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Twoj Start Up-Danger

 
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dragonpiwo



Joined: 04 Mar 2013
Posts: 1650
Location: Berlin

PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 10:22 am    Post subject: Twoj Start Up-Danger Reply with quote

Don't use this Twoj Start Up service offered by Empik and probably others. It is easier and cheaper to pay a bookkeeper. They charge you 250 PLN a month, provide you with no service in English and are fiddling tax. You are not a materials writer. You should pay normal tax. They will come after you in court or threaten it.
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Master Shake



Joined: 03 Nov 2006
Posts: 1202
Location: Colorado, USA

PostPosted: Thu Apr 23, 2015 12:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Is this an accounting service? If so, it's way overpriced for an English teacher.

I paid 150zl/month for an accountant. Pretty standard rate in Warsaw. It literally takes them 5 minutes or less to calculate your monthly tax so even that seems like a little bit of a ripoff to me.
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sparks



Joined: 20 Feb 2008
Posts: 632

PostPosted: Thu Apr 23, 2015 3:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeah, unless they are getting you 9% tax. As Dragon says though, whatever scheme they are running (I think it's set up as some sort of cooperative) you would probably have to pay the difference and fines if Urzad Skarbowy ever catches on. Sounds very shady.
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dragonpiwo



Joined: 04 Mar 2013
Posts: 1650
Location: Berlin

PostPosted: Thu Apr 23, 2015 6:32 pm    Post subject: yup Reply with quote

Just don't sign the contract and quit.
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dragonpiwo



Joined: 04 Mar 2013
Posts: 1650
Location: Berlin

PostPosted: Thu Oct 15, 2015 1:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Don't be involved in anything with this lot
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Infinite



Joined: 05 Jan 2013
Posts: 235

PostPosted: Tue Dec 01, 2015 8:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm actually giving it a try this month. I'll keep your warning in mind. I was referred there by another NS and he was pretty happy with it and using it for 3 years already.
This is actually what's called a business incubator. It's an alternative to ZUS. I'm now paying 1200pln per month in ZUS plus 19% tax plus 20% VAT. So basically nearly 50% of my money goes to services which I will never actually use. Especially that a private insurance runs a family of four 3600pln per annum.
You're still able to write out invoices and write off expenses also you're no longer longer limited by items selected during your business registration process. Also, what really works for me, is the fact that you can write out international invoices. The 250 also includes accounting services and annual income tax return services. As per not speaking English... well, you're not in an English speaking country. I wouldn't expect someone from a similar business to speak Polish to me if I were stateside. Having said that, I'll keep you guys posted on how it works out. Also, 9% is completely legal, it's a tax on creating copyright materials and working with intellectual property items.
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dragonpiwo



Joined: 04 Mar 2013
Posts: 1650
Location: Berlin

PostPosted: Wed Dec 02, 2015 7:24 pm    Post subject: erm Reply with quote

Are you a teacher most of the time or a materials writer most of the time? This horse was flogged to death some years ago.
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Infinite



Joined: 05 Jan 2013
Posts: 235

PostPosted: Mon Dec 14, 2015 6:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you're a good teacher or a decent one, you create your own materials anyway. Most students in Poland have gone through most books and are bored of talking about their dream vacations.

Also, sending them ready made materials and lessons which you, as a teacher, should have tons of at the moment shouldn't be a problem. You can download hundreds if not thousands of ready made lesson plans from various sites... it works for noobs and it will work here too.
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Infinite



Joined: 05 Jan 2013
Posts: 235

PostPosted: Mon Dec 14, 2015 6:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Also, they do have an English speaking department just to address your previous post.
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svenhassel



Joined: 04 Aug 2006
Posts: 188
Location: Europe

PostPosted: Wed Oct 19, 2016 10:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi,

Sorry but what is the connection with being a materials writer and signing up with Start up?

Also, I understand that by asking teachers to sign up to this a school can avoid paying national insurance contributions. Has that been a problem for anyone?
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delphian-domine



Joined: 11 Mar 2011
Posts: 674

PostPosted: Wed Oct 19, 2016 8:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well, the problem with this approach is that you're completely at the mercy of the tax office. If the tax office decides to rule that this method of taxation (used by quite a few other incubators too) is illegal as it's being widely abused, you would be hit for a huge tax bill for all the unpaid income tax and potential ZUS contributions.

It's a thin line, especially as it's obvious that no-one is paying several thousand złoty a month for a few articles.

For what it's worth, the big name in incubators - AIP - has moved away from this method and has started to pay people only using umowa zlecenie.
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