Foreign Bank Account and CWTON: Settling EUR Airbnb Income

Foreign Account Number and CWTON: How to Settle EUR Income from Airbnb

Airbnb and Booking pay out in EUR to a Wise, Revolut, Sparkasse or other non-Polish IBAN, while the tax office wants zlotys. See which NBP rate to use, which date to take, how to book exchange differences, and whether a foreign IBAN must be reported to CWTON.

Many STR hosts use a currency account with a non-Polish provider (Wise, Revolut, N26, German Sparkasse, Irish AIB), because Airbnb payouts arrive faster (1 to 2 days vs 4 to 7 days for Polish banks), without conversion costs and at a better rate. But settlement in PIT-28 or CIT-8 requires conversion to zlotys, and that is the moment that generates most errors.

Does a Foreign IBAN Need to Be Reported to CWTON?

There is no such obligation today, because the CWTON system doesn't exist yet - the register hasn't launched and the Polish implementing act hasn't been passed. Once CWTON does launch, the exact data required in the application (including any bank account field) will only be known from the final rules. What matters is that using a foreign SEPA IBAN (EU, Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland, United Kingdom) to settle with Airbnb or Booking is fully legal and requires no one's consent - example accounts:

• PL Poland (example: PL61 1090...)
• DE Germany (Sparkasse, Commerzbank): DE89 3704...
• BE Belgium (Wise formerly): BE83 9670...
• LT Lithuania (Revolut, N26): LT12 3160...
• IE Ireland (AIB, Bank of Ireland): IE29 AIBK...
• GB United Kingdom: GB29 NWBK...

Using a foreign IBAN does not require NBP or any other body's consent.

Does a Foreign Account Have to Be Reported to KAS?

Contrary to a widely repeated myth, a private individual running ordinary private rental has no obligation to separately "report" a Wise, Revolut, or N26 account to KAS on some special form. Form IFT-1R is an information return filed by a payer about payments to non-residents - it is not used to register your own foreign account. There is also no statutory "PLN 16,800 fine for not reporting an account," nor any obligation for companies to report such accounts on CIT-ST (CIT-ST concerns allocating income to municipalities, not accounts). What actually matters is correctly reporting the income from these accounts in your tax return (PIT-28, PIT-36, or CIT). If your situation is complex, consult an accountant.

NBP Rate: Which Day to Take for Converting EUR to PLN

This is the most important question. The rules (Article 11a of the PIT Act, Article 12 paragraph 2 of the CIT Act):

• Income in foreign currency is converted to zlotys at the average NBP rate from the last working day preceding the day of obtaining the income
• Day of obtaining income for private rental (ryczalt) arises on a CASH basis - on the day the payment is received (the date Airbnb pays out to you), not on the guest's check-out date. This is an important distinction for the most common host settlement form.
• Day of obtaining income in business activity (JDG general rules, company): as a rule the day the service is provided, no later than the invoice date or payment - in practice usually tied to the end of the stay.
• Costs in currency: NBP rate from the day preceding the day the cost was incurred

Practical Example: 5-Night Stay

• Guest books on 1 March 2026, amount: EUR 380 for 5 nights from 15 to 20 March
• Guest pays Airbnb: 18 March 2026
• Airbnb payout to Wise: 21 March 2026, net amount EUR 327 (after 14% commission)
• Exchange to PLN on Wise: 25 March 2026 (or never, if you leave it on the EUR account)

Date of obtaining income (private rental, ryczalt): 21 March 2026 - the day the funds actually reach your Wise account (cash basis). For business activity, this moment would usually be the day the service is provided (around check-out).

NBP rate: table A from the last working day preceding the day of obtaining income (for a 21 March payout - the table from 20 March 2026)

Assuming a rate of 4.2810 PLN/EUR: 327 EUR x 4.2810 = PLN 1,399.89 of income in PIT (on the amount actually received in the account)

Exchange Differences: Profit or Loss

The difference between the NBP rate on the income day and the actual exchange rate can generate an exchange difference. For private rental settled on ryczalt the situation is simpler: income is the amount received, converted at the NBP rate from the day before the funds arrive, and ryczalt does not separately account for costs. Keep in mind, though, that tax exchange differences as a category generally apply to taxpayers running a business; where a ryczalt host simply holds and later exchanges EUR on a private account, this usually doesn't create additional income. In more complex cases, confirm with an accountant.

For a JDG on general rules or a sp. z o.o.: exchange differences are settled as separate income (positive) or costs (negative) on the day of payment/exchange to PLN. Note: positive exchange differences are taxable income - they can't be omitted.

Table: Which Rate and Which Date for Different Settlement Forms

Settlement form	Date of obtaining income	NBP rate	Exchange differences
Private ryczalt PIT-28	Payment date (cash basis)	Table A from preceding day	Usually none (ryczalt, no costs)
JDG ryczalt PIT-28	Payment date (cash basis)	Table A from preceding day	Usually none (ryczalt, no costs)
JDG general rules PIT-36	Day service provided	Table A from preceding day	Yes (positive/negative)
Sp. z o.o. CIT	Day service provided	Table A from preceding day	Yes (income/cost)
Sp. z o.o. estoński CIT	None (until payout)	not applicable	not applicable

Wise for STR Hosts: Benefits and Limitations

Wise (formerly TransferWise) offers a multi-currency account with dedicated IBANs in EUR (BE), GBP (GB), USD (US) and many others. Benefits for an STR host:

• Direct Airbnb payout to a EUR account without conversion
• Debit card for in-store payments
• Low conversion costs (mid-market rate +0.4 to 0.6%)
• PDF statement with full transaction history in many currencies
• XML/CSV statement for import into accounting

Limitations:

• The Wise BE IBAN is not a "full" Belgian account (no BNB deposit)
• Some SEPA payments are held for 24h for verification
• No physical branch in Poland
• Some Polish banks do not accept Wise IBAN for tax payments (you must order a transfer to a PL IBAN before paying)

Revolut: Alternative to Wise

Revolut Business offers an LT (Lithuania) IBAN with a full bank licence. For STR hosts, an alternative to Wise. Plus: bank licence equals deposit up to EUR 100,000. Minus: higher fees for a physical card and automated payouts.

Polish Bank with EUR Sub-Account: Third Option

mBank, Pekao, ING, BNP Paribas offer a EUR sub-account linked to the main PLN account. The Airbnb payout goes directly to EUR, without conversion. Plus: full Polish account, accepted by US for tax payments. Minus: higher costs (EUR 5 to 10 per month for the sub-account).

Booking the EUR to PLN Exchange

Step by step for JDG on general rules:

1. Airbnb payout EUR 327, 21 March 2026, NBP rate from 20 March: 4.2810 = PLN 1,399.89 in the books
2. Exchange on Wise 25 March 2026: 327 EUR x Wise rate 4.2950 = PLN 1,404.47 actually credited
3. Positive exchange difference: 1,404.47 - 1,399.89 = PLN 4.58 (taxable income)
4. You book: account 750 (financial income) Cr PLN 4.58, account 130 (bank account) Dr PLN 4.58

Questions and Answers

Do I have to report a Wise account to KAS?

A private individual running ordinary private rental files no separate "report" of a Wise, Revolut, or N26 account to KAS. IFT-1R is not used for this (it's a payer's information return about payments to non-residents), there is no "PLN 16,800 fine for not reporting an account," and there is no obligation for companies to report such accounts on CIT-ST. What matters is correctly reporting the income from that account in your return (PIT-28, PIT-36, or CIT). In complex individual cases, ask an accountant.

When to use the Wise rate, and when NBP?

For PIT/CIT always the NBP rate (average from table A from the day preceding the day of obtaining income). The Wise rate (or another provider) is only your exchange rate, it has no tax significance for determining income. The difference between NBP and Wise is the exchange difference.

What if I leave EUR on the account and never exchange?

For private rental on ryczalt, tax income arises on a cash basis - on the day the funds reach your account (including a foreign EUR account), regardless of whether you later exchange to PLN. In business activity, the income moment is tied to providing the service. Exchange differences (for JDG on general rules and companies) arise at the moment of exchange; if you never exchange, you don't book those differences.

Can a ryczalt taxpayer hold EUR and not pay on the rate increase?

Yes. Ryczalt 8.5%/12.5% does not cover exchange differences. Profit from a EUR/PLN rate increase does not generate taxable income for the ryczalt taxpayer. Caution: if you exchange EUR to PLN and buy something for the business (e.g. a new vacuum cleaner), the exchange does NOT generate a cost (because ryczalt does not deduct costs).

How do I prove the NBP rate during an audit?

The NBP rate is public and archived on nbp.pl. KAS knows it itself and does not require you to present a document. It is enough that in the income ledger you enter the income date and the PLN value converted at the rate from the preceding day.

Do I have to convert each booking separately?

Yes. Each booking has its own individual day of obtaining income (for private rental on ryczalt - the day the funds arrive) and its own NBP rate. An Excel sheet with 365 bookings annually and 365 NBP rates. Most accounting programs fetch rates automatically.

To manage EUR income, convert it correctly at NBP rates and settle exchange differences, use the Standard Package HostReady. You will receive a booking statement template with NBP rates and a checklist for booking exchange differences.

Don't want to search for templates and regulations on your own? The HostReady Package includes complete documentation, ready-to-use templates, and checklists - everything you need for CWTON registration and legal short-term rental, ready to use right after purchase.