Poland plans tax-free scheme to attract $27 billion in household investments

WARSAW (Reuters) -Poland plans a new tax-exempt scheme to boost investment by households which may attract around 100 billion zlotys ($27 billion) or 2.5% of GDP in the first three years, to sustain growth amid low investment in its economy, a minister said on Tuesday.

The country, one of the fastest-growing economies in the European Union, has been looking for ways to free resources and attract capital to boost growth and competitiveness.

"Poland needs a surge in investments, which have remained low in recent years," Andrzej Domanski, the Polish finance and economy minister, said.

"This is a prerequisite not only for increasing the wealth of its citizens but also for increasing the competitiveness and innovation of the economy and strengthening the security of the entire country," he added.

Currently, private investors pay tax of 19% on profits from bank savings and investment in shares and bonds, among other avenues.

The new scheme will introduce Personal Investment Accounts (OKIs), which will be exempt from tax on profits from investment of up to 100,000 zlotys, with higher investments taxed at 0.8-0.9% for the amount exceeding 100,000 zlotys.

The plan aims mainly to boost investment in the capital market and may be effective from the second half of 2026, Domanski said.

"We estimate that in the first full year of this product's operation, in 2027, the budgetary impact ... could reach approximately 250 to 300 million zlotys," he told journalists.

"However, let's not forget about the positive impact on the Polish economy...the Polish economy must grow, and grow dynamically," he said. "Therefore, I must create new tools that will drive the Polish economy in the coming years."

($1 = 3.7064 zlotys)

(Reporting by Anna Koper; Editing by Bernadette Baum)