Fortunately, gone are the days when setting up a business would visit several establishments to collect a file of documents needed to start a business. Today, starting an online business is the norm and it is especially useful when you do it with a banking website. You can immediately open a corporate account, as well as receive an attractive welcome bonus at the beginning of the cooperation.

The range of procedures that must be completed in order to be able to start a business is completely different, it depends on the industry in which you will be operating. It is often necessary to adapt buildings to meet sanitary or fire safety requirements, collect specialized equipment and hire qualified personnel. From time to time, you may be required to obtain a certain certification. You can start all these “hands-on” activities in advance, before completing the formalities i.e. registering your company in the Central Register and Economic Activity Information (CEIDG).

Years ago, the Entrepreneur Register was kept by municipal offices, which had to be accessed through the appropriate application. It was also necessary to notify the Social Insurance Institution, the Tax Office and the Central Bureau of Statistics of the start of economic activity. Everywhere there are documents that need to be filled out, certificates are collected.

Fortunately, those times are a thing of the past. Now you can arrange everything in a convenient place and time, using the website biznes.gov.pl or the Internet banking of the selected bank. Since it is possible to open a corporate account at the same time, we recommend the latter option.

What is starting an online business?

Exactly what you had to do in the past when visiting offices – to complete all the required procedures. It is only now (almost) everything will be done in one order, and the system will send the necessary information to individual organizations, which will confirm receipt of the information, providing the important information to you (the details can be found below).

The whole process is simple, fast and stress-free, and is done using a free trusted profile ( electronic signature used to authenticate documents/applications in contacts with the public administration, there is no need for a paid and hard-to-obtain qualified signature).

How to start an online business – many things to think about first

Before you start filling out an application to register a company with CEIDG, you need to think carefully about several issues:

• What will be the start date of work? From that day on, you will have to pay your social security insurance (ZUS or KRUS). You should know that the regulations allow some expenses incurred prior to starting business to be recognized as tax deductible, but they must be documented.
• What will be the title of the company? Remember that you must have a legal title to the premises (eg title deed, lease contract) specified in the application. The company address may be different from the actual place of business.
  If the company is registered in your apartment/house, you will be able to include a portion of your electricity, heating and rent expenses as operating costs. Generally, it is specified as a percentage of the “company room” area in relation to the size of the entire building.
  Note: When deciding which tax office the business will be subject to, the owner’s residence address is crucial.
• What form of business tax should be chosen, ie the method of settlements with the tax authorities (lump sum, tax card, tax on general principles, flat tax)? Remember that this translates to the possibility of recognizing the expenses as operating costs. If your company will not generate a lot of costs, but will generate high revenue, then a flat tax will be more beneficial to you, because you will not fall into a higher tax threshold.
• In what form will you make advance payments to income tax, monthly or quarterly?
• What type of financial documents are kept (income and expense ledger, trading books, other records)?
• Who will manage the accounting – you yourself or a selected accounting firm? This is an important decision because it is associated with liability for possible errors in the preservation of documents. The consequences of errors will be borne by you or the accounting firm with which you cooperate in relation to the bookkeeping (pay attention if the provision on this matter is in the contract). In addition, in the application for company registration, you must indicate the place of storage of accounting documents.
• What would the company name and acronym look like as well? It is good to think in perspective and choose the name that suits the company, no matter its size, there will be no problems with its pronunciation (also by foreigners), placement on company premises and business cards, or other elements of visual identification.
• What kind of activity will you enter into the application, ie the PKD (Polish Classification of Activities) code you will use? You have to indicate the main subject of the activity (the so-called prevalent activity) and you can select any number of complementary activities. There are no contraindications to entering as many of them as possible, so you will not have to wonder if the service you will provide falls within the directory intended for your activity.
  If it is difficult for you to fit your company with one of the symbols, choose a few similar to what you intend to do. Attention: Services that do not fit into the areas covered by the declared PKD codes cannot be billed. If the tax office finds such a violation, it may consider it a refusal to fulfill the statistical obligation and refer the case to the court, which has the right to fine the entrepreneur with a fine of up to 5,000 PLN.
• On what basis do you want to pay social security contributions: ZUS or KRUS? Of course, you would prefer to pay them at KRUS rates, but unfortunately this can be done by people who run certain types of economic activities related to agriculture.

You can update the entry at any time by adding a new PKD token. The public key directory code may be important when applying for grants or funding. Sometimes they are intended for entities from a specific region and perform activities related to the indicated PKD codes.

CEIDG-1 Online Application – Nothing Difficult

Before we move on to the process of setting up a company in individual banks, let’s take a look at the CEIDG application itself. It is not difficult to fill it, if you give yourself answers to the above questions.

We also suggest that you take a look at the guide “What you need to know before registering a business” at biznes.gov.pl . You can check it:

• Do you need to register a company,
• Do you need permits or privileges to run it,
• Do you have to pay VAT,
• What contributions will you pay to ZUS?

You should also know that:

• You can enter a future date as the start date, it does not have to be the moment of filling out the application,
• The CEIDG system immediately reports violations and they can be quickly corrected.

How is a CEIDG application completed?

Regardless of whether you decided to create a company on the official website or in a specific bank system, you always fill out the same document, providing the same data about you as an entrepreneur and your company. The difference is due to the fact that when using the side of a financial institution, the CEIDG-1 application will be one of several documents. The rest has to do with your business account and possibly other banking products you choose to use.

By deciding to apply online, you will open your business without leaving your home, without wasting time traveling to offices and filling out different forms in several places containing the same data about you and your company.

Where can you create an online company? Detailed guide in different banks

The process of setting up an online company is similar in individual banks. The difference mainly concerns the path to get to where the procedure should begin, and the method of verification of the applicant.

If you are already cooperating with a particular financial institution and using its electronic banking services, you can log in and immediately proceed to the procedures for creating a company.

In the application to create a company, you must provide your personal data, information about the founding company (for example, related to the form of taxes and specific accounting principles) and enter the information required to open a company account (for example, select a card, specify the necessary data).

Create a company online at Santander Bank Polska

At this bank, you need to start setting up an online business by opening an individual bank account, which will allow you to verify your identity, create a trusted profile (if you don’t already have one) and give you access to Santander online banking.

Before you start filling out the application, you should know the parameters of the company account that is worth recommending:

On the eUrząd tab (at the top of the page) , you will find an application to register a sole proprietorship and a business account in Internet Banking . The process of filling it out will go smoothly if you jot down the answers to the questions initially asked about your future company. You can do this, for example, in the notes section of the guide prepared by Santander Bank Polska, which contains tips on setting up a company.

If you have questions about the regulations for setting up a company or do not know how to fill out an application, you can use the accounting hotline of FACT, which is open from 7:00 in the morning until 10:00 in the evening. You can find the phone number in the Santander Online Banking app. The advisor will explain all the legal issues to you and help you complete the form if necessary.

After completing the form, in the next step, confirm that you want to send the application with the SMS code received from the bank. In the same way, also via email, you will receive feedback from CEIDG about:

• Register your company
• NIP and REGON numbers assigned to it;

Soon, through the above communication channels, you will receive a message from Santander containing your company’s account number, login and password for Mini Firma Banking.

Create an online company in mBank

If you want to start a business with mBank, you do not need to have an individual account or a trusted profile . However, the bank informs that in this case the process will be a little longer, since it will be necessary to verify the identity of the applicant and sign the documents.

mBank encourages you to use the free helpline for future entrepreneurs who work daily from 9:00 to 17:00 at 22100 45 43. You can get information about grants and subsidies to start a business, places where you can find information about them and how to correctly complete the application.

A standard mBiznes account is available on mBank:

mBank encourages you to answer a few questions regarding the new company before filling out the documents. For your convenience, a list of considerations has been prepared .

The application prepared by mBank begins with providing personal data and contact details (phone number, email address). The latter is necessary in order for the bank to notify you of the implementation of the following stages of creating a business and company account.

At this point, you can indicate your consent to mBank’s transfer of your personal data to Super Accounts. By expressing your consent, in the event of questions or doubts (eg regarding the choice of your company’s public key directory code, tax form), you will be able to obtain professional assistance. Later, you provide other personal data, and then information about the supposed business. From this moment on, you can use the help of an accountant for free, and request an interview after clicking on the button that appears at the top of the page.

At the following points, it is decided to choose (or not) the card for the account, payment and accounting terminal. There is nothing to prevent you from postponing the decision in these matters. Do not delay familiarizing yourself with the terms and conditions of the current account opening. Only after their consent can the creation of a trusted profile proceed. The system allows you to create it from scratch or link the profile you already have in another organization to your mBank account. For owners of trusted profiles in this bank, the step is automatically skipped.

The next step is to accept some ads and a column to enter the referral code received from a friend participating in the mBank referral program. In the future, as a customer of this organization, you will also be able to work as a referrer and collect related rewards.

You still have to sign a contract with mBank to complete the procedures. You can do this at any branch or by ordering a courier in a place convenient for you. After submitting the application, you will receive an email with instructions on how to complete the establishment of the company. You have literally 3 steps:

• Accepting a Trusted Profile in the mBank transaction system. To do this, you need to log in to banking, enter the message from the bank in the message box , click on the link and select all approvals. After authorizing these actions, you will receive an email confirming the registration of the trusted profile;
• Creating a trusted profile will make you receive another message, this time regarding acceptance of the application for company registration in the Central Register and information on economic activity. You must enter the correspondence, click on the link, select Yes and authorize the process. You will soon receive information from CEIDG about the company’s registration, as well as the NIP and REGON number assigned to it. In turn, the bank will inform you of the account number and login data for electronic banking;
• Submit the ZZA form to the Social Insurance Institution and inform the tax office of your intention to be a VAT payer (only if this applies to you) on the VAT form.

Online company formation at ING

The first steps in setting up a company at ING depend on whether you are their customer or not. In the first case, you must log in to My ING online and complete the application there (you will find it on the Services tab in the Official Matters section ). If you have not cooperated with this bank yet, you can start by creating a personal account or make an appointment with a consultant at one of ING branches. Before carrying out these activities, it is worth using a special ING cheat sheet in preparation for applying.

The company account parameters in ING are as follows:

When completing a company creation application, you can consult an ING accountant on the choice of tax and accounting form and PKD code. There is no objection to stopping filling out the form, saving it and returning to it after a break.

After submitting the application to CEIDG, you will receive a confirmation of the establishment of the company in a text message and you will be able to develop your business using the tools prepared by ING, such as the mobile application, online accounting, online store with imoje payments. Of course, the bank also offers credit products, rental and payment terminals.

For novice entrepreneurs, the Bank has prepared several guides on, among other things, setting up a company, creating a business plan, running an online store or using European funds that are published on a special website. ING also suggests what to do after registering a company, for example filing a VAT return, reporting to ZUS / KRUS as an insured person, obtaining permits and licenses (if necessary).

Online company formation in PKO BP . Bank

The prerequisite is that you have a personal account at PKO BP with access to iPKO’s Internet banking or the IKO mobile application. In iPKO, in the customer profile (top right), there is the option to open a company account , and just above it, create a company . If you do not have a trusted profile yet, you will be redirected to a short request.

This bank offers entrepreneurs a PKO Corporate account:

On the bank’s website you will find instructions on the information that will be asked of you in the application. If you are in doubt and need help, you can seek support from a counsellor. To do this, click on the blue receiver icon in the lower right corner and enter the contact’s phone number.

In the following steps, you choose the account that best suits your company’s needs, decide whether to order a card for the account, use overdrafts and SMS notifications, and then enter the company’s data being set up. Probably the most difficult moment is using the PKD code search engine, specifically the one that corresponds to your main activity.

Upon completion of the application, you can choose additional services that facilitate business management offered by PKO BP.

In a PKO BP, it is possible to stop completing an order and terminate it later. The saved data will be available on the iPKO service in the My Cases section .

After submitting the application, you will be asked to read its content and the prepared contract, and then accept it via SMS authorization message. After completing the procedures, the documents will be sent to CEIDG. You will receive a message about creating a company and information about the business account created in a text message and to an email address.

Create an Online Company in Pekao SA

The bank advertises on its website that it takes 10 to 15 minutes to complete the application to start a business in its electronic banking, and there are helpful hints at every stage. The publicly accessible part only contains advice about information about the supposed activity that should be set up (eg, company name, contact details, activity type, public key directory codes).

To create a business with Pekao, it is necessary to have a personal account with access to electronic banking services at this bank. Thanks to this, it is possible to use a trusted profile that is necessary to confirm the application with CEIDG.

Konto Przekorzystne Biznes parameters are presented below:

Online company formation Allure Bank

Allure Bank does not enable the establishment of a business in its electronic banking services and has not prepared any guides for future entrepreneurs. Only after creating the company and giving it a tax identification number (NIP), you can create your profile on zafirmowani.pl and use its capabilities. They include, among others, free online accounting, a virtual business card, discounts offered by the portal’s partners, and articles on business management created by experts collaborating with the site.

Online company formation Millennium Bank

Millennium Bank has not yet implemented the possibility of establishing a business with its help. On the website of this financial institution you will find information only about the offer made to entrepreneurs (such as financing, leasing, factoring, payment terminals) and related to the daily use of electronic banking services (for example, regarding the rules for making transfers, creating standing orders, direct debit or payments and payments).

Offers from other banks

In other banks, it is also not possible to create a business with a corporate account. Sometimes it happens that novice entrepreneurs rely on leasing from the very beginning of the company’s existence or financing to start a business. However, the offer is often limited to payment terminals or support advisors. Only after a certain period of time the company has been in the market (usually at least 12 months), banks are more willing to cooperate with entrepreneurs in a broader scope than simply keeping a company account for them.

How long does it take to start an online business?

Let us clarify that the process consists of two stages – filling out the necessary application and processing the data sent by CEIDG. How long the first will be depends on you, how careful you are to prepare for it by answering the questions at the beginning of the article, and how efficiently you enter the data. The second part is based on the number of applications for setting up a business that is currently being processed by CEIDG.

It takes several minutes to fill out an application, which is then processed from several to tens of hours at CEIDG. It is a process independent of the bank, which automatically opens the company account after receiving the company registration data from CEIDG. Generally, starting an online sole proprietorship should take no more than 2-3 days for a future entrepreneur.

Then, you’ll be left with the possibility of:

• Submit a ZZA form to ZUS (applicable to a health insurance application for a person subject to this insurance only, eg already working full-time);
• VAT-R form at the tax office (only applies to people who must/want to be a VAT taxpayer).

If your application to CEIDG for business registration is denied, you will receive a letter with explanations. If you find that it is not enough, use the instructions on the Ministry of Development website . At the bank, you will only receive information about access to electronic banking, a specific corporate account.

It is not possible to resume / suspend / close the activity, as well as change its scope, through the bank. You can only carry out this type of procedure on the website biznes.gov.pl .

Setting up a company by the bank – is it a good idea?

Yes for sure, because in one fell swoop you will do two things: start a business and open a business account that is required to run it. If you open a business online, but not through a bank, you will have to open a bank account in a separate process, and then enter its number in CEIDG. So why waste your time on it, it is much better to start a business account when setting up a company, especially since you can often get a bonus from the bank.

It is true that there is no formal requirement for every company to have a dedicated account, but regulations in place in many cases mandate separation between personal and corporate finances, in order to make it difficult to participate in tax machinations. It is worth mentioning here the white list of VAT taxpayers and the split payment mechanism .

The above list is an electronic list of operating business entities, along with information about the status of the VAT taxpayer and their bank account numbers . Transactions with a value exceeding PLN 15,000 PLN transferred to accounts not included in the white list of VAT taxpayers cannot be included in the costs of running a business. Moreover, making a payment to an off-list account, regardless of the amount, implies the joint and several liability of the supplier for the contractor’s non-payment of VAT.

Splitting the payment mechanism , the so-called split payment , which applies to companies of specific industries, means that the bank of the recipient of the transfer divides it into the “principal amount” (net amount), which goes to the company’s account and the value-added tax, which is transferred to a special account.

In short, having a corporate account is beneficial, appears to your company as a reliable partner and little by little becomes necessary for effective work.

Rewards for a good start to cooperation

Saving time (registering a company and opening a business account in one fell swoop) and nerves (you don’t have to walk anywhere, stand in queues) are not the only profits you will get when you decide to start a business with a bank. Often you can get a good start on cooperation with cash rewards, get a bank account for a free period of time, a package of services on promotional terms or a refund for active use of the card. It all depends on the generosity and creativity of the organizers of the currently available promotions.

When setting up a company, it is often required that you have a personal account with a particular bank. Don’t treat it as a nuisance, but as an opportunity to get a reward for setting up a ROR or other rewards for individual customers.

There are no obstacles for you to participate in the occasional marketing activities, there are rewards for access to a payment terminal, rental, loan or insurance product or the chance to win an attractive prize in a contest.

Take a look at our business account rating to see what different banks offer to entrepreneurs, and what bonuses are set up for them in individual institutions.

Useful services in daily activities

When you think about starting a business, you can probably assume that it will last for many years. Therefore, perhaps rewards for establishing cooperation with the bank are a nice gesture, but most of all you are interested in how the bank can help you in your day-to-day work.

Loans, leasing, currency exchange or bank guarantees are things without which it is difficult to imagine modern banking, so they are offered by almost every bank.

Therefore, it is worth paying attention to less well-known services that are very useful on a daily basis, such as factoring, the possibility of using bank funds to pay a bid guarantee at public tenders or assistance from a financial institution in collecting debts.

Starting an online business is not difficult

Perhaps you feel overwhelmed by the size of the text, and the multitude of different information. Note, however, that a lot of the content is tied to the questions you need to answer when planning to start a business.

Once these dilemmas are resolved, you need to choose the company account that you consider most suitable for your type of business and check that the bank offering it allows you to set up an online company.

If so, you will have to fill out the application and enter the data that will automatically allow you to run a company account for your business. It will take very few minutes. You will be able to spend the time saved in this way planning promotional activities. good luck!