Ograniczenia budżetowe gospodarstw domowych w Polsce – analiza z wykorzystaniem EUROMOD-u

Abstract

The following important changes affecting Polish households’ disposable income were introduced in 2022: the personal income tax (PIT) threshold was increased and its rate lowered, the tax exempt amount was raised, the possibility of deducting health insurance contributions from PIT was abolished, and the rules for granting housing allowance were modified. The aim of the research discussed in the paper was to determine the total direct impact of the above-mentioned changes on the amount of disposable income of a single parent and an individual managing a one-person household. The research was based on the EUROMOD tax-benefit microsimulation model and the hypothetical household method. A comparison of the budget constraints of July 2021 and July 2022 shows a decrease in real disposable income among low-skilled part-time workers or those working part of the year. It was found that the changes introduced in the area of housing allowance eligibility may have negatively affected the income of individuals living in one-person households receiving wages of less than 40% of the average salary. The lack of indexation of benefits is also observed to have had a negative impact on single parents’ income.