Equipping remote employees in Poland

Options: buy, lease or ship

You can get a laptop and accessories to someone working from home in Poland in three ways. They differ in cost, paperwork and how much of the work lands on your team.

Buy locally and deliver to the employee

For most foreign companies this is the shortest route. The equipment is bought in Poland, invoiced with Polish VAT and delivered to the employee's address. Nothing crosses a border. Polish plugs and the Polish programmer keyboard come as standard. The device is bought in the country where it is used, so warranty claims go through the manufacturer's local service. In-stock items ordered by 4 pm on a business day are delivered in Poland the next business day. Other items have their lead time in the quote.

The entity on the invoice matters. A Polish subsidiary deducts VAT in its normal return. A foreign company without a Polish entity pays Polish VAT. If it is established in the EU, it can usually reclaim that VAT through the refund procedure in its own country. Our guide to buying IT equipment in Poland explains both cases.

Lease through a leasing company

In a lease, a leasing company buys the equipment and your company pays monthly instalments for the contract period. Polish leasing companies usually work with businesses registered in Poland. That makes leasing a fit for groups with a Polish entity, less so for a foreign parent hiring through an EOR. If you are considering it, mention it in your request. Terms are presented in the quote, and the leasing company makes the financing decision.

Ship from your own stock

A spare laptop from another office looks free. It rarely is. From outside the EU, for example from the UK or the US, the parcel goes through customs. Laptops usually carry no customs duty in the EU, but import VAT and clearance still apply, and the courier may ask the employee to pay before handing the parcel over. Inside the EU there are no customs. Moving company-owned goods to another member state can still have VAT reporting consequences for the owner, so ask your tax advisor first. And because laptops contain lithium-ion batteries, check the courier's rules before you ship.

How to send a laptop to an employee in Poland

Most failed deliveries come down to a missing flat number or a phone that nobody answers. Collect these details for every employee before you order.

Ask the employee to be home on the delivery day and to check the parcel in front of the courier. With a fixed start date, plan the order so the equipment arrives a few days early. Your IT team needs that time for accounts.

EOR equipment in Poland: what to agree with your employer of record

With an EOR provider such as Deel or Remote, the EOR is the legal employer and your company is the client. Equipment sits between three parties, and things fall through the gaps when nobody writes down who does what. Agree these points before the first hire.

• Who buys. Your company buys and owns the equipment, the EOR buys it and recharges you, or the employee buys it and gets reimbursed. Each route has a different invoice, owner and return process.
• Who owns. The owner keeps the device in its asset register, insures it and has the right to recover it. Write the owner's name into the equipment policy.
• Labour law duties. Under the remote work rules in the Polish Labour Code, in force since April 2023, the employer provides the materials and tools needed for regular remote work and covers related costs, or agrees with the employee on a cash allowance for using their own equipment. With an EOR, the employer is the EOR, so check how your agreement passes this duty to you.
• Allowances and taxes. The tax treatment of allowances, and of devices an employee keeps after leaving, should be confirmed with your payroll provider or tax advisor.
• Data protection. Devices hold company and personal data. Decide who manages them remotely, who can lock or wipe them and how this is explained to the employee.

Companies use an EOR because it lets them hire before setting up a Polish entity. For equipment, the simplest pattern is the same as for any remote hire. Your company buys from a local supplier, has it delivered to the employee's home and records the device against the employee's name.

Standard kits by role

Fix one kit per role and reorder it each time. IT supports fewer models. New hires get the same setup as the people they sit next to on calls.

The table is a starting point. Processor, storage and operating system are for your IT team to decide. Laptop series for these roles are on our business laptops page. Ready-made Office, Developer and Creative kits for new hires are described under employee onboarding.

Setup and security for remote devices

Equipment ships in factory configuration. Your IT team or IT provider prepares accounts, device management and software, usually remotely once the employee first starts the laptop. Plan for the following.

• enrolment in your device management tool at first start;
• disk encryption and multi-factor authentication from day one;
• a clear way for the employee to get help if the first login fails.

Returns and offboarding

This is general guidance for whoever organises the return, your company or your EOR. Offboarding goes better when the rules were set at onboarding.

Late returns cause most of the delays. Agree a return date in the termination paperwork and send the packaging early.

Warranty for devices at home

A laptop in an employee's home is repaired by the manufacturer's service, the same as one in an office. Technocenter sells extended manufacturer warranties. With an on-site option, a technician comes to the employee and the laptop does not have to be sent away. Availability depends on the manufacturer's programme and the country, so check it before you order.

Next step

Put each employee on one line: kit, delivery address, country and the date the equipment is needed. The quote comes back in English, with prices and lead times per item.