The crisis shield for businesses
Corporate financing is the second of the five pillars of the shield. It assumes the introduction of dozens of solutions to help companies survive the difficult period of the coronavirus epidemic. The availability of the proposed options varies depending on the size of the company.
One-person company
Exemption from Social Security contributions
Self-employed individuals can be exempted from Social Security contributions for a period of 3 months (March, April, May). In order to take advantage of this form of assistance, you must meet the relevant requirements: first of all, operate before April 1, 2020. and receive an income of less than PLN 15,681 in the first month for which the exemption from contributions is applied for. Then, all you have to do is submit a ZUS RDZ application (preferably through the PUE portal of ZUS).
Parking benefit
There is also the possibility of using the parking benefit of 2080 or 1300 zlotys, but here, too, the relevant restrictions apply. It is worth noting that in the first version of the shield, the benefit was paid once; after the latest changes, it can be paid up to three times.
PLN 2080 can be received by an entrepreneur who, before February 1, 2020. conducted business and:
- did not suspend operations, and the income from the month preceding the month in which the application for the parking benefit was at least 15 percent. Lower than the previous month’s revenue OR;
- suspended operations after January 31, 2020;
- does not have insurance under any other title, e.g., is not insured under an employment contract;
- resides in the territory of Poland and has Polish citizenship, or has the right to permanent or temporary residence in the Republic.
A lower parking benefit (in the amount of PLN 1,300) will be given to those entrepreneurs who settle by tax card and are not VAT payers. In addition, they must also meet the condition of not having social security from any other title and the aforementioned condition of residence in the Republic of Poland and citizenship/right of residence.
Subsidies for running the business
It is granted to any entrepreneur who shows a decrease in turnover in two consecutive months of 2020 (before the time of application) compared to the same period in 2019.
In the event of a drop in turnover of at least 30%, an entrepreneur can claim 50% of the minimum wage per month. With a drop in turnover of at least 50%, this is already 70% of the minimum wage amount. In turn, entrepreneurs whose turnover has fallen by 80% or more can apply for 90% of the amount. According to the current regulation, the maximum funding period is 3 months. However, the Council of Ministers assumes the option of an extension depending on COVID-19 developments.
Other forms of assistance
These are not all the options a one-person company can take advantage of. The crisis shield also provides for exemption from income tax on the parking benefit, payment in installments of Social Security contributions, deferral or installment of taxes, or lower advance payments for PIT or CIT.
You will find all forms of assistance for sole proprietors detailed at this link.
Micro-company (up to 9 employees)
For a company with up to 9 employees, we have the option of another series of assistance solutions. Some of them overlap with those already mentioned, but the conditions that must be met in order to obtain them are slightly different.
Exemption from Social Security contributions
This form of assistance is available to non-agricultural business operators who have reported fewer than 10 people to Social Security (as of February 29, 2020). It is sufficient that the entrepreneur has paid all contributions and has not previously used the Guaranteed Employee Benefits Fund for job protection. It is worth bearing in mind that payment of all premiums means that there are no outstanding receivables, including premiums collected by Social Security in December 2019 (as of December 31, 2019).
In this case, too, it is necessary to submit a ZUS RDZ application.
Subsidizing part of the salary costs for employees
Employers can also receive assistance in the form of subsidizing the cost of salaries for employees and the cost of social security contributions due. The Microenterprise Crisis Shield provides for different amounts of support depending on the percentage decline in the company’s turnover:
- 30% or more decrease in turnover – the subsidy may not exceed the sum of 50% of the wages of the employees covered by the application including social security contributions and 50% of the amount of the minimum wage for a single employee;
- 50% and more decrease in turnover – a maximum of 70% of the sum of salaries (including social security contributions) of all employees listed in the application and a maximum of 70% of the amount of the national minimum for a single employee;
- 80% or more decrease in turnover – a maximum of 90% of the total wages of employees and 90% of the amount of the minimum wage for a single employee.
To benefit from this form of assistance, a company must have been in operation for at least one year before the month in which it shows a decline in turnover. If it meets this condition, it indicates two consecutive calendar months of the year 2020 (up to the day before the application) and compares the turnover with the corresponding two months of the year 2019.
Subsidized employee salaries
In this solution, it is possible to obtain a maximum of PLN 1,300 gross (50% of the national lowest) per employee + social security contributions in the case of economic downtime and a maximum of PLN 2,079.43 gross + contributions in the case of reduced working hours. The amount of funding that can be obtained in the second case can be as much as half of the salary, but no more than 40% of the average monthly salary.
In order to benefit from the salary subsidy, you must be in business for a minimum of two months so that the decrease in turnover can be calculated. You need to show a minimum 15% decrease in turnover from the indicated two months of 2020. or a minimum of 25 percent from any one month of 2020. compared to the previous month’s turnover.
Low-interest loan
In addition, the government is offering one-time support in the form of a low-interest loan of up to a maximum of PLN 5,000 for microenterprises that started operations before March 1, 2020. The maximum loan repayment period is 12 months, with the repayment term starting only after a three-month grace period. It is additionally important to note that the entrepreneur can apply for its cancellation. To be able to make such an application, you only need to be in business for 3 months counting from the day you receive the loan.
Applications for the low-interest loan should be submitted through the PUP.
You can find the rest of the solutions of the crisis shield for microenterprises at this link.
Small company (up to 50 employees)
Small businesses cannot be exempted from Social Security contributions, but like micro businesses, they can benefit from subsidized wage costs and employee salaries.
Solutions prepared specifically for small and medium-sized enterprises are two types of loans:
Working capital loan to finance payroll in the SME sector
This loan help pay salaries. The funds obtained in this way go into the accounts of employees. The loan is granted on the basis of an account statement (and confirmation of a balance of PLN 0) and a short liquidity analysis.
In order to take advantage of this form of assistance, it will be necessary to submit a set of documents, including: financial statements for 2018-19, information on on-balance sheet and off-balance sheet financial obligations, information on employment, a plan of receipts and expenditures of the next 12 months, and documents on proposed collateral.
Working capital loan to finance working capital deficit
This form of support is reserved for companies with a deficit in working capital and a turnover of more than PLN 4 million in 2019 . The amount of the loan in question can range from PLN 800 thousand to as much as PLN 5 million. In turn, its financing period can last up to 6 years.
The set of documents required to obtain this loan is almost identical to the one listed above, but the financial forecast for the following years of loan financing should be added to the above list.
For more information on IDA loans under the crisis shield, follow this link.
Non-governmental forms of support
Government forms of assistance, while certainly needed, pose numerous difficulties for entrepreneurs who find themselves in a crisis situation for the first time. Maintaining liquidity is a key factor in a company’s growth, which is why the financial services market responded years ago.
With the specter of a company’s financial crisis, it is worth considering other forms of assistance – for example, non-bank factoring.
PragmaGO offers a simple invoice financing service that allows you to quickly regain liquidity when your counterparties are in arrears.
