Members of the parliamentary petitions committee have unanimously rejected the proposal concerning the so-called “bachelor tax.” The proposal involved increasing pension contributions for childless individuals over the age of 30 and parents of only children. Experts unanimously concluded that the project violated the constitutional principle of equality.
A Tax on the Childless and Parents of Only Children
On Tuesday, the parliamentary petitions committee considered a proposal that had been submitted to the Sejm back in February. The author of the proposal suggested that childless individuals over the age of 30 should pay double pension contributions, while married couples with one child should pay contributions increased by 50%. The petition also included a provision that some individuals could be exempt from the levy if they presented appropriate medical certificates.
The initiator argued that the pension system is based on intergenerational replacement, and that childless individuals “do not contribute to increasing the number of future contribution payers.”
The Proposal Violates the Principle of Equality
The Sejm’s Bureau of Research and Regulatory Impact Assessment had previously rejected the demands outlined in the petition. Experts stated that childless individuals regularly pay their contributions and do not place an additional burden on the system.
The Bureau’s experts concluded that implementing the proposal would violate the principle of equality and lack any basis in current law.