The cancellation of debt and the concept of tax revenue in Personal Income Tax. Gloss to the judgment of the Supreme Administrative Court of February 12, 2020, II FSK 1527/18

Abstract

The subject of this gloss is the position of the Supreme Administrative Court contained in the judgment of 12 February 2020 II FSK 1527/18, according to which not every cancellation of a debt is associated with the taxpayer’s receiving a gratuitous performance within the meaning of the provisions of the Personal Income Tax Act, and thus a taxable income within the meaning of this Act. Only then it might be considered that a taxpayer received an “other gratuitous performance” as a result of cancellation of a debt, when it results from the obligation to pay the price for the received goods, services, rights, intangible or legal assets. The author considers the above position of the Court to be correct, pointing to a number of additional arguments in favor of the above-mentioned theses.