Legal and Tax Instruments Limiting the Decline in the Fiscal Efficiency of the Tax System During Periods of Crisis

Abstract

The article concerns very important issue of the efficiency of the tax system, but the presented perspective focuses on crisis in that field. The historical changes in the Polish economy, which are taking place as a result of: the implementation of the new energy policy, the reconstruction of the structure of the supply of energy resources, the trade war with Russia, and, above all, the end of the era of cheap and readily available energy sources, will have (already had) a significant impact on the dynamics and amount of budget revenues, especially the state budget. Considerations bring Polish perspective, but are universal in their nature. Author argues that the fiscal balance of the new macroeconomic situation is already and will continue to be negative: budget revenues derived from the energy sector from direct and indirect taxes will decrease, and public spending on its maintenance will increase. The policy of high prices for energy carriers will reduce income tax revenues not only burdening business entities. This will exacerbate in a definite way the already growing (despite inflation) fiscal crisis (domino effect). Author proves that amendments of the tax law are necessary. It has to be noted that they should promote direct settlement and payment of the most important taxes by tax law subjects, rather than on the collection of data by tax authorities for the purposes of control and public supervision, because this is the only way to increase the fiscal efficiency of these taxes as soon as possible.