Doing business in Poland
Planning to establish or grow your operations in Poland?
We help international companies navigate the entire journey - from choosing the right market-entry model and setting up the business to becoming operational and employing people in Poland.
Our legal, tax, accounting, payroll and HR experts work together around your business goals, helping you understand what needs to happen, in what order and how the different requirements connect.
Your journey to becoming operational in Poland
Every market entry is different, but most international companies need to address a similar sequence of decisions and requirements.
What do you need to set up operations in Poland?
The exact requirements depend on your business model, planned activities and whether you intend to employ people in Poland.
We will help you identify what applies to your business, understand the right sequence and coordinate the required workstreams.
| Area | Key requirements in Poland | How Crowe can help |
|---|---|---|
| Market-entry structure | Subsidiary, branch or another operating model; legal and tax implications | Compare available options and help select the right structure for your planned operations |
| Company setup & registrations | Company formation, corporate registrations, representation, beneficial ownership requirements | Coordinate company or branch setup and required corporate registrations |
| Tax | CIT, VAT, WHT, transfer pricing and other applicable tax requirements | Identify applicable tax obligations, support registrations and provide ongoing tax compliance and advisory |
| Banking setup | Bank account setup, authorisations and related requirements | Guide you through local requirements and coordinate the steps needed for banking setup |
| Accounting & eInvoicing (KSeF) | Local accounting, financial statements, e-invoicing and document workflows | Set up accounting and KSeF processes and provide ongoing accounting and reporting support |
| Employment & payroll | Employment documentation, payroll, ZUS and PIT, employee administration | Set up employment and payroll processes and provide ongoing HR & payroll support |
| Legal & corporate compliance | Corporate, commercial and employment matters, ongoing corporate obligations | Support legal requirements at setup and throughout your operations in Poland |
| Reporting & audit | Statutory audit requirements, IFRS, group and HQ reporting | Support statutory and group reporting requirements and provide assistance during audit process |
One coordinated team for your business in Poland
- One team - Legal, tax, accounting, payroll and HR experts working around your business objectives.
- One roadmap - We help connect requirements, dependencies and deadlines across different workstreams.
- Coordinated support - You don't need to determine which specialist should handle each next step - we help coordinate the relevant expertise around your plans in Poland.
What international companies often underestimate when entering Poland
Setting up operations in Poland involves more than company registration. Based on our experience supporting international businesses, several areas require particularly careful planning and coordination.
International companies usually know how they want their business to operate. The challenge is translating that model into Polish legal, tax, accounting and employment requirements without creating unnecessary complexity.
Why Crowe in Poland?
One coordinated multidisciplinary team
Legal, tax, accounting, payroll, HR experts work together around your business objectives. We help coordinate the different workstreams, dependencies and priorities involved in setting up and operating your business in Poland.
Understanding Polish requirements
We translate Polish legal, tax, accounting and employment requirements into practical actions, responsibilities and deadlines for your business.
Experience with international companies
We support foreign-owned Polish companies, branches of international businesses and organizations establishing or expanding their operations in Poland.
Direct cooperation with international headquarters
Our teams work in English directly with Finance, Tax, Legal, HR and other group functions, helping align Polish requirements with your organization’s processes and expectations.
Cross-border reach through Crowe Global
Where your project covers several jurisdictions, we can coordinate with Crowe experts in other countries, combining local knowledge with international reach.
How we help international companies establish and grow in Poland
Every market entry is different. Here are examples of how we combine different areas of expertise to support international companies in setting up and developing their operations in Poland.
International retailer launching operations in Poland
An international retail company was preparing to enter the Polish market and needed support across several workstreams before becoming operational. We coordinated legal and corporate setup, tax and accounting requirements, as well as employment and payroll preparation, helping the client organize the key steps around its planned launch in Poland.
Technology company establishing a Polish operation
An international technology company wanted to establish a presence in Poland while keeping its global operating model and group processes. We helped translate these requirements into the Polish legal, tax, accounting and employment environment and coordinated the relevant local workstreams with the client’s international headquarters.
International company expanding its Polish operations
A company already operating in Poland was preparing for further growth and a larger local workforce. Our teams combined accounting, tax, HR & payroll and legal expertise to support the changing operational and compliance requirements as the business expanded.
Planning a similar project?
Talk to our Poland market-entry team
Practical resources for entering the Polish market
Doing Business in Poland guide
A practical overview of the key legal, tax, accounting and employment requirements for companies operating in Poland.
Explore the Doing Business in Poland guide →
Doing Business in Poland webinars
Expert sessions covering the key decisions and requirements international companies should consider when setting up and operating a business in Poland.
Interested in other CEE/SEE locations? View more:
Insights for international companies in Poland
Doing business in Poland - FAQ
A foreign company can establish operations in Poland by choosing an appropriate legal and operating structure, completing the required registrations and setting up local tax, accounting and compliance processes. Depending on the business model, this may involve establishing a Polish subsidiary or branch, acquiring an existing company or purchasing a ready-made shelf company.
The right approach depends on factors such as planned activities, governance, taxation, employment and the expected scale of operations.
The right structure depends on your operating model, governance, liability, financing, tax position and planned level of activity in Poland.
A subsidiary and a branch have different legal, tax and operational implications. These should be assessed before registration to determine which structure best supports your plans in Poland.
The timeline depends on the chosen structure, required registrations, business activities and whether the company plans to employ people in Poland.
Setting up operations may involve several connected workstreams, including company registration, tax and VAT registrations, banking, accounting and KSeF setup, as well as employment and payroll processes. Some activities can run in parallel, while others depend on earlier steps being completed.
The requirements depend on the company's structure and activities. They may include company and corporate registrations, applicable tax and VAT registrations, banking arrangements, accounting and KSeF processes, as well as relevant legal and compliance requirements.
If the company plans to employ people, employment and payroll processes also need to be prepared. Planning these workstreams together helps identify dependencies and determine the right sequence of activities.
Before employing people in Poland, a company needs to prepare the relevant employment documentation and processes and ensure that payroll, ZUS and PIT requirements can be handled correctly.
Depending on the employment model and workforce, additional HR, legal or compliance requirements may also apply. Employment and payroll readiness should therefore be considered early in the market-entry process rather than only once the first employee is ready to start.
A Polish entity may have corporate, accounting, tax, employment and reporting obligations. Depending on its activities, transactions and size, additional requirements may include VAT, KSeF, withholding tax, transfer pricing and statutory audit.
These requirements may change as the business grows, starts employing people or enters into new types of transactions.
Yes. International groups frequently outsource all or part of their Polish accounting function.
The scope may include bookkeeping, VAT and CIT settlements, financial statements, management reporting and group reporting. The accounting model can also be designed to support reporting requirements of the international headquarters.
Yes. These workstreams are often interconnected and can be planned as part of one coordinated market-entry process.
For example, decisions made during company setup may affect tax, accounting and employment requirements, while accounting, KSeF and payroll processes need to be ready at the appropriate stage of the operational launch. Coordinating these areas helps identify dependencies and establish the right sequence of activities.
Yes. Crowe can bring together legal, tax, accounting, HR & payroll and other relevant expertise around your plans in Poland.
We help identify the requirements applicable to your business, coordinate the relevant workstreams and connect the different stages of the journey - from selecting the appropriate market-entry structure and establishing the business to becoming operational and supporting ongoing activities in Poland.
Yes. Crowe teams can work in English directly with Finance, Tax, Legal, HR and other group functions while supporting the Polish operation.
This helps international groups align Polish legal, tax, accounting, employment and reporting requirements with their global processes and headquarters' expectations.
Yes. Support does not need to end once the company has been established.
As your Polish operations develop, Crowe can provide ongoing support across accounting, tax, HR & payroll, legal, reporting, audit and other advisory areas. This allows the scope of support to evolve as your business, workforce and compliance requirements change.
Planning to enter or expand in Poland?
Tell us what you want to achieve in Poland. We'll help you identify the steps, requirements and expertise needed to get your business operational.
