Poland plans digital tax

Poland is taking on the tech companies. The government in Warsaw wants to draw up a law for a digital tax - and is thus risking new trouble with the United States. Deputy Prime Minister and Digital Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski justifies the plan with an old accusation with a new edge: in many cases, global platforms pay less than domestic companies, even though they earn money in the same market. In the government's view, this distorts competition - and costs the state revenue. Warsaw targets the digital companies A levy of up to three percent on certain digital sales is planned. This would affect online advertising, platform businesses and trade in user data, among other things. However, only large corporations would have to pay: the tax is only planned for companies with an annual turnover of more than one billion euros worldwide and a turnover of at least 25 million złoty in Poland. The thrust is clear. The main target is international technology groups whose business models can be easily scaled across borders, while the tax burden often falls elsewhere. Streaming services, telecommunications companies and financial service providers, on the other hand, are to be left out. A political conflict with an announcement The idea is not new. The Ministry of Digital Affairs outlined a similar framework last year. Now the concept is becoming a concrete legislative proposal. This is also likely to reignite the transatlantic dispute. After all, wherever European countries have introduced digital levies, there has been criticism from Washington. For years, the US has seen this primarily as a targeted burden on American companies such as Google, Meta, Amazon and Apple. When Poland first toyed with the idea in 2025, the US ambassador at the time reacted unusually harshly, calling the plan "self-destructive". Nevertheless, the government in Warsaw now seems determined. The plan is part of a broader strategy with which Poland wants to regulate the influence of large platforms more strongly. This also includes the recent proposal to restrict access to social media for children under the age of 15. More money, more control For the government, the digital tax is therefore more than just a new source of revenue. It is also a political signal: the digital single market should no longer function according to rules that primarily benefit the largest global providers. Whether the law will actually come into force in the end and in what form remains to be seen. But one thing is already clear: if Poland gets serious, it will not only affect the tech industry - but also relations with Washington. The post Poland plans digital tax appeared first on ostwirtschaft.de.