⚡ XTB Lets Polish Investors Pick Which Shares to Sell, Bypassing FIFO Tax Rule

XTB has become the first Polish broker to let clients choose which specific shares or ETFs they sell, breaking away from the mandatory first-in, first-out method that has dominated tax calculations in the country. The feature launched May 29 and allows investors to control which purchase lot they dispose of, directly influencing the size of their taxable gain under Poland’s flat 19 percent Belka tax. Under FIFO, the earliest and typically cheapest shares are sold first, maximizing the gain and tax bill when positions have appreciated. While Polish law technically permits specific lot identification, brokers have defaulted to FIFO due to dematerialized exchange-listed shares making tracking difficult. The capability is routine in mature markets like the United States, where Interactive Brokers offers similar tools and robo-advisers have automated tax-loss harvesting for over a decade. Germany and the UK maintain stricter lot identification rules.

FXnCO Insight

Polish traders can now actively manage their tax exposure by timing which lots they sell, creating immediate strategic advantages over competitors still bound by default FIFO calculations.

Source: Finance Magnates