Supplement Income Sources In Poland

In order to make ends meet during these difficult financial times, people sometimes find it necessary to seek extra income. This may be in addition to already working a full-time job. What are some sources for regenerating (legal) supplemental income in Poland today?

I work a full-time job, Monday-Friday. I also sell antiques and collectibles. It first started out as a hobby. It's now a second income, because I've discovered how lucrative it may be at times.

Others I know offer services, such as business advising, babysitting, yard maintenance, automotive repairs, cake baking, etc.

There's really no such thing as legal supplemental income - once you go self employed, you'll have a 220zl (minimum) hit for ZUS monthly, as well as the cost of an accountant to deal with the taxes. It's more or less prohibitive unless you do something that earns a serious amount of cash, such as a private clinic.

Quite a few people have been caught out on Allegro recently by the tax authorities.

I was referring to things which may considered unethical, such as selling illegal drugs, prostitution.


When small business consultation is privately done under the table, can the Polish government easily detect it?

Aha. Well - in all honesty - it's unlikely that anyone doing something 'small' could ever legally do it in terms of complying with the tax law and so on. A good example is teaching - virtually no Polish teacher giving private lessons will declare the income.


It depends. From what I gather, the government doesn't tend to do much to catch people, but rather relies on reports from jealous competitors/neighbours to find the fish worth catching.

My father was fixing watches, buying and selling stuff (especially during travels), bartered labor... none of that goes on anymore?

Sure, it goes on - but not legally.

In the states, a quick way to make a few bucks is to have a yard sale. I had only noticed two similar scenarios in Poland. A few elderly women in Warsaw had a few used things for sale, on the sidewalk on blankets. Items included were used glassware and household items. Near Treblinka, I saw what I refer to as a tailgate sale. It was off the side of the road, with loads of used clothing.

Selling and bartering food is obviously big. Don't small farmers get an effective tax free existence in Poland? The market local to me in Krakow you can hire a table for 10 pln per day and sell you produce, I've see old ladies selling a few dozen eggs and few bunches of dill. Poland has a large barter economy from what I've seen.