Do I really need an accountant when I'm self-employed?

I want to sell my books online, and have a paid membership website.

Can anyone tell me if I need an accountant for this, or if I can do this myself? (I do not speak or write any Polish) I will not have any employees.

I would really appreciate it if someone took the time to explain this to me, how to become self-employed, what I have to register, and when and where, and how much everything will cost from month to month :)

You can do it yourself but accounting services are rather cheap in Poland, so most of small business owners just pay someone else to do it.

Are the papers and everything in English?

what papers?

the tax papers to send in, papers to register as self-employed etc..

Nothing in Poland is in English.

To run yourself as a company (self-employed, effectively) you need to register your company with the Urzad Miasta, register the company address at the same urzad, different department, if you don't own the property you need to provide a rental agreement on it, plus apply for a tax number (NIP) and REGON.

Every month you will have to pay ZUS, and in the simplest way you will have to declare your income every three months to pay your tax. Every 12 months you will have to submit a tax declaration of all your incomes and costs and either receive a rebate or pay more tax.

It is a long and complex process, with lots of penalties, fines and delays if you get something wrong. For the sake of 100zl a month (which is tax deductible anyway) just pay an accountant.

Thank you so much for the reply :)

How much is ZUS?

I've talked to some accountants that speak English, but they want 400 zl per month or more.. I'm really wondering what kind of special services they will provide me with this kind of price? What does an accountant do anyway?

I live in Wieliczka, outside of Krakow. Maybe some of you that are happy with your accountants could recommend an accountant for me that is reasonable (100 zl per month would be awesome) and professional, and that speak good English?

Thank you again so much for your help so far :)

If it is your only job, 800 PLN per month. If you have work and you will have the business on the side it is 238 PLN per month.

Try Taxcare, for 30 invoice per month it is 200 something. But I think you need a polish translator.

If you more help then also try my Polish busniess forum in english: bizportal.pl. It is free.

Best r. and happy easter,
Søren, Bizportal.pl

Taxcare? Come on.....supermarket.

That is wrong, when you have one-person firm, the polish law says that you must have an accountant.

Could you please reference this law?

I know several self employed individuals who don't use one.

But what if you're already an accountant, do you have to get another accountant? And does that accountant have to get another and another? Maybe that's why Poland is flooded with accountants.

Just messin, you don't need an accountant, if you have a calculator and can understand the tax returns form (which nobody can, seeing as it's written in that strange formal Polish) then you can do it yourself.

I got it from my better half she is a lawyer in this area of law here in Poland. So I can try to ask her again. Maybe it is only non polish citizen who needs it.

But I will get back too you later this week.

She might be mistaking the recommendation to use one with it being mandatory - the usual idea is that you get one that's registered with the Ministry who will take responsibility for your taxes, so then you don't have the tax office banging at your door. But I'm sure it's not compulsory, have you ever seen those tax books that you can buy? They're sold in my local tax office, at least...

I just talked with her. It is NOT in the law that you need to have an accountant. So I have misunderstood her. Sorry. But it is most easier to have one. Because then

you can use your time on doing business.

No problem, misunderstandings are just that, misunderstandings :)

And yes, it certainly is sensible to spend time doing business and not worrying about the intricacies of the Polish tax law.