Tax Office May Collect New Audiovisual Fee

17 April 2026 Poland Radar 0 Comments

Poland may replace the TV licence with an audiovisual fee collected by the tax office. The change affects all adults and could hit large families hardest.

Poland is preparing to replace the outdated TV licence with a new payment model that many cannot avoid. The proposed audiovisual fee would charge roughly 8-9 PLN per adult each month, and the tax office would collect it.

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What the audiovisual fee would mean

Currently only about 32 percent of households pay the TV licence. However, the government says public broadcasters need at least 2.5 billion PLN a year. Consequently, officials refuse to scrap the licence without a replacement. Moreover, the Ministry of Culture proposed a law in December 2025. Therefore, legislators aim to present the bill to the Council of Ministers in mid-2026.

Under one scenario the state would fund broadcasters from the budget only. However, the alternative would charge every adult directly. Consequently, the new per-person levy would appear on tax forms. Moreover, officials suggest the sum would show up during your PIT return. Therefore, avoidance would become very hard.

Numbers, households and the political tug-of-war

Today one household pays once, regardless of family size. However, the per-person model changes the math. Consequently, a single adult would pay much less than today. Moreover, a four-person household could pay more. Therefore, the reform splits voters by household type. In addition, politicians fear backlash from large families. However, some parties pushed for outright abolition with no replacement in 2025. Consequently, that proposal stalled in parliament.

Collection by the tax office and enforcement

The biggest shift lies in collection. Previously Poczta Polska enforced the licence. However, postal checks happened rarely. Consequently, many ignored the charge. Now the State Tax Authority would apply automatic collection. Moreover, tax offices can link records to PESEL numbers (national ID). Therefore, anyone registered as a taxpayer would face automatic deduction or addition to tax bills. In addition, the tax machinery has stronger tools to pursue arrears than the post.

The timing matters. If the law passes without a presidential veto, changes could take effect on 1 January 2027. However, the President may veto the bill. Consequently, political consensus will determine the outcome. Moreover, the law also touches governance of public media. Therefore, debates will focus on editorial independence and appointment rules.

💡 GOOD TO KNOW: If you live in Poland you likely have a PESEL number (national ID). In addition, you register taxes via PIT and use ZUS for social security. ZUS is the social security institution. NFZ handles public health insurance. Therefore, if the new fee arrives, expect it to appear on tax forms. Moreover, exemptions now include people over 75, and some low-pension seniors. However, exemptions require application or proof in the system. Consequently, expats should check residency status, PESEL registration, and tax residency rules before the law changes.

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