In 2023, Poles donated more than PLN 1.5 billion to public benefit organisations (PBOs) from their 1.5 % of last year’s income tax. According to the Ministry of Finance, 12.7 million taxpayers did so, and the average amount donated by a taxpayer was PLN 121.

Public benefit organisations received a record support of PLN 1 billion 530 million this year, donated by 12.7 million taxpayers. This is 3.2 million taxpayers less than last year. Despite this, PBOs received a total of PLN 416 million more than last year.

“Money donated to PBOs is not just a simple transfer. It is money that can make a difference and sometimes even save someone’s life. Every amount donated is an important support and shows how civil society is developing in Poland”, said Finance Minister Magdalena Rzeczkowska.

This year, the smallest amount donated to a PBO was PLN 1.20 and the average was PLN 121. From the tax returns for 2022, the largest amounts from 1.5 % tax were transferred to the bank accounts of the following organisations: Foundation for Children “Help on Time” (PLN 288,652,814.63), Siepomaga Foundation (PLN 93,558,918.56) and Avalon Foundation (PLN 79,797,245.39).

As the Ministry of Finance emphasises, the amounts from 1.5 % tax for PBOs are increasing year on year. Thanks to the involvement of taxpayers and favourable changes in regulations, funds for PBOs have increased almost 2.5 times since 2016: from PLN 619 million (2016) to over PLN 1.5 billion. Legislation that came into force on 1 July 2022 under the Low Taxes programme changed the rules for donating a portion of tax to PBOs. Due to these changes, from 2023, 1.5% of tax can be donated instead of 1%.

The funds from 1.5% of the tax due from the 2022 tax return to the PBO, as in the previous year, were transferred on the basis of taxpayers’ requests included in tax returns submitted to tax offices, both electronically and in paper form.

Adrian Andrzejewski