Today we return to the budget for the year 2027. This is, I hope, the final government meeting on this matter, and we would like parliament to begin work on this draft as soon as possible.
Especially since I wish to remind you, because from my point of view—and I think for all of us—it is absolutely key, namely what in this budget is addressed to the people, in this case to taxpayers, to a very large group of taxpayers. A budget is, of course, statistics, various, various types of criteria, but it is worth realizing that this budget act and the acts that accompany the budget contain a project that several million people have been waiting for.
I am referring here to the already announced change in the personal income tax scale, under which three tax brackets will function. Of course, if the entire process ends positively, that is, with the president's signature, which I will touch on in a moment. The first bracket will be raised to 130,000 PLN while maintaining the 12% tax rate. So those who pay 12% tax will have a bracket not of 120, but of 130,000 PLN.
A new intermediate rate of 24% will be introduced for income above 130,000 PLN up to 150,000 PLN. This means that, unlike before, people who earned above 120,000 fell immediately into that cruel, highest bracket. And at this moment, not only is the rate raised and from 130,000 it will be counted up to 150,000, but the tax will be 24%. And only this third, highest rate of 32% will apply to incomes above 150,000 PLN.
This means, and this is the reason why we attach such great importance to this change, that those who paid at the 32% rate, that these taxpayers will be 7%, whereas it was 14%. So this group of people will decrease by half—those who are most affected by this high tax rate.
Approximately 3.5 million taxpayers will benefit from the changes in this project, and it will be possible to benefit by up to 3,600 PLN annually from these changes. We realize that everyone would like to pay the lowest possible taxes, of course, but taking into account the state's obligations resulting also from, well, defense needs, the war situation across our border, the large increase in health expenditures, etc., we searched for the most responsible ways, and this is it for this time. This is what is possible, and certainly for those 3.5 million taxpayers, it will be very noticeably positive.
As we agreed, these tax changes were to finance themselves, meaning an increase in CIT, but only for the wealthiest, the largest ones. We agreed with the Minister of Finance and Economy that we would finance these tax changes from taxes that concern the largest and wealthiest. And that is why, from the state budget's perspective—and thus the interests of many social groups—this project is neutral, and from our point of view, that is an expression of responsibility.
I have one observation: today we will be discussing nine projects, well, actually 10 bills that accompany the budget, which in a sense make up these changes to the 2024 budget. So we will have to rely on a majority in parliament, which I am convinced we will guarantee. But in the end, the President's signature is needed.
I don't want to dwell on the President's daily decisions, although there are more than enough reasons to, but I cannot fail to notice that, just like with the fuel tax, where stubbornness from the Presidential Palace will cost people weeks of very high prices at gas stations if we don't get that signature. And I also hear signals that not everyone there likes the idea of people paying a bit lower taxes, and I would very much like for the President's decisions to serve the people. They don't have to serve the government. I have no illusions about the President's attitude toward the government, but the people shouldn't have to pay for that.
So I really hope that this real, effective tax reduction—because that's how it should be treated, felt by 3.5 million people—is a sufficient argument for the President's signature to be on these bills. I really, really hope so. Unless I am being naive. But we will all see that soon.
I also want to emphasize, ladies and gentlemen, what I have said many times before, that we have very demanding weeks and months ahead due to Russia's increasingly aggressive stance toward Ukraine. And unfortunately, these aggressive actions by Russia toward Ukraine are getting closer and closer to our border. Yesterday, drones struck very close to the Polish border, about 1,000 meters from the road border crossing. Every night or every day, we must scramble our aircraft multiple times, because Russian attacks near the Polish border—specifically on border crossings and infrastructure near the border—have now become a permanent occurrence.
We are very focused on ensuring that nothing bad happens on the Polish side. I must emphasize that, especially in these last few days, our cooperation with the Ukrainian side has been exemplary, and we can count on immediate notifications, as happened last night, and on actions by Ukrainians who try not only to inform us that something is flying toward Poland, but also to eliminate the threat while it is still over Ukraine. And, well, in the last few days, I must say, this cooperation has been particularly intense and, of course, with a positive impact on our security.
