Social security contributions, pouring into the Pension and Disability Insurance Institute (ZPIZ), the Health Insurance Institute (ZZZS) and to some extent to the national budget, were up by 7.6% last year to top EUR 6.5bn.

Particularly encouraging is the 11.1% growth in the collected personal income tax and corporate tax. Individuals paid 11.4% more income tax and companies 10.4% more corporate tax.

Revenue from taxes on goods and services was up by 4.4% and from VAT by 6.9%, while revenue from excise duties was down by 1.6%.

The 6.9% growth of levies collected last year exceeds the economic growth, which stood at 4.5% in the first three quarters of last year.

FURS attributes the growth to the favourable economic situation, legislative measures aimed at simplifying business operations as well as FURS's measures to simplify the tax forms.

The share of levies collected without enforcement action continued to rise, exceeding 95% last year.

The growth in the levies collected annually by FURS has continued since FURS was founded in 2014.

Tax debt has meanwhile been decreasing in absolute terms, having reached EUR 1.2bn at the end of last year, which down 5.5% compared to the end of 2017.