Poland: 'Receipt lottery' launched to boost VAT income

Poland's government wants consumers to get into the habit of asking for a receipt with every purchase

Poland is encouraging shoppers to take part in a new "national receipt lottery" to try to boost the country's VAT revenues.

The scheme, which will launch on 1 October, aims to create an incentive for consumers to ensure they always get a receipt when buying goods and services, Radio Poland reports. Receipts ensure that purchases are registered and that VAT - currently 23% in Poland - is paid to the government. Among the prizes up for grabs in the new lottery are cars, laptops and tablet computers, according to the finance ministry. Anyone over the age of 18 can enter online using receipts for purchases of at least 10 zloty ($2.60; £1.70).

"We all benefit from VAT being honestly paid into the state budget," says Deputy Finance Minister Izabela Leszczyna. She says that currently, if a receipt isn't provided when purchasing goods, only 7% of Poles will ask for one, and that drops to 5% for those paying for services. "That's definitely not enough, and we want it to change," she says.

Poland is following in the footsteps of Slovakia and Portugal, both of which have launched similar lotteries in the past couple of years. In 2014, Slovakia's finance minister characterised the country's scheme as a "huge success", saying not only had VAT collections risen, but the number of traders being reported for refusing to give out receipts had also gone up.

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