I'd be curious what the employer's perspective is.
I can say one thing - there's a huge black market here. That might be the "official" salary - but for instance, take postmen. They have their official wage, but due to the system of people getting cash through the post (especially pensions) - there's a culture of them getting tips. Do you think this income goes recorded?
Likewise, small businessmen (and there's a lot in Poland!) - how many of them are really declaring everything? For instance - my door was broken, so I called a guy that was advertising on Gumtree. He came over in the evening, fixed it and took the cash - all without a receipt.
but poor retired babcia
Bear in mind that this is sometimes caused by the greed of the children - the grandchild needs looked after, but the mother doesn't want to pay for childcare - so babcia is forced into retirement in order to provide free care.
It doesn't take into account people that have kept ownership of their apartments after communism fell. The pay very low property taxes and fees- yet basically own their apartments outright so they have more disposable income.
Exactly. It's often ignored that many people in Poland got a 'free' property after the end of Communism.
As far as I'm concerned : the minimum and average wage figures simply do not reflect the reality of the huge black market here. For instance - where I park my car. Four people working there, all quite obviously retired. Are any of them really paying tax on what they earn? Of course not.
