Law / Do I need to have an invoice to deduct expenses? [11]


You should think about changing them. They work for you, not the other way round. Not all (but certainly some) accountants here know that if you present an expense without a faktura or rachunek, you can sign an oświadczenia that you haven't got a faktura. Not ideal, but certainly legal, and fine for smaller amounts.

Of course if it's an item you've bought from a foreign source, you could knock something up yourself - should you get a tax inspection there shouldn't be a problem - they're not going to challenge an invoice from another country unless they have serious grounds to be suspicious. My friend who's a tax inspector sometimes texts me to translate a word (always the name of the product or service) on a foreign invoice - he said it's only for very large invoices though, and they only officially query them if they're for some weird or wonderful item or there are a lot of them and they suspect money laundering.

If the accountant's got a pre-1989 mentality and starts to kvetch about rubber stamps, just point out correctly that not every country uses them on invoices. If she (and it's very often a she) still argues, change your accountant.

Work / Salary expectations in Poland [373]


Sure, but a lot of people on that level of income bump it up by other sources and have the kind of fringe benefits that make it worthwhile. And though there are certainly middle-aged people with qualifications and experience who get that, especially in the state sector, they would probably consider themselves to be seriously underpaid.

Remember the nurses strike a couple of years ago when they were camped out in tents outside the Premier's residence for weeks.


"Arise ye workers from your struggle".


I've been here so long it would be a big change to move. I make enough to live well and the money is increasing slowly, I live somewhere nice, have a very good social life and am assimilated etc. Warsaw is home now, and I like it here. I originally planned to stay for a couple of years but found a partner and stayed partly because of him. We split 3 years ago after 5 years together, (he's thinking of moving to Holland at the moment, partly for money, partly for travel's sake), but I'm still here because by that stage I owned a business and was established here.

If my income fell to, say, below 4000, I'd very seriously think about moving on, if it went below 3000, you wouldn't see my arse for dust. It wouldn't be comfortable surviving in Warsaw with a reasonable quality of life at that amount.

Work / Salary expectations in Poland [373]


It isn't exactly the peak of a glittering career either.


Give the number of expensive restaurants and bars etc, probably plenty.


Why emigrate and live a life full of the bad times, no wine women/men or song followed by a cheeseburger?


Some people certainly did. I was a special ed teacher in a state run secure unit, hardly hedge fund manager wages, and had a great deal more 'wine, women and song' than here.


Suddenly?

History / Have Poles blood on their hands? :) [496]

You say this:


and this:


At least one must be bullshyt.

Work / Salary expectations in Poland [373]


There are still plenty of expats here in Warsaw; most working in international companies or doing business. Go to the Hotel Sobieski Bar when France is playing in a rugby international, or to Jimmy Bradley's. Or walk down Nowy Świat when the expensive restaurants have tables outside and eavesdrop on some of the conversations.


I only know a few people who earn that. Most either civil servants or other state-sector employees (who often have other sources of income) or young people in their twenties working in ok-ish jobs.

History / Have Poles blood on their hands? :) [496]

I know him slightly and think he's one of the good guys, but that's not the point. You should really read a post carefully before writing nonsense.

The "27 Poles" you talk about were not Polish, nor has anybody in the whole of human history (except you) ever suggested they were. You are jumping to pointless and false conclusions.

Read the post again. Carefully. Then admit your mistake.

History / Have Poles blood on their hands? :) [496]


Read his post correctly before spouting rubbish. There's nothing about 27 Poles.

Work / Salary expectations in Poland [373]


That's not a particularly good salary for a Pole with marketable skills and some experience, living in the capital, and much less than half the amount that an expat from a 'western' country would expect.

Language / Clever and Innovative Polish Keyboard Layout. must see! [14]


There are six in the quote above!

This program sounds a good idea - I'll download it tomorrow.

UK, Ireland / Proof of Address (my Polish gf moving to the UK) [14]


Some banks have special arrangements for people from other EU countries (especially Poland) who need to open an account but don't have an address. I think Barclays and the Co-op both do it.

She can also go on the Electoral Roll without proof of address (maybe at yours?) and they will send acknowledgement.

Also anyone can apply for an NI number without proof of address, and again, the letter and card would be sent to whatever address she applies from.

Work / Salary expectations in Poland [373]


I'm on something similar after tax/zus- but also don't do much teaching at the moment - just a few companies that I've taught at for years. Plus a few private lessons for friends and their kids, for cash which isn't included in the 6000 - I don't charge much because I only do privates for people I know already. Translations are a useful extra, but some months I'm swamped with them and other months there are just a few. I have a few teachers who work for me; this makes up about a third of my taxable income - was more than that, and should be again soon :-)

I pay 1800 rent for a flat - it has three bedrooms and I sublet two to help with the rent and for company. Bills are quite low - just electricity gas and internet. Heating and water are on ryczałt and included in the rent. I don't live in centrum - that would be much more expensive for a flat this size, but here in Wola, I'm only 4 bus stops from Metro Ratusz, and walking distance to the Klif shopping centre.

Food - hard to say because I eat out a lot - shopping (including pet food) probably comes to about 1000, maybe a little less, but to my shame, I don't really keep track of it. Things like tea and coffee and non-foods etc, I buy at Makro on an invoice, since I can put these through the books.

I don't drive, so probably spend too much on taxis, but thankfully I can deduct some of these against tax.

News / German legal discrimination against Polish speakers [209]


I share your disgust.

There is one race, the HUMAN race.

Genealogy / Krupski name [36]

Could it have been 'Krupskoy' originally?

Food / Polish Herring Appetizer [21]


Surprisingly Poland is one of Europe's biggest markets for these.

Life / Picking up BBC television in Poland [41]

A VPN (virtual private network) does that. Some are free (findeable on google) but the free ones are unfortunately unreliable.

There are various ways of watching British TV through the internet, but these tend to come and go. As soon as there's a good one, it tends to get spread across fora like this and the live streams are taken off the air. The more reliable programs tend to be privately operated by and for members.

FilmOn works, but rips its streams from the user operated programs, so also can be patchy.

UK, Ireland / Polish English marriage in England- advice please [21]


This might change things.

Was your previous marriage a Catholic ceremony? Were you formally Catholic at the time? If the answers are No and Yes, in that order, you may still be able to marry in a Catholic ceremony.

If however the marriage was a Catholic ceremony, you may still be able to get a church divorce (there's a thread on that somewhere here) which is easy to get if you were very young when you married. Anullments are harder to get but still possible.

Language / Too many English words in the Polish language! [709]


Z Prus ;-)

And hence 'to spruce up', spruce as an adjective etc...

Love / All Polish women can't be nutters can they? [257]

tcooper913

In Poland there's quite a tradition of mothers-in-law being hostile to their sons' wives, and badmouthing them privately to their son, even trying to break up the marriage. Maybe she assumes things are the same where you are?

Language / Too many English words in the Polish language! [709]


Maybe in the future....

;-)

Language / Too many English words in the Polish language! [709]


In Poland?

English is a working language in Sweden, Switzerland, Chile, Indonesia, Thailand etc.

English as a lingua franca reaches far further than countries that have been within Britain or America's sphere of influence.

Language / Too many English words in the Polish language! [709]


Not really - 'useful' or 'popular' might be a better description. Most people from English speaking countries would be surprised at the extent that words from English have entered other languages.


Indeed. There's even an English word (noun, phrasal verb and adjective) from Polish.


For business and academia. Bad news for translators though.

Language / The longest polish word in existence is..... [23]

These are all (thankfully failed) propositions to rename Warsaw streets:

1. ul. Młodocianych Więźniów Politycznych z lat 1944-56
= Juvenile Political Prisoners from the years 1944-56 Street

3. ul. Obrońców Zdrowia i Życia Człowieka i Rodziny (the best:-)
= Defenders of the health and life of the individual and family Street

4. plac Ducha Świętego
= Holy Ghost Place

5. rondo Polskich Kryptologów - Deszyfrantów Enigmy
= Polish Cryptologists - Enigma Decoders Roundabout

And some local politician proposed renaming the Warsaw subway:
I Linia Warszawskiego Metra im. Polskiego Państwa Podziemnego
= The Polish Underground State, Line One of the Warsaw Underground :-)))

And for the name of Kabaty metro station: KABATY IM. DESZYFRANTÓW ENIGMY
= Enigma Decoders Kabaty.

Thankfully the city council saw sense.

News / Freezing weather in Poland, 42 people dead in winter freeze... and no-one cares? [140]

The latest on this:

Winter freeze kills 13 in Poland

Thirteen people died of cold in Poland over the New Year long weekend as temperatures plunged to minus 25 degrees Celsius, taking this winter's toll to 122, police said.

The majority of the victims were homeless men aged 35 to 50 who died of hypothermia while drunk, police said.

news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/winter-freeze-kills-13-in-poland-20100104-lqan.html

Work / Moving to Warsaw - any advice on my new life and job prospects? [14]

Most if not all in-company schools in Poland work throughout the year. I only take a fortnight in the summer, and not always that. If anything I teach more during the summer months because of covering for teachers who are on vacation or doing summer schools.


I don't know of any professional and qualified native English teachers in Warsaw who work for less these days. If you do, please give me their details, I could save a little money.


If anything they are slightly rising in Warsaw due to supply/demand together with a dearth at the lower end of the market. That isn't only my opinion, it's my concrete and up-to-date experience as a school owner.

There's a much greater supply of Poles teaching English than of skilled natives, and, however good Polish teachers may be, they don't generally command the same rate per hour.

Genealogy / Polish person's average height? [210]

Ogien

I found the opposite. I'm 5'11" and taller than most people I meet here in Warsaw.

Work / Moving to Warsaw - any advice on my new life and job prospects? [14]

Henryk

Do the maths. 50zl per 45 min. Multiply by 1.3 to get the rate per 60 min. Multiply by 30 to get the weekly rate, then mulitply by 4.25 to get the monthly amount.

News / Czech drug legalisation threatens Poland [111]

I'd certainly prefer that to them walking down a street with drug dealers lurking in the shadows.

Not that sweet shops would sell them anyway, if they wanted to keep customers.

News / The "Arbeit Macht Frei" sign theft from Oswiecim, Poland [240]

strzyga

Seems a bit tenuous, if he hasn't been arrested. I wonder what the truth really is here.

News / Czech drug legalisation threatens Poland [111]


That's an awful lot of money - it would see a serious cokehead right for a couple of days, and most for a week. Heroin, though is a cheap (and generally nasty) drug. A hundred a day would be about the most IMHO, with most log-term users spending rather less.

Of course the intrinsic value (and the price the farmers get) is just a few pence.

So instead of legislative prohibition with all that money going to criminals, let shops sell it openly and freely. Smackheads wouldn't have to come up with all that cash to see themselves happy, there would be no incentive for dealers to mix the stuff with God knows what, and the third-world farmers who grow whatever they can to survive would get more money. Fairtrade Drugs!

Travel / CINNAMON CLUB Warsaw [7]


Jerozolimskie, opposite the National Museum. Great if you're 20-something and like chemicals. Interesting music - a step up from most places in Warsaw. If you like such clubs, that's probably the best bet.