News / Poland's post-election political scene [4080]

Please give specific examples of foreign corporations which have dodged taxes in Poland. They exist for Sure but given that the total CIT budget in Poland is about 16 billion zloty then the chances that evasion would exceed 400 billion zloty over 12 years is very low. That kind of maths might work for pensioners or farmhands but I hope that most Poles see through it and realise Poland is a huge net beneficiary.

Foreign companies here pay more tax, higher wages, and are more likely to have straightforward ZUS arrangements than Polish owned businesses. But in any case most big corporations that are here are happy to reinvest their profits in Poland - it's a growing economy, firmly rooted in the EU and has been growing since 1989 no matter who was in charge

Food / What Polish foods do foreigners generally not take to? [115]

When I have flaki here in my relatives homes it is always a soup. I will manage the liquid but tend to leave the flaki themselves in the bottom of the bowl. I had the ragout once, with plenty of onions I just about managed it. Also had it breaded in Germany - disgusting !

I think adventurous eaters will like most Polish food. I had a lot of visitors who like chlodnik and zurek. Things that are never a hit are carp (either greasy or muddy tasting), flaki, herrings, piwo grzane.

News / Poland's post-election political scene [4080]

So as I understand once he loses his immunity he will stand trial for

- some nonsense about Syria
- a couple of company bankruptcies that he has nothing to do with (will Szydlo go on trial for Skok Wolomin ? of course not)
- some nonsense about Smolensk
- playing football on company time (which is as far as I got in your nonsense list of 500).

I hope not a grosz of my taxes will be used for this trial

News / Poland's post-election political scene [4080]

I thought that their leader said they were giving salutes, but not Nazi ones, merely Roman ones ? Which makes all the difference.

What crimes do you think Tusk has committed ?

News / Poland has accepted over a million Ukrainian refugees. Why does the EU keep telling propaganda about Poland? [304]

I thought that many of these Ukrainians have not claimed refugee status. The number that has is quite low - in the thousands.

Many of the Ukrainians I know here travel back to Ukraine during holidays to visit family - hardly the behavior you would expect of refugees but perfectly in line with their status as economic migrants.

Real Estate / What is the process involved in selling a house in Poland from abroad? [17]

If you're talking about the plot numbering then you absolutely must get that done - especially if the plot was subdivided in the past. No buyer will be able to get a mortgage registered without that. 1500 is on the high side but not an unreasonable price for solving your problem.

News / Poland's post-election political scene [4080]

@Ironside

No you did not. You asked for one example of PRL behavior. Which is easy to supply as there are hundreds. But this one has it all

- questionable use of the law
- ignoring commercial imperatives
- spending other people's money
- blatant party patronage

And I think it is unprecedented - I cannot think of any banks being nationalised between 1989 and now. In fact the peak year was 1950 - the first full year of the PRL.

News / Poland's post-election political scene [4080]

How about the renationalization of Pekao and Alior to the detriment of its depositors and the subsequent stufffing of their boards with people who's only qualification is that they are loyal party members. That could have happened in 1947 and now it's happening in 2017.

Just one of many examples but that happens to be top of my mind this afternoon as I am doing business with the guys.

News / Poland's post-election political scene [4080]

I applaud that decision.

Language / Terms of endearment in Polish [222]

Maybe "bardzo sliczna" or just sliczna !

It's a flirty compliment but not over the top

If she has been to the movies with you then take it as a good sign she is interested and waiting for you to make a move - Polish girls don't play so many games and wouldn't normally accept invitations if they don't like you.

News / Poland's post-election political scene [4080]

The information on PIS using the TKM philosophy of governing is easy to verify. In the case of Energia for instance you simply need to visit the company website, check the members of the Supervisory Board and notice that they are correct.

Millions of zloty of shareholders, viewers, consumers and taxpayers money is being used to support an army of small town Soltys and gentleman farmers while they wreck years of steady growth.

The govt has also just put in a billion zloty order for 3 new planes to ferry these unqualified fools from Warsaw to their private houses every weekend.

News / Poland's post-election political scene [4080]

Some very interesting articles this week in GW about how PiS is truly packing out state owned companies with hundreds of political appointees - all to be borne by the shareholders of those entities. Similar article today coverin TVP and the chaos there after sackings of respected journalists and technical staff.

News / Poles call for EU reforms. [67]

You can look for those yourself - there are hundreds of hits on google and on academic databases plus data from GUS, OECD or Eurostat plus all major banks. But like most right wing nuts you have zero interest in evidence. If you want me to recommend one study to you then try the work of Castro, Corelli and Moretti - a joint effort by Michigan and Sorbonne professors which adjusts for all variables in assessing a correlation. Can you provide a single credible study showing that the EU has had a negative effects for Poland ?

On your other points there is plenty of data too - to take just two examples new car registrations hit an all time high in Poland in 2016. Home ownership is also at record levels - it has increased 40 percent since statistics became reliable in 2007

Your point about exports is total nonsense - you do not charge VAT on the vast majority of intra EU trade. Could a fraud of this size - 1000 euro for every man, woman and child in Poland really occur ? If you do not believe these are bona fide exports then maybe it would be easier just to go down to your nearest crossroads and count the number of trucks heading west.

Of course there are some exports to Germany in those numbers - that is what trade is all about, but this is not trade with the German state. It is with individuals and German businesses, it is only in the paranoid imaginations of the ruling party that Germany is an all powerful bogeyman. The rest of the inhabitants of this country, or happy to do business with them and receive the mutual benefits.

To invert this question, why don't you tell me alternative reasons for Polish economic success since 2004 ? Or if you do not believe in the success, then maybe you can supply some data points of major economic quality of life indicators which are going backwards? It can be anything - currency stability,productivity, mortality, teen pregnancy, access to the Internet, education levels, whatever you think you can find. However, you will search in vines since every aspect of Polish life is been revolutionised since 2004. If you are living here, then surely you can see that the country is much healthier and much wealthier.

That is why 78 percent of the country support EU membership.

News / Poles call for EU reforms. [67]

Yes it could be unrelated and the rapid acceleration point of those trends in May 2004 could be a massive coincidence. There is plenty of research on the effects of the EU on the 10 accession countries, plus you have a control group available of countries that are outside - Serbia, Albania, Moldova which are hardly massive success stories. Plus you have a perfect before/after scenario coming up just as soon as Mrs May gets her train crash started - get the popcorn out and watch how it works for them.

Of course the alternative explanation for Polish growth might be the brilliance of the 8 year PO government ? No, I don't think so either.

Wage growth has outstripped inflation in 12 out of 13 years since 2004. There has been deflation in the last few years - the end result is Polish workers have much more disposable income. The numbers I am referring to are mean numbers, but the growth is in every region, every single gmina and in every strata of society. The minimum wage has increased 220 percent during this time (though as unemployment shrinks the amount of people still on minimum wage is much less than it used to be).

Savings - Herę you arę right to pull me up - the actual increase in total savings is a mere 130 pecent - it is OFE savings which ha e increased fourfold.

Exports to the EU have increased from EUR 8bn to EUR 37bn - a 360 percent increase. On this measure Poland has benefitted from EU membership more than any of its neighbors.

If you think emigration is the only reason for falling unemployment then it might make more sense to look at the EMPLOYMENT rate - this is the total number of people in work I.e. Jobs created and it has just hit a record high in q3 of 2016. If those emigrants had sat in Poland without work they also would not be contributing to pensions. As it is they are learning valuable skills and sending back billions to give their families more material comforts than they have ever enjoyed before.

I could go on but honestly I work with these figures every day and all my numbers check out and confirm that EU membership has been extremely beneficial for Poland.

In answer to the rest of your questions why not look it up yourself ? but for research centres, hi tech factories, cars, home ownership, holidays, number of Polish businesses, reinvested profits from multinationals then I guarantee the answer will be more than 2004. I have no idea how many people in any country could quit work and do nothing for 2 years - this is not Monaco quite yet and anyway why is that even a desirable thing ? If these are your arguments for the EU being against Polish interests then they are weak points.

News / Poles call for EU reforms. [67]

@Ironside
You are the one being dogmatic. I can tell you many ways the EU is in the Polish national interest - since 2004 wages have doubled, exports to the EU have increased 400 percent, discretionary income has tripled, savings have tripled, unemployment has halved. We have better infrastructure, our kids lay football on EU funded playgrounds, our school buildings have improved, life expectancy is up, alcoholism and smoking are down because people have jobs to go to. Poles can travel more easily, work abroad and invest abroad.

What are the ways it damages national interest and what evidence supports that ?

News / Poles call for EU reforms. [67]

Well actually 28% said definitely yes and 47% said rather yes. I am in the 47% because I have think that pretty much every organisation can be improved - The EU, the UN, the church, the police, Biedronka and our local volunteer fire brigade.

78 percent of Poles favor continued membership. The other 22 percent are entitled to their view but really need their heads testing.

Love / Fell in love with Polish girl at work : / [22]

You are going to have to show your hand if you are serious about her. Learning Polish is nice but a quicker and simpler route is to ask her for a date - movie and a drink or something like that, but be clear you do not mean as friends. Polish women would prefer that to the 50 episodes of The Office approach.

If by the 4th time you ask her she still says no then give it up.

The guy in her life is leaving an opening and he knows it - Maybe he feels unsure about her.

News / Polish MEP Korwin-Mikke's latest outrage, insulting women [216]

Which of his books so upset you Gregy ? And which sections in particular read like a Feminist manifesto ? I have read 3 of his books - Imperium, the Emperor and the one about Africa; and I cannot remember any such strident feminism or leftism there. But I am sure you will be able to point me to a specific thing in the rest of his works.

Work / Is 400000PLN per year a very high salary in Poland? If so, what kind of job can make this money? [33]

I have a lot of experience of commercial real estate thank you. Not sure if you mean office, industrial or retail but in any segment you would need about 2000-3000 sqm to even come close to those kind of returns. There are about 35m sqm of modern commercial space in Poland so that means a maximum of 17.000 people could generate this income - less than 0.05 percent of the population. In fact the the number is far smaller as most is in institutional hands.

You might want to discuss the ryczalt method more with your accountant or tax advisor. It is more suited to small investors and doesn't pay out as well if you have some bad years or some bad properties in your portfolio as it is mor difficult to offset losses.

Work / Is 400000PLN per year a very high salary in Poland? If so, what kind of job can make this money? [33]

No it is not - the people being offered that are programmers - also in great demand but not for permanent contracts and making 60-70k a year, not 100k usd.

There are plenty of statistics available on earnings levels - 400.000 zloty puts you in the top 2 percent as stated.

The majority of good commercial real estate is owned by banks, funds or wealthy individuals - not by regular guys on the street

If you are making 400.000 profit on your real estate then you must have about 20 apartments which puts you comfortably in the top half percent of Poles in wealth. The people you drink and eat with might be earning well but they are not typical Warsaw residents.

Work / Is 400000PLN per year a very high salary in Poland? If so, what kind of job can make this money? [33]

There are only a few sectors that would pay that kind of money - you would need to be quite senior in bank, consultancy or maybe real estate to get that. In other sectors like FMCG or industry that is a board level salary. I doubt you would get that at Google unless you were running a large department.

News / Tusk turning his back to idea about Intermarium (New Commonwealth), seeing only EU as future for Poland [119]

He will find life a lot more complicated than building a few apartment blocks. China is a huge holder of US debt. European markets are very important for US companies. The US consumer will not stand for inflation caused by a trade war. His son in law will likely inflame the Middle East again only this time nobody will be volunteering to help America. America is powerful but only in a system where co-operation rules. He will learn the hard way.

News / Tusk turning his back to idea about Intermarium (New Commonwealth), seeing only EU as future for Poland [119]

I am not a leftist. Just a normal middle of the road person. Doing as many stupid things as you can in one week, without consulting your advisors does not count as progress.

Who at the moment looks a more stable ally for Poland ? Abusive idiot Trump ? Creepy Putin ? The impoverished Slavs outside the EU who refuse to reform ?

News / Tusk turning his back to idea about Intermarium (New Commonwealth), seeing only EU as future for Poland [119]

Well he is 100 percent correct - the EU has had some tough years but right now looks a better bet than the lunatic asylum across the Atlantic. Strong economic numbers out today - better than the US for the first time in several years. And those slow decision making mechanisms all of a sudden look a lot more attractive than the moron holding his scrawled signature up for Fox News every half an hour.

Life / When will SMOKING BE BANNED? (from public areas in Poland) [44]

it's quite old data from 2009 but in a full GHk/Eurostat survey Poland spent 2.8bn złoty on treating smoking related disease and collected PLN 13bn in excise on tobacco.

I doubt the ratios have changed - in 2015 the excise was PLN 18bn and VAT on cigarettes a further PLN 4bn. that enough to fund 45 percent of Poland's total Health budget.

Life / When will SMOKING BE BANNED? (from public areas in Poland) [44]

The tax the government gets from tobacco is far higher than the cost to the health service (about 3x last time I looked at that). Its free choice but yes the government could spend more on education.

As for drinking I like it and I often visit the pub but like most normal people I either walk, get the bus or get a taxi and I don't feel that is a terrible hardship. Drink driving laws protect both the drinker and the innocent public. DUI kills about 10.000 people a year in the US including about 1.000 kids. This is Europe and we have public transport here.

Law / Hiring a Polish Worker - Pros and Cons [107]

Have you managed teams before ? It might not be about them being Brits but rather about how you motivate them - if you want them to work weekends and late nights then what is the upside for them ? Can they see an opportunity for promotion or do they get good overtime ? Are you giving them enough notice so they can juggle other commitments ? And most of all did you make those things clear at the time you recruited them ?

Honestly I am sceptical about the arguments that Brits are lazy - when I have worked there I found them the same as in other countries - some hard working, some lazy but mostly conscientious. And just doing regular hours does not mean they are lazy - they might have other tiring commitments like childcare or looking after parents. You cannot expect everyone to be as engaged with the business as you are - you are the owner and also likely spent a lot of time working hard in your medical training so are used to unsocial hours.

News / Janusz Korwin Mikke - controversial Polish politician [43]

So do you agree with his suggestions ? No income tax and no social benefits for anyone ? Or did you not get that far ?

Law / Polish inheritance law in Canada [37]

Assuming your daughter is not a Polish citizen then the Polish courts will not be able to establish jurisdiction over her. Highly unlikely that a creditor would pursue that case.

If she is a Polish citizen then it might be necessary to renounce the inheritance on her behalf

Law / Weapons laws in Poland. Carrying a concealed handgun? [918]

Ironside your arguments are ludicrous

what other uses ? earlier Reb suggested heirlooms (yeah, would be great to give my son an assault rifle on his 21st), protecting from predators (Poland has 50 bears, 50 lynx and a few hundred wolves, they are beautiful, shy and they are protected and you get compensation if they eat your sheep), and other than that no uses except killing people.

Your argument about correlation not being causation would be shot down by any matura student - simply correlate with another data set - could be any other advanced country with similar gun laws to Poland - try Germany, Korea, Australia anywhere, The reason for mass gun deaths in the US is lax gun laws.

Legal status is also a ridiculous argument - people can obtain legal guns and then go nuts - just like the guy this week who took his legal gun and live ammo on a plane. Of course the tragedy could have been prevented had some of the unfortunate people unloading their luggage also had their Uzi to hand.

The total of gun deaths in the US is circa 10x the total of terrorist deaths in Europe in the worst year. No serious European party would put US style gun laws to the electorate - for good reason, gun toting brain dead morons cause 10x as many deaths as terrorism and are going to make us less safe. We will still live happily without this freedom.