Luka VAT i jej konsekwencje dla finansów publicznych – perspektywa UE i Polski

Abstract

VAT gap and its consequences for public finances – EU and Poland perspective. Purpose: The purpose of the chapter is to examine the fiscal significance of VAT in Poland and other European Union (EU) countries and to demonstrate its role in balancing public finances of these countries. Then, estimates of the tax gap in 2019 and 2020 (for the EU) and additionally in 2021 and 2022 (for Poland) were presented, while an attempt was made to identify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its level. Design/methodology/approach: The chapter consists of three points. The first section presents the fiscal significance and role of VAT in EU countries. The subject of the second point is the character- istics of the VAT gap in EU countries and an attempt to demonstrate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its amount, while the third point presents estimates of the VAT gap for Poland in 2021 and indicates the implemented initiatives that contributed to its significant reduction. Findings: The National Revenue Administration (KAS) successfully uses the opportunities created by the development of the digital economy in order to improve its functioning. The period of a very strong decrease in the VAT gap in Poland occurred in 2016 and 2017. Poland approached the EU average in terms of this size. During this period, the Ministry of Finance introduced many legislative, systemic and organizational measures aimed at increasing the degree of fulfillment of VAT obligations. The sealing and streamlining solutions implemented at that time and in the following years proved to be resistant to the epidemic crisis, because even then – under the conditions of restrictions in the functioning of KAS – they allowed to maintain the downward trend of the VAT gap.