Proceedings for the execution of radio and television subscriptions Seizure control of the bailiff’s sentence Polish Post Ministry of Finance How to appeal

Poczta Polska controllers check whether residents of individual buildings and drivers have registered radio and television sets. The body is also required to check whether the owners of the receivers pay the radio and television license fees. If there are any arrears, the viewer or listener should be reprimanded.

If it does not work, Poczta Polska should issue an execution order and submit it to the executive authority, which in this case is the local head of the tax office. Dues are collected by tax collectors from a special cell, who have similar powers to bailiffs. For example, they can guarantee a bank account, stocks or bonds. In the event of greater debt, including real estate.

A slight decrease in the number of enforcement proceedings

The Ministry of Finance informed the Wirtualnemedia.pl portal that in the period from January 1 to September 30, 2022, enforcement proceedings were initiated on the basis of 39,765 enforceable titles issued in relation to the unpaid subscription fee for the use of the bankruptcy trustee. In the same period of 2021, securities of this type were 43,917, while in the last year there were 55,044.

Further enforcement proceedings were initiated in the first quarter of this year. – In the period from 1 January to 31 March 2022, no. 7,979 enforceable securities issued by the creditor – Poczta Polska SA, with legal basis of the enforcement obligation “OPAB – Unpaid subscription fee for use by the trustee” – Wirtualnemedia.pl informed in May by the Ministry of Finance. This is almost three times more than in the previous year, because 2,714 such securities were issued at the time.The enforceable title is the basis for initiating enforcement proceedings.

The penalty for non-payment of the RTV subscription is 30 times the monthly amount. A person or company caught doing so must also pay outstanding contributions. Recently, in an interview with Wirtualnemedia.pl, lawyers for Kancelaria Prawna Media noted that Poczta Polska employees should not be allowed to inspect a house or car. For this reason the controlled person is not at risk of consequences. It is also impossible to punish the driver on the basis of a photo of the radio tuner in the car. The Polish post therefore focuses on families who have previously registered a television or radio set and stopped paying for it. This is the easiest way to recover pending subscription fees, which is why the number of enforcement proceedings is still high.

How much does the subscription cost?

The fee for using a radio receiver is PLN 7.50 per month, and owners of TVs or TVs and radios have to pay PLN 24.50 per month. Due to the new regulation of the National Broadcasting Council on this matter, from next year the tariffs will increase to 8.70 PLN and 27.30 PLN per month. Those who decide to pay in advance for a longer period can count on a reduction in taxes.

The KRRiT report for 2020 shows that out of 13.57 million households in Poland, as much as 96.4%. had a tv in the house. However, in reality the RTV subscription was regulated by only 680.2 thousand. entity. A large number of Poles never registered the receiver and did not start paying the fee.

Also, at least 3.9 million people don’t have to pay for an RTV subscription. This includes people over 75 years of age, citizens with a significant degree of disability, completely unable to work or belonging to the first disability group. The subscription must not be paid for by war and military invalids, people repressed during the Polish People’s Republic and people receiving a pension not exceeding half the average salary. There are also layoffs between people who have never registered a receiver, but their scope is unknown.

According to representatives of Kancelaria Prawna Media, the subscription law did not provide for televisions without access to traditional channels, and the regulation states that “a receiver suitable for receiving the program immediately” is subject to registration. People who have televisions with Smart TVs, and without an antenna and decoder for traditional channels, do not have to register the device. The situation is similar with smartphone owners with installed radio applications.

Revenues from the RTV subscription are down

In this year’s budget. Telewizja Polska saved PLN 2.066 billion from RTV subscription and subscription compensation. This is more than last year, when the public broadcaster got PLN 1.71 billion in compensation and PLN 331.4 million from the subscription fee. Even in the years 2014-2016, before receiving the first payment, the broadcaster had from 366 to 444 million PLN per year from the subscription itself. However, in 2010-2013 it was less than 300 million PLN per year. Polish radio will receive PLN 110.004 million (one year ago: PLN 125.91 million). Less money will also go to 17 regional Polish radio stations: PLN 99 million will be distributed (last year – PLN 112.66 million).

In April we informed that the Senate has received a bill to eliminate the radio and television subscription. If these regulations come into effect, the Poles could have up to PLN 450 million in their pockets per year. However, the idea was criticized, among others by the Ministry of Culture and the National Council of Broadcasting. The former president Witold Kołodziejski then stressed that the new legislation – if it entered – would cause an even greater destabilization of the public media financing system, radically reducing the amounts allocated to them – without introducing permanent and systemic solutions that compensate for these financial decreases.

The Council found that private subscribers currently represent 73% of the total. all the revenues of the subscription, therefore the liquidation of this source effectively means the cancellation of the subscription altogether. What’s more: in the future it will be impossible to grant broadcasters compensation for the lack of revenue from subscriptions. Another negative consequence of the introduction of the new solution would be the deprivation of Poczta Polska of the proceeds from the subscription fees.