Real Estate / Property Tax to pay for running business from my apartment in Poland? [9]

They ask that because you might be a physician who has converted a sizeable area of your home into a fully-equipped surgery. In that case, more tax would certainly be payable. If you are using two square metres in your living room, it's another thing. Anyway, let us know if you find out more.

Real Estate / How do I sell my land ( near Szczecin, Baltic Sea )? Please help! [5]

Start by making sure the taxes are paid up to date (I bought my land from the tax office, which had confiscated it from the in arrears owner).

What kind of land is it? Is it agricultural (what class?) or building land (with or without planning permission or the likelihood of getting it) or mixed?

If it's land suitable for building, is it in or near a town? Is there infrastructure, i.e, road, electricity, water, etc (known as media)?

If it's agricultural land, I'd hang on to it. It's only a hectare, so you wouldn't get much for it at the moment.

Real Estate / Property Tax to pay for running business from my apartment in Poland? [9]

I've seen the page, but I'm advised by my legal department (Mrs Roger) that if the business is operated from, e.g. a spare bedroom, and the operation of the business does not change the residential nature of the property, then no additional tax is payable. I can't see anything about


Perhaps you're right. Other posters may have more information.

Real Estate / Property Tax to pay for running business from my apartment in Poland? [9]

Not where I live. As far as I'm aware you are exempt. My wife and I both run small businesses which are registered at our address, and we've never had to pay additional tax.

Life / Who is living in better conditions in their host countries? [9]


Not to be able to see the night sky limits the imagination. In my village two nights ago the sky was so clear I could see stars near Orion's sword that I'd never seen before. I've seen all four of Jupiter's Gallilean moons at once with the naked eye. I couldn't have done that when I lived in the UK.


We fill one bin a month. Food waste goes on the compost heap or in the cats, waste paper gets burned, wine bottles go back to the supermarket, beer cans get sold.


Good for you, mate. I have to work but I enjoy it immensely. I earn less than I would in London, but my quality of life is hugely better.


I've got a big hand plough. Much easier.

Work / 2000 zloty in Katowice as a teacher - worth moving there? [33]


Unless, of course, he intends to teach as a career.

Love / Civil Cermony Details in Poland - music, vows? [10]


She certainly would. Figure on min. 200PLN for that.


In cities you might encounter a few kids who hang around outside register offices when there are weddings. Have ready a few coins or sweets to give them.


Bring your own music.


What can you do about it? Official copies are easy to get. Just consider it part of the process. It's not a big deal.


The register office provided wine?

Work / 2000 zloty in Katowice as a teacher - worth moving there? [33]


1000 PLN will get you a small studio. A room in a student hostel can be as low as 400, but do you want to live like that? If you are a qualified teacher, look for a lot more pay. If you are a backpacker just bumming around Europe, why not follow the seasons doing agricultural work? On 2000 net you'd be on the bones of your arse.


That depends on your value system. If life is just about chasing money by whatever unscrupulous means, then teaching is not the right job. If, however, you value job satisfaction, interacting with people, and a never-ending learning experience, teaching is a fine way of life.

Genealogy / How Polish am I? What is the correct formula? [58]

I couldn't agree more. Some of us just like winding up the types who weep into their Vodka/Guiness/Malt whisky and declare undying love for a place they've never been to. Especially when they tell us they know more about the place than those of us who live here because they feel it deep in their ancestral souls.

Australia / Have you moved from Australia to Poland? please share your opinion... [43]


The more irresponsible sectors of the Polish media, i.e. all of it, have at one time or another in the past year raised the spectre of Russian aggression against Poland. Poland is, however, part of NATO, and as such, an attack on one member is an attack on all members. Putin may be a lot of things, including a gangster, but he is not a fool.

Sorry. Posted in wrong place.

Australia / Have you moved from Australia to Poland? please share your opinion... [43]

You quote fees from a different school. The American School of Warsaw charges $11,880 plus41,000PLN for grades 11-12. Try to quote correctly instead of making me out to be a liar.

Australia / Have you moved from Australia to Poland? please share your opinion... [43]


American School of Warsaw. Up to 85k PLN.

Life / iPad-Tablet usage in Poland [6]


There's your answer. You probably wouldn't see many in Bald Knob, Arkansas or Cockermouth in Cumbria.

Love / Civil Cermony Details in Poland - music, vows? [10]

We brought music (a Charpentier processional march) and had a glass of Champagne after the ceremony. The register office provided the glasses. Talk to the registrar. Of course you have to make a vow. It's a legal contract.

Language / "-ska" Polish last name different from "-ski"? [15]


With half a million new Poles in the UK I'm sure the UK authorities are aware of this. Anyway, you could change your name to almost anything after your marriage, as is your right.

Genealogy / How Polish am I? What is the correct formula? [58]


Why not call yourself French?


Ouch! Very true, but as you know, some people in the United States are insecure about their identity and tend to choose a grandparent from what they see as a romantic/soulful/heroic country and identify (sometimes absurdly aggressively) with it. The Boston 'Irish' or the Texan 'Ulster Scots' are among the worst offenders.

Classifieds / English cuisine week in Lidl shops in Poland [203]

They've had two types in my local Biedronka for about a month now. Just had one for lunch, as it happens. They keep them in the same place you find their cooked chicken bits and micro-ready gyros. They're not very big (400g in total) but at the price they make a very palatable light lunch.

Classifieds / English cuisine week in Lidl shops in Poland [203]

The Lidl Stilton is awful. Acidic and not at all creamy, although it claims to be 35% fat. The rest of what I bought is going in a brocolli soup.

Classifieds / English cuisine week in Lidl shops in Poland [203]

Światowid, which, despite the name, is made in the UK. It's a touch under 20 PLN/kg. I see Lidl have got a Stilton for 37 Pln/kg. I've just bought some but haven't tried it yet.

Classifieds / English cuisine week in Lidl shops in Poland [203]


They're all good if you like them.


See? The only way to see if you like them is to try them. For me Stilton is the king of cheeses, and a good mature Cheddar is a thing of beauty. I tend to leave Wensleydale to Wallace and Grommet. For everyday eating I've stopped paying crazy prices for cheddar now that Biedronka offers a perfectly good cheese at a fair price. Unfortunately, I still have to fork out over 70PLN/kg for Stilton in my local Kaufland. Still, it's available, unlike just a couple of years ago. btw Biedronka now have pretty good microwavable curry and rice for 7PLN.

UK, Ireland / POLISH Citizen ID Card Stolen in the UK. Now what? [14]

Take it to your local police station.

Work / How much is a salary of a travel agency employee in Warsaw, Poland? [8]

When you say 'pilot' do you mean guide or courier, i.e. someone who looks after a group of package tourists?

Life / Importance of awareness of Poland's heritage and culture among Polish children abroad [24]

Bieganski. You know nothing about Europe. People suffering under the yoke of the EU? Stop watching Fox news. It's rotting your brain.
Texas. Don't try to understand Crow. It's a waste of time and energy

Life / Importance of awareness of Poland's heritage and culture among Polish children abroad [24]

Crow. Young Polish people do not have an inferiority complex. They are part of a modern, forward-looking Europe, and they see the obvious benefits of being in the EU all around them. Perhaps you are projecting your own fears onto them. I see Serbians are in the world news again.

Love / My Pole bf is flirting with an old friend from high school [12]


That's how people flirt.


Yeah, right.


There is a lesson here, I think.

History / Heresy of Germanization and/or Anglicanization - The genesis; Polish, Slavic opinion [14]


To be fair to Crow, I once met someone who claimed to care the square root of fcuk all. OK, I made that up. Anyway, Crow's obsession keeps him off the streets.

Law / Buying and legally using second hand car in Poland; I'm EU citizen [27]

Doug. I bought a 5-year-old Renault from a dealer for 12k. Three years later I can say I've had no problems. It has never not started in cold weather (minus 30), and there's no rust.

Law / Buying and legally using second hand car in Poland; I'm EU citizen [27]


Anything at that price is going to be junk. Cars are more expensive here for the reasons stated above. If you pay less than 3000, you're risking your life. It's better to spend a minumum of 10000 at a dealership. They can show you the thickness of the paint with a little gizmo, so you know if it's had a crash, and they're less likely to spin a yarn than a private owner.

Life / Whats with going to sauna naked in Poland? [41]


I never saw that during my time in Turkey. Men kept a towel wrapped around their waist, even when being vigorously scrubbed by the guys that wash them (you wash your dangly bits yourself).

Travel / A good 1 day trip from Warsaw [6]

Białowieża National Park. It will take three hours to get there (unless you take a helicopter trip), but it's worth it. The park is great at any time of the year, except high summer, when the mosquitoes rule. You have to pay to have a guided tour of the 'Strict reserve', which is the last untouched fragment of primeval European lowland forest. There are also excellent restaurants, e.g. Carska.