Poland will cut total tax burden - ruling party official

Total taxes in Poland will be clearly lower after the government's New Deal reform package, but high-earners will start paying more, said the head of the lower house's Public Finance Committee.

Speaking to commission members on Wednesday, Henryk Kowalczyk said that "total taxes will be visibly reduced".

Kowalczyk was responding to an opposition MP's claim that the government is in fact raising taxes by removing the possibility of deducting the mandatory healthcare contribution from personal income tax.

To offset this, the government is planning to raise the annual tax-free allowance from just over PLN 3,000 (EUR 670) to PLN 30,000 (EUR 6,640).

"The tax-free allowance leads to a big reduction in taxes, especially for low-earners," Kowalczyk said.

He went on to say that the healthcare contribution would be "a just burden for all”.

"With the contribution at 9 percent, the levy on healthcare will grow as earnings get higher," he continued.

Kowalczyk also criticised the current system, saying that "the more someone earns, the smaller taxes they pay percentage-wise."

Under the New Deal programme, unveiled on Saturday, the government plans to overhaul the health service, support low-income families and introduce housing reforms.

But some in Poland have questioned whether the country can foot the bill.