The Polish legal system has recently undergone a number of significant changes, the most recent of which concern the Code of Civil Procedure. A few years ago, conducting an online hearing was impossible. Although the regulations allowed videoconferencing, it was limited to connections between courts, mainly used for questioning witnesses. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected these regulations, leading to the introduction of the possibility of remote participation in hearings. Thanks to the amendment of the regulations in March 2020, remote hearings have become a reality, initially as a temporary solution, aimed at counteracting the effects of the pandemic.
Seeing the effectiveness and convenience of remote hearings, the legislator decided to permanently introduce this form to the Code of Civil Procedure. On March 14, 2024, an amendment came into force, which not only consolidates remote hearings as a standard procedure, but also introduces a number of other innovations. The aim of these changes is to streamline and accelerate civil proceedings, so that the justice system is more effective and accessible to citizens and entrepreneurs.
Alternative investment companies are a specific form of investment activity introduced into the Polish legal system within the framework of the provisions on investment funds, and specifically in the context of managing alternative investment funds. These regulations are contained in the Act of 27 May 2004 on investment funds and the Act of 22 July 2005 on the management of alternative investment funds, Journal of Laws 2024.1034. AIICs are therefore a specific form of asset management that creates the possibility of investing in alternative assets, such as real estate, private equity, raw materials or debt, while maintaining high flexibility in terms of investment strategies.
The document “Principles of Corporate Governance for Supervised Institutions” developed by the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF) is a key set of principles regulating the functioning of supervised institutions, such as banks, pension funds, insurers and other financial market entities. Adopted by the KNF resolution of 22 July 2014, it has been in force since 1 January 2015 and serves as a guide in ensuring transparency, stability and ethics of the operations of entities on the financial market.
The company agreement (Articles of Association, shareholder Agreement) is a very unusual type of agreement. It not only creates obligations between the parties, but also creates a completely new legal person – a company. Although the full creation of a company requires other activities, primarily an entry in the National Court Register, the company agreement defines the way it operates, its goals and the shares it consists of. It is for the company what the constitution is for the state.
Virtual office and registration as an active VAT taxpayer
A virtual office is an innovative method of reducing the costs of running a business. It allows to establish a legal seat of business in a specific location without having to run a traditional office. This is a particularly good solution for individual businesses run by freelancers working remotely, who can provide their services from all over the world and do not need a traditional office, but also for foreign investors who are unable to manage an office in Poland on an ongoing basis and do not want to rent premises and hire staff for this purpose. Virtual offices are usually managed by experienced office administration specialists who are able to handle incoming correspondence, store documentation in a legal manner and accept inspections.
A virtual office has been a legal way of establishing a business headquarters for years. However, it is necessary to take into account the legal requirements that must be met in order for a virtual office to legally fulfill its function.
Legal requirements for establishing a virtual office
