess=
The trend is for colder winters
wattsupwiththat.com/2013/03/23/trend-to-colder-winters-continues-in-uk
and -8.7 in 2011
bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12119329

Perhaps it's because people are not used to sudden -21C in the south of the UK, they get caught out, but it happens

metoffice.gov.uk/education/teens/case-studies/severe-winters

Poland doesn't exactly do badly for its vast range of packet soups and sauces.

Usually with monosodium glutamate and recently they've added pig fat back in to most of the yellow packet range! Yum yum!

I asked a (young) waitress a couyple of months ago if the chips were frozen and here reply was "what other kind are there?"!!!

:D

don't sit up rolling their own pierogi or boning trout.

Is that a saucy euphemism :D
InWroclaw   
7 Apr 2014
UK, Ireland / Do people in Poland live "better" than here in the UK? [150]

I am very happy that it is impossible to freeze my ass here.

Unfortunately, that is not true. Young people do die in British winters, often late at night walking home in freezing conditions.
mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/bernadette-lee-found-dead-after-1547507 Kent, near London
standard.co.uk/news/uk/essex-office-worker-dies-in-snow-after-night-at-the-pub-8547784.html Essex, near London
news.sky.com/story/1040667/two-die-as-winter-weather-keeps-its-grip-on-uk
InWroclaw   
7 Apr 2014
UK, Ireland / Do people in Poland live "better" than here in the UK? [150]

I haven't seen so many packaged vegetables and pre cooked food like in the UK in any other country.

That's because British houses and flats are so expensive, people have to have 2 or 3 jobs to pay the mortgage. What time's left for cooking? People come home from one part-time job and go out to the next, to try to survive financially, on low (for there) wages. They finish the day exhausted and barely have the strength to put something in the microwave, let alone start peeling and chopping and following recipes. It's also usual for both partners (married or not, gay or straight, human or alien) to have jobs - again just to survive and pay the mortgage and also other drains on their income such as local taxes, very expensive cable TV, increasing food prices, very inflated water, gas and electricity prices etc. Who has the strength or time to cook? Only a lucky few with their perfect family arrangements and luxury of having enough money to survive on one breadwinner.

As for Polish meat, I was always under the impression people said it was usually not as good as British, except for some premium quality producers being the exception rather than the rule.
InWroclaw   
7 Apr 2014
UK, Ireland / Do people in Poland live "better" than here in the UK? [150]

There's a better choice, that's for sure. Here you have to love dumplings or smoked meats or you're stuffed unless you fall in love with sushi or dehydrated soya products.
InWroclaw   
6 Apr 2014
Life / Amazon stops super saver delivery on orders to Poland [40]

I guess I will have to revert to reading the books I already have

Why not get a 250zl e-ink ereader and download as many interesting books in English as you like from Kobo? Check Allegro for a Kobo ereader, then download from their website. Some books are not free, but many are. In fact thousands (in English) are. Be sure to only buy an ereader that uses LCD 'e-ink' and not anything else which drains batteries very fast.
InWroclaw   
5 Apr 2014
News / Is this the first clear and open signal that Poland makes preparations for war with Russia? [163]

I seem to remember that about McD. If it's not a myth, we can breathe easily as Russia has plenty of them as far as I know! That said, a politician in the USSR I mean Russia has called for all 400 to be closed down. We can but speculate on why, but it may be that he's taking the supposed myth too seriously and sees McD's in his country as an obstacle to starting a war? ;) business.financialpost.com/2014/04/04/moscow-politician-calls-for-all-400-mcdonalds-outlets-in-russia-to-be-shut-down-after-fast-food-giants-pulls-out-of-crimea
InWroclaw   
4 Apr 2014
Law / Used Vehicle Bought in Poland - Registration Question [15]

Different but related question:

If I buy a car from some other city, when I register the car in my name do I get a new registration plate for the city I'm living in or keep the old registration plate?

In other words, if the car's numberplate says KR123456 when I buy it in Krakow, will it become DW....something when I register it in Wroc?

Also, what's the name of the car registration/change of ownership admin office, please? How do I pay the 2% sales/purchase tax when I buy? Is the registration fee about 200zł?

Don't panic folks -- I'm not going to be the one driving it :o)

Anyone able to answer, please?

The info gathered from other sources in case it's of use to others:

When buying a used car you need to get a burgundy coloured book like a passport with the car's details on it, called a karta pojazdu or something like that.

You then need to go to the general local admin office for your town or city or their separate vehicle office in your area and register the car in your name. It costs 150-200 ZL and if it's not done within an hour it might take a few weeks, depending on the circumstances. They might give a temporary registration document to hold during that time. When the car gets registered you get a new registration number and actual physical numberplate issued at the office, with the prefix code for the area you live in (Wrocław = DW). You fix these issued numberplates to your car. Sometimes you get a choice of standard numberplates to choose from. If you want a cherished or personalised number, it costs a lot more, but the same office probably sells them.

The other stuff I haven't found out.
InWroclaw   
2 Apr 2014
Law / Will opening an online company in Poland help with obtaining a visa? [11]

by crossing Ukrainian border and come back again.

Didn't someone here post that they got stopped and refused re-entry when they did that? Search the threads, but I seem to remember that at least one person reported that they weren't allowed back in.
InWroclaw   
2 Apr 2014
News / Is this the first clear and open signal that Poland makes preparations for war with Russia? [163]

Nato is now suggesting Russia might now be, at least in theory, ready to invade Ukraine
news.sky.com/story/1235742/nato-chief-russia-ready-to-invade-ukraine

Nato's top military commander says Russia is ready to invade Ukraine and could "accomplish its objectives" in three to five days.
Nato's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, US Air Force General Philip Breedlove, said the organisation had spotted signs of movement by a very small part of the Russian force overnight but no indication that it was returning to barracks.

In what could be the first significant development to make Putin think twice about keeping Crimea, McDonald's Restaurants confirms it is "temporarily" mothballing its outlets there: bbc.com/news/business-26882704

This could well be the turning point when Russia has to back down.
InWroclaw   
1 Apr 2014
News / Priest from Poland claims Lego is "a tool of Satan" [35]

Surely he meant Stickle Bricks?

Hold on, can see where he's coming from, somewhat. Let's be fair - this from the article:

Slawomir Kostrzewa said the popular Danish toy company had taken a lurch to the dark side with its series of Monster Fighters and Zombie mini-figures, and that they "were about darkness and the world of death".

"Friendly fellows have been replaced by dark monsters," he explained. "These toys can have a negative effect on children.

InWroclaw   
1 Apr 2014
Life / April Fools' Day - Post any Polish Newspaper Hoax Stories Here [8]

Prima aprilis

Top 100 Hoaxes around the world from years gone by: museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/aprilfool/

Made me smile:

Burger King published a full page advertisement in the April 1st edition of USA Today announcing the introduction of a new item to their menu: a "Left-Handed Whopper" specially designed for the 32 million left-handed Americans

If you spot any April 1st spoof stories in the Polish press or media, please post here with a translation !
InWroclaw   
31 Mar 2014
Work / Australian looking to teach English in Poland [25]

popular cities like Wrocław, Kraków and Warsaw.

And I think I'm right in saying there's actually free English groups at a venue in this city for people at the shopping malls. I am only guessing but I think if some tutors are doing it free, it kind of suggests there's not a lot of paid work. I mean no offence, am just thinking if tutors are doing it free then there can't be huge demand and what I'm hearing on the ground from people who were doing it successfully in the past is that trade's nowadays much less busy to say the least. It might be Skype or a new influx of natives causing that, I don't know.
InWroclaw   
31 Mar 2014
Work / Australian looking to teach English in Poland [25]

In the big cities, unless you're cheap (50 or sub 50 an hour) don't expect to be that busy unless you already know people who'll give you work. Locally all I hear is "very quiet" (from the established ones who charge only about 60 or 65). That said, charge a lot less and you might be very busy if you have the strength to do a lot of cheap lessons each day, I don't know. If you do get going, don't forget you've tax to pay at 20% on your earnings plus min 400 approx. ZUS each month for 2 years, then 1000 per month ZUS - whether you made a cent or not. Some schools may offer work, but stories about not getting paid for long periods are not uncommon.

Lots of threads here on this, do a search.
InWroclaw   
30 Mar 2014
Real Estate / Preliminary Contract - Purchase of Apartment [26]

Cuz its a public record,even in the usa when one buys a house its recorded with the amount of loan taken and how much it was sold for.

I'm surprised they release names etc. When I was a tenant somewhere and had a problem with a rented apartment, the admin people wouldn't even confirm the surname of the owner even when I quoted it to them! They said "Cannot confirm or not. All I can do is note your request and get back to you."

You can do it here ekw.ms.gov.pl/pdcbdkw/pdcbdkw.html

Someone else on my travels mentioned that to me, but they didn't know the link. Thanks for posting it :)

What's 200-800 zł in comparing to the amount of money you are paying for your apartment?

I agree.

Personally I believe a sworn translator would be more useful than a lawyer-

Let's have 'em all, heck let's invite everyone!
InWroclaw   
30 Mar 2014
Food / Does British bitter appeal to Poles? 'good draught beer' [3]

There's a vast array of great Polish beers here. It seems there's every conceivable kind, along with some international brands in the supermarkets. As for preferring British beer, I think I'd be going a bit loopy if I missed UK beers. Few UK pubs had the real ales or decent beer likely to cause any sentimentality about that. Really, the only thing I like about pubs in England is JD Wetherspoon's cheap meals menu. Even cheap Polish beer is pretty darn good, as far as I'm concerned.
InWroclaw   
30 Mar 2014
Real Estate / Preliminary Contract - Purchase of Apartment [26]

Thank you, Lenka. I know this is Poland where everything costs money, but I'm kinda hoping that doing that check is free or not more than 25zł. What puzzles me is why they'd release the information to me? How would they know I'm entitled to see it? But on the other hand, I think the relevant UK govt dept release info from the UK Land Registry to enquirers as well.
InWroclaw   
30 Mar 2014
Real Estate / Preliminary Contract - Purchase of Apartment [26]

in some transactions i transfered funds directly to the sellers accounts except one where i put in escrow account of the notary and she transfered to seller after the final closing.

Thanks, I may well do the same (escrow) if I ever buy.

To be sure you may ask the court for the documents. That will be be enough.

Thanks, so these deeds or documents at the local court would prove their ownership and a right to sell with no charge (loan) outstanding, I assume. In England, I'm pretty sure you can't sell if a charge remains on a home unless the charge owner (usually a bank that gave a mortgage or secured loan) knows about it and also agrees.