Foreign Bank Account and CWTON: How to Settle EUR Income From Airbnb

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?

Yes. The CWTON (Central Register of Tourist Accommodation Facilities) form requires the bank account number where you receive payments for the rental. All IBANs within SEPA (EU, Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland, United Kingdom) are accepted, including:

• 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...

The CWTON system does not require NBP or any other body's consent to use a foreign IBAN. You simply enter the number in the "Bank account" field.

Obligation to Report a Foreign Account to KAS

NOTE: regardless of CWTON, every foreign account of a private individual must be reported to KAS (Polish National Revenue Administration) on form IFT-1R or in the annual PIT return. Deadline: by 31 March of the following year. Failure to report: KKS fine up to PLN 16,800. Companies report on CIT-ST.

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 short-term rental: the day of providing the service (the guest's check-out date), not the day of payout from Airbnb
• 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
• Payment to Airbnb: 18 March 2026 (after check-in)
• 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: 20 March 2026 (check-out date)

NBP rate: table A from 19 March 2026 (last working day preceding)

Assuming a rate of 4.2810 PLN/EUR: 380 EUR x 4.2810 = PLN 1,626.78 of income in PIT

Exchange Differences: Profit or Loss

The difference between the NBP rate on the income day and the actual payment/exchange rate generates an exchange difference. For a private individual settling on ryczalt 8.5%/12.5%, exchange differences are NOT included in income (ryczalt is a simplified form).

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.

Table: Which Rate and Which Date for Different Settlement Forms

Settlement form	Date of obtaining income	NBP rate	Exchange differences
Private ryczalt PIT-28	Check-out date	Table A from preceding day	Not included
JDG ryczalt PIT-28	Check-out date	Table A from preceding day	Not included
JDG general rules PIT-36	Check-out date	Table A from preceding day	Yes (positive/negative)
Sp. z o.o. CIT	Check-out date	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?

Yes. A Wise account (and Revolut, N26, every IBAN outside Poland) is subject to reporting to KAS. Private individual: in the PIT declaration or on IFT-1R by 31 March. Company: on CIT-ST. Failure to report: KKS fine up to PLN 16,800 plus the obligation to pay tax arrears.

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?

Tax income arises on the day of the guest's check-out, regardless of whether you later exchange to PLN. Exchange differences (for JDG on general rules and companies) arise only at the moment of exchange. If you never exchange, you do not book exchange 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 check-out day (= the day of obtaining income) 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, properly report foreign accounts and settle exchange differences, use the Standard Package HostReady. You will receive a booking statement template with NBP rates, instructions for reporting Wise/Revolut to KAS, and a checklist for booking exchange differences.