Owning one's own business entails many responsibilities, which the owner must comply with scrupulously and on time. Only then will his or her business and the people employed in it achieve satisfactory results. So what does running your own business entail?
At the outset, it is worth emphasising that the formalities involved in setting up your own company do not end with registering it. On the contrary, all the paperwork has only just begun. Being the owner of a company involves a number of duties and issues that have to be dealt with in a timely manner in various offices.
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Tax office
One of the least pleasant, but most important issues, is the obligation to the tax office. Every entrepreneur is obliged to pay taxes to the tax office in respect of his or her own and employees' income tax or VAT. In this case, timely payment is very important - by the 20th of each month. If the deadline is not met, the owner must calculate interest on arrears himself, using the applicable statutory interest rates. Unless you settle quarterly, then by the 20th of the month following the end of the quarter (in the case of sole proprietorships).
Another important issue concerns the provision of PIT-11s to employed employees, containing information on income earned, tax advances collected and contributions made for the previous year. The employer has until the end of February to do so. It is also his responsibility to deliver the PIT forms to the Tax Office. The business owner must not forget about his own settlement either, by submitting the PIT-4R document to the Tax Office by the end of January.
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ZUS
Every employee who is hired by a company on a contract of employment or a contract of mandate (with the exception of students under 26 years of age) must be reported by the employer to the Social Insurance Institution within 7 days of his/her admission. It is also the entrepreneur's responsibility to deal with all issues related to the correct circulation of information at the Social Security Office (such as the notification of the employee's family members or changes in identification data).
The business owner's obligation towards ZUS will also include monthly submission of a declaration (ZUS-DRA), which is a settlement of all contributions and benefits for social insurance. Such a document does not have to be submitted by persons not employing any staff in the company.
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Record-keeping obligations
It is also a very important task to keep various types of records for tax purposes. A distinction is made between:
- revenue records,
- fixed asset register,
- equipment records,
- employee records,
- tax revenue and expense ledger.
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Statistical Office
All legal persons, organisational units without legal personality and natural persons conducting business activity are obliged to submit reports to the Central Statistical Office. The data obtained by the CSO enables a detailed analysis of the conduct of all activities in Poland.
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Obligations towards employees
The obligations of the company operator towards his employees is one of the most important issues. First and foremost, it is necessary to mention the compulsory referral to an occupational health examination for each new employee. Once the doctor has confirmed that a person can be employed in the company, the owner should set up an employee file in which all the information and documents concerning the employee will be collected.
It is also important to take care of work records. It is the responsibility of the business operator to inform staff of working hours, overtime, weekends and holidays, as well as on-call duty, holidays, sick leave or any absences. It is beneficial to keep an attendance register. This will provide the employer with clear data, on the daily working time of the employees.
The person running his/her own business is also obliged to carry out health and safety training. Each employee should receive initial training, which consists of general instruction, including basic health and safety regulations, and job-specific instruction, which prepares the employee for the work and possible dangers that may be encountered in a specific position. The workplace should also be well signposted so that, in the event of an emergency, the employee knows how to behave. A first-aid kit or fire extinguisher must also be present.
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RODO
An issue that cannot be underestimated is the processing and protection of personal data. It is the duty of every entrepreneur to protect the personal data of every individual - whether employees or customers. He or she should therefore take the necessary steps to ensure that the data does not fall into the wrong hands.
If the basis of the company's activity is the processing of personal data, the owner is obliged to appoint a Data Protection Officer. His or her tasks also include reporting any leaks of personal data to the authority and recording their processing.
