PIT-38 Poland Guide 2026 – Capital Gains Tax for Expats and Investors

Do I need to file PIT-38 in Poland if I use Revolut or eToro?

In most cases yes. If you are a Polish tax resident and you sold shares, ETFs, crypto or other financial instruments through platforms such as Revolut, eToro, Degiro or Interactive Brokers, you usually must report the result in a Polish PIT-38 tax return.

Many investors assume that if nothing appears in the Twój e-PIT system, no reporting is required. This assumption is incorrect. Foreign brokers normally do not issue Polish PIT-8C forms, which means their transactions are often missing from the Polish tax portal.

As a result, the investor must usually calculate the result independently using Polish tax rules, including conversion into PLN using official NBP exchange rates and the FIFO cost method.

What you need to know at the outset

If you are considered a Polish tax resident, you are taxed in Poland on your worldwide capital gains. This applies regardless of whether your broker is located in Poland, another EU country or outside the EU. The obligation to file PIT-38 arises from your residency status, not from the location of the investment platform.

19% capital gains tax. What assets are covered?

Capital gains tax in Poland is commonly referred to as the 19 percent flat rate tax on investment income. It applies to profits from the disposal of financial instruments and certain digital assets. Unlike personal income tax on employment or business activity, this tax is not progressive. The rate remains 19 percent regardless of the level of profit.

The tax base is generally calculated as the difference between revenue from sale and the tax deductible cost of acquisition. Only the net profit is subject to taxation. If you incur a loss, no tax is due, but proper reporting remains important.

Who is required to file PIT-38

The key criterion is Polish tax residency. In simplified terms, you are treated as a Polish tax resident if you spend more than 183 days in Poland during the tax year or if your center of vital interests is located in Poland. The latter refers to personal and economic ties, such as family, permanent home or main business activity.

If you meet these conditions, you must report global capital gains in PIT-38. This typically includes income from:

• Sale of stocks and ETFs
• Cryptocurrencies and certain digital assets
• Dividends and interest from foreign accounts
• CFDs, Forex and other derivative instruments

When you usually do not need to file PIT-38

In practice, not every investor is required to submit PIT-38 each year. If you invested very passively and only purchased non-dividend-paying shares, did not sell any instruments during the year and did not receive any dividends or other taxable income, you typically do not generate taxable income.

In such a case, no tax liability arises because no disposal of financial instruments took place. The obligation to file PIT-38 generally appears only when you sell assets, receive dividends, interest or otherwise realize taxable income.

Revolut and PIT-38 in practice

Simply having a Revolut account or using the Revolut application for everyday payments does not create any obligation to file PIT-38.

However, if through Revolut you purchased and later sold shares, ETFs, cryptocurrencies or other financial instruments, you may be required to calculate the result and file PIT-38. The obligation is linked to investment activity, not to the mere use of the payment application.

Why Revolut, eToro and IBKR usually do not appear in Twój e-PIT

As the table shows, the reporting burden differs significantly depending on whether your broker operates under Polish regulations or under a foreign license.

The absence of data in the government system does not exempt you from the reporting obligation. For foreign investments, the Polish tax office expects you to act as your own accountant or hire a professional to translate foreign reports into the Polish tax framework.

How to calculate foreign investment tax using NBP rates and FIFO

Yes. You are allowed to calculate and file PIT-38 yourself. However, you must apply several specific rules of Polish tax law.

First, all transactions must be converted into PLN using the appropriate exchange rate published by the National Bank of Poland. It is not sufficient to rely on the summary result shown in the broker application.

Second, you must apply the FIFO principle. This means that when you sell shares or other instruments, the tax deductible cost is determined according to the order of acquisition, not according to how transactions are grouped or presented in typical broker reports.

Simply copying the annual profit or loss from your brokerage statement is therefore not sufficient. The Polish calculation may differ significantly once NBP exchange rates and FIFO methodology are applied.

In practice, a brokerage account may show an overall loss, but after recalculating all transactions into PLN using official NBP rates, taxable income may still appear. Such differences are usually caused by currency movements and the order in which costs are matched under FIFO.

What if you incurred a loss

Even if your overall result for the year is negative, filing PIT-38 is usually advisable. By reporting the loss, you secure the right to offset it against future capital gains within the statutory limits and time frame.

Frequently asked questions

Professional calculation and filing support

If you have multiple foreign brokers, many transactions or more than one year to correct, professional support reduces the risk of calculation errors and inconsistent reporting. We calculate the result, prepare the return and explain what documents are needed for filing.

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