News / Polish Diaspora - many of these 20 million actually speak Polish? [79]

As it happens, yes I do find it rather amusing to see people banging on and on about how proud they are to be Polish but then when asked what they have ever done for Poland, they suddenly change the topic!

News / Poland's 'oburzeni' (indignant)? [41]


I wonder if you will ever manage to go through 24 hours here without insulting anybody.


Hopefully he can find time to work here for a year helping the country he supposedly loves so much. You're still happy to pay for half of the cost of his flight, aren't you? I'll certainly get the other half.

UK, Ireland / Getting the most from my hard earned money (transfer money from England to Poland) [41]


And that statement is connected to the OP how?

And how does cash get into one's bank account? Osmosis?

Work / Native Speakers increasingly desperate? Polish and African teacher forcing down wages.. [27]


No.


Yes: that is why I was invited to train Polish teachers in Poland.

Work / Native Speakers increasingly desperate? Polish and African teacher forcing down wages.. [27]


The demand for what I do far outstrips the supply of people who can do the work. Clients come to me.

Work / Native Speakers increasingly desperate? Polish and African teacher forcing down wages.. [27]


Pay for a better teacher. That is why decent teachers love terrible teachers.


That might explain why expat women usually don't stay long here.

UK, Ireland / Bank transfer from Poland to UK - do I need only IBAN number or SWIFT one as well? [8]

I transfer money to the UK with nothing more than the account holder's name and account number and the bank's sort code. They can do it when they want to; you just have to either ask nicely enough or threaten to close your account and move your business elsewhere.

Work / Native Speakers increasingly desperate? Polish and African teacher forcing down wages.. [27]


Fairly stupid to do that. Just writing "Clients I have taught include" gets exactly the same info across.

From what I see (I've been pretty much away from the coalface for a couple of years), those teachers are exactly what is driving top-end wages up: people are noticing that with lessons one can pay almost any amount but people are learning that one tends to very get what one pays for. And the smarter teachers are adjusting their rates accordingly.

UK, Ireland / Getting the most from my hard earned money (transfer money from England to Poland) [41]

Extradition is also far from trivial, is a time consuming process and costs a lot. However, Poland still extradites people who nick a couple of chocolate bars, show a photocopy of their insurance documents, buy an arguably dodgy phone or have their house seized by the bank in order to more than repay a loan secured thereon.

Personally I would very strongly recommend never trying to fcuk around with the Polish tax office (and even less so with the cnuts who deal with VAT): just declare the income, point out that tax has already been paid in the UK and see what they say. If you don't like their answer, go see a certified tax advisor.

Travel / What are some of the "must do" activities when visiting Poland? [43]

If you're in Lublin, go to Majdanek.
If you're in Zamosc, stay an extra night and do a day trip to Belzec.
Both of those camps are far more powerful than the Disneyland that Auschwitz has been turned into.

Travel / What are some of the "must do" activities when visiting Poland? [43]

If you are already in Lublin, you absolutely must visit Zamosc, it's stunning (and has hardly any tourists).

UK, Ireland / Getting the most from my hard earned money (transfer money from England to Poland) [41]


And there's the real issue:
if one reports income to the tax office and there is no tax owing on it, no problem;
if one fails to report income to the tax office and there is in the opinion of the tax office tax due on it, big problems.

Love / Help me understand the different mannerisms and mentality of men in Przemysl area! [28]


Nail and head right there.

Work / Information about jobs for Indian students in Poland [286]


Are you suggesting some form of malpractice or illegal activity on his part?

If you are, can you go into detail?

Life / Ideas for constructive Immigration methods for Poland. [30]

I'd like to see the same standards being used for students on the Polish language and the English language programs.

Life / Poles - what do non-Poles just "not get" and why? [23]

Non-Poles just do not get why it is mandatory to stand no further away than one millimetre from the person in front of you in any queue.

(Although this non-Pole solves the problem by scratching the back of his neck and then at the same time turning to look at something located at 90 degrees from the direction he is facing).

UK, Ireland / Getting the most from my hard earned money (transfer money from England to Poland) [41]


Well that would depend on:
whether the person is a Polish tax resident;
where and how he obtained the money;
whether the tax due, if any, was paid on that money;
whether Poland has a double-taxation agreement with that country.

News / Poland Parliament elections in October 2011 [944]

The first statement:


And then the statement after the truth is pointed out:


So, were you lying when you said that you think it is a very interesting phenomena or were you lying when you said that nobody cares anyway?

UK, Ireland / Getting the most from my hard earned money (transfer money from England to Poland) [41]

Looks the same. The difference is that the one you link to only gives those rates when you change EUR 1,000 while the one I link to will give you better rates than those listed if you change that much (or at least they do when I change more than a few thousand zloty).

Food / Where can I buy cast iron pans (żeliwne patelnie) in Poland? [19]


Yes, there. The bit between Emilii Plater and Marszalkowska.

UK, Ireland / Getting the most from my hard earned money (transfer money from England to Poland) [41]


Actually it is Aleje Jerozolimskie (corner with Chalubinskiego) and the sign says ORCO, not ORACO. And there is no kantor in that building anyway, just a branch of Polbank. Polbank give terrible exchange rates: just compare their rates with the rates of a decent kantor.

conti.waw.pl/cennik.html

For those too lazy to click: Polbank offer 2.99 / 3.29 for the USD and a decent kantor offers 3.13 and 3.16.

But if you really think taking financial advice from Deepak is a good idea, you deserve the ripping off which is coming your way.

UK, Ireland / Getting the most from my hard earned money (transfer money from England to Poland) [41]

Not sure you have that one right. As far as I know, money which is tax exempt in the UK can be brought to Poland by a Polish tax resident without the need to pay any tax. For example, I know somebody who recently inherited some money in the UK and was able to bring it to Poland without paying tax on it because the amount was under the UK death duties threshold and so exempt from tax.

News / Palikot or the Poles getting rid of the Polish society old Taboos in 2011? [30]


It is quite amazing really: Poland's MPs now include people who are openly gay, trangendered, non-white! If you had told me ten years ago that any of such people would be elected MPs in Poland, I would have laughed at you.

UK, Ireland / Getting the most from my hard earned money (transfer money from England to Poland) [41]

Why is it that people who know nothing seem to insist on making so much noise?


cfe-eutax.org/taxation/personal-income-tax/poland

If you are paying taxes in the UK, you most probably won't have to pay taxes in Poland but you need to tell the tax office that you are paying those taxes and you need to prove that the taxes are paid.

But with all this said, I have no idea why you don't just set yourself up as a dzielnosc gospodarcza in Poland, invoice your UK employer and then only pay 19% tax (with lots of deductibles!).

USA, Canada / US Polonia 70% for Kaczyński [343]


UK certainly sets a time limit. Ten years outside UK I think it is.

Poland, however, gives the vote to people who have never been to Poland and whose parents and grandparents have never been to Poland. Tell me that that is defensible!

UK, Ireland / Getting the most from my hard earned money (transfer money from England to Poland) [41]

No real need to worry: as long as one reports oneself to the tax office and expresses active regret, there is no fine (but one does have to pay the tax owed).

Also, set up as a one-person company in Poland and the tax rate is only 19%, which is a lot less than I'd pay in the UK!

USA, Canada / US Polonia 70% for Kaczyński [343]


Yes, but are the Polonia who have been in the USA for more than a few decades the ones who are voting?

And if they are, doesn't that make it even more indefensible that they are allowed to vote after having lived in the USA for 40 years?!

UK, Ireland / Getting the most from my hard earned money (transfer money from England to Poland) [41]

Doesn't matter: from what you say, the Polish tax authorities will class you as a resident for tax purposes.

UK, Ireland / Getting the most from my hard earned money (transfer money from England to Poland) [41]


Because you are a Polish resident for taxation purposes and so have tax liability in Poland.

USA, Canada / US Polonia 70% for Kaczyński [343]


Cracking beer down there too.