Since Saturday, October 3, regulations have been in force cutting VAT on gasoline and diesel from 23% to 8% and the excise duty: on gasoline from PLN 1,529 to PLN 1,239 per 1,000 liters, on diesel from PLN 1,160 to PLN 880 (money.pl, xyz.pl). The “Lower Fuel Prices” program runs until December 31. The Ministry of Energy set maximum prices from Saturday to Monday: 95-octane gasoline up to PLN 6.73, 98-octane gasoline up to PLN 7.59, diesel up to PLN 7.88 per liter (Comparic). Minister Domański estimated the effect at PLN 1.20–1.30 per liter and the cost at about PLN 1.6 billion a month. On Thursday the president signed the act on the excess profits tax on fuel companies (60%, profits from March 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027) and referred it to the Constitutional Tribunal under the ex post review procedure (Polsat News, Notes from Poland). According to money.pl, PKO BP economists estimate that revenue from the tax will cover at most two and a half months of the cuts.
Fuel is one of the most noticeable costs for households and businesses, and the dispute over who is responsible for it has become part of the government’s rivalry with the president. The cuts are costly for the budget and the new tax finances them only in part.
If you fill up, the price at the station cannot exceed the cap announced by the Minister of Energy, but it need not equal it. Caps are announced for successive days, so before a longer trip it is worth checking the current announcement.
The cut in VAT and excise duty and the price caps quickly reduce the cost of filling up, and the excess profits tax shifts part of the cost to the companies that profited from expensive oil.
The cost of about PLN 1.6 billion a month is high, revenue from the tax may run out quickly, and the act has gone to the Tribunal. The president says the government is responsible for prices.
The tax cut works quickly, but briefly if oil keeps getting dearer. Two things are worth watching: whether prices at stations actually come down to the caps, and whether revenue from the new tax (which, according to one source, will only start flowing in November) will cover the cost of the cuts. With oil above
money.pl, xyz.pl, Comparic, Polsat News, Notes from Poland (Oct. 1–4, 2026)
First weekend with 8 percent VAT on fuel: 95-octane gasoline no higher than PLN 6.73, diesel up to PLN 7.88
The regulations cutting VAT and excise duty took effect on Saturday, October 3, and run to the end of the year. Two days after the president signed the act on the excess profits tax on fuel companies, the government and the Palace are still arguing over who is responsible for prices.
Since Saturday, October 3, the third edition of the government’s “Lower Fuel Prices” program (Ceny Paliwa Niżej) has been in effect, money.pl and xyz.pl report. The VAT rate on gasoline and diesel fell from 23% to 8%, and the excise duty on gasoline from PLN 1,529 to PLN 1,239 per 1,000 liters, on diesel from PLN 1,160 to PLN 880. The regulations are to remain in force until the end of the year. The Ministry of Energy set maximum prices for the period from Saturday to Monday, October 5: PLN 6.73 a liter for 95-octane gasoline, PLN 7.59 for 98-octane gasoline and PLN 7.88 for diesel, Comparic reports. Selling above the cap carries a fine of up to one million zloty, and inspections are carried out by the National Revenue Administration (KAS).
Finance Minister Andrzej Domański estimated that the cuts would amount to about PLN 1.20–1.30 per liter, and that their cost to the budget is about PLN 1.6 billion a month (money.pl, xyz.pl). On Thursday, October 1, President Karol Nawrocki signed the excess profits tax act for fuel companies and referred it to the Constitutional Tribunal under the ex post review procedure, Polsat News reports. The tax is 60% and covers profits from March 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027; according to money.pl, PKO BP economists judge that the revenue will cover at most two and a half months of the cuts. The president accused the prime minister of hypocrisy and recalled his own bill, “Fuel Costs Normally” (Paliwo Kosztuje Normalnie), which is waiting in the Sejm. DailyDrop has not yet seen data on actual prices at stations this weekend.