Keep our news free from ads and paywalls by making a donation to support our work!
Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.
The incoming US ambassador to Poland, Thomas Rose, has called on the Polish government to withdraw from its plans to introduce a new tax on big tech firms such as Google and Facebook. He called the move “not very smart” and warned that “President [Donald] Trump will reciprocate”.
On Monday, Poland’s digital affairs minister, Krzysztof Gawkowski, told the Polish Press Agency (PAP) that, in the coming months, his ministry would present plans for a “digital tax” that would be placed on the profits or revenues in Poland of big tech companies.
Not very smart! A self destructive tax that will only hurt Poland and its relations w/USA. President Trump will reciprocate as well he should. Rescind the tax to avoid the consequences! https://t.co/rtGHk4i4HT
— Tom Rose (@TomRoseIndy) March 10, 2025
When such firms conduct business in Poland, they often pay taxes elsewhere, in lower-tax jurisdictions such as Ireland, where they have established headquarters.
“This is a matter of social justice,” said the minister. “Digital giants are making huge profits on our market, thanks to Polish users, which is why we want some of these funds to return to the Polish budget.”
Gawkowski says that 35 other countries have already introduced some kind of digital tax on tech giants, including France, the UK and Canada. Revenues from Poland’s tax would be used to support Polish tech firms and the media.
However, when Gawkowski’s party, The Left (Lewica), posted news of the proposed new tax on social media platform X, Rose – who last month was nominated by Trump as his ambassador to Poland – responded critically.
Sharing The Left’s post, Rose wrote: “Not very smart! A self destructive tax that will only hurt Poland and its relations w[ith the] USA. President Trump will reciprocate as well he should. Rescind the tax to avoid the consequences!”
Shortly after his nomination, Rose – who has not yet been confirmed as ambassador – published (and later deleted) a long post on X in which he complained about barriers that the European Union and its member states erect to the detriment of American firms.
He said that such measures were used “to limit market access for US tech companies” and in particular he criticised plans to introduce an EU-wide digital services tax targeting firms such as Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon.
Donald Trump has nominated businessman and commentator @TomRoseIndy as the new US ambassador to Poland
Rose, known for his pro-Israel views, has regularly commented on Polish affairs in recent months, including praising conservative President @AndrzejDuda https://t.co/QEm0AIf8me
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) February 7, 2025
Last month, Trump himself said that he would consider introducing tariffs in response to any digital services taxes or other levies placed on US tech firms.
In response, the European Commission said it would “decisively defend its right…to enforce our laws fairly and without discrimination toward all companies operating in the EU”, reported the AFP agency.
Such taxes “ensure that all companies, regardless of their country of origin, pay their fair share in the markets where they generate revenue and profit”, added the commission.
This weekend, the Trump administration rolled out a new rule:
If your country imposes undue burdens on American companies, you get tariffs.
This means anyone imposing a Digital Services Tax on American companies or restricting free speech on American platforms gets hit. pic.twitter.com/u8StWJGDgL
— Crémieux (@cremieuxrecueil) February 23, 2025
After Rose’s criticism of Poland’s planned tax, some commentators pointed to an interview he gave to conservative Polish broadcaster wPolsce24 shortly after his nomination in which he said that the Trump administration would not interfere in Polish domestic affairs.
“I think President Trump will respect the decisions of sovereign countries like Poland. I don’t think he will interfere in domestic affairs like the previous administration,” said Rose.
“I don’t think American diplomats will criticise the actions of our democratic allies that are not perfectly aligned with the interests of America at a given moment,” he continued. “Poland is an equal partner. It is not a country that is looked down on.”
Separately, Poland’s foreign minister Radosław Sikorski has this week become embroiled in a spat with the Trump administration after suggesting that Elon Musk had threatened Ukraine. That prompted criticism from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Musk himself, who told Sikorski to “be quiet, small man”.
"Be quiet, small man," wrote @elonmusk to Poland's foreign minister @sikorskiradek after he suggested Musk had threatened Ukraine.@SecRubio also criticised Sikorski, as did Poland's conservative opposition, who accused him of harming US-Polish relations https://t.co/DtFdn14PRk
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) March 9, 2025
Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.
Main image credit: Gage Skidmore/Flickr (under CC BY-SA 2.0)
Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
