Is dropshipping legal in Poland? Check before you open a store!

The legality of dropshipping is a topic that keeps resurfacing, especially among those new to e-commerce. On one hand, you hear that “it’s a great way to sell without a company and without risk,” and on the other, you start to wonder if everything is within the legal boundaries. And rightly so. The truth is, dropshipping sales in Poland are legal, but – as always – the devil is in the details. It’s not enough to just set up a shop and “go with the advertising.” You need to know what dropshipping entails in practice, when you need to register a business, and what responsibilities fall on your shoulders.

Legal or on the edge? What is the real issue of dropshipping legality in Poland?

Let’s start with the basics: yes, dropshipping is legal in Poland. It’s a normal form of sales, just based on a different logic than classic e-commerce. You don’t store the goods, you don’t ship them yourself – the wholesaler does that, and you are responsible for the shop, customer service, and promotion. This arrangement, i.e., direct sales from the wholesaler, is within the bounds of Polish law, as long as you operate in accordance with the regulations.

The problem starts when someone assumes that since it’s “just passing on orders,” they don’t need to worry about formalities. And that’s a mistake. Because even if you don’t have physical contact with the goods, you are still conducting sales in the dropshipping model and subject to the same obligations as any entrepreneur. In short: legally? Yes. Without obligations? No.

Dropshipping and the law. When do you need to register a business? The income threshold that changes everything

Not every online sale immediately requires starting a company. But if you plan to operate longer and more systematically, the matter is simple: at some point, you will need to register a business. The Polish legislator considers any activity that is profit-oriented, continuous, and organized as a business. And this perfectly fits dropshipping – because you’re not conducting a one-time experiment; you’re creating a shop, promoting it, gathering orders, and planning to earn money from it. Of course, at the very beginning, you can operate as an unregistered activity if your monthly revenues do not exceed 75% of the minimum wage (which is 3499.50 PLN in 2025). But this limit is very easy to exceed – even with a few orders. If you take it seriously and plan to develop dropshipping sales, prepare for the fact that business registration is not “maybe someday,” but “rather sooner than later.”

The legality of dropshipping and taxes, ZUS, and CEIDG. What do you need to sort out before you start selling?

Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts here. If you want to operate legally, you need to handle several formalities. First: registering a business in CEIDG. It’s free and not as scary as it seems – but you need to know what to enter in the fields. Second: choosing a form of taxation. Most beginners choose a flat rate (8.5% or 3% depending on the type of activity), but it’s worth consulting with an accountant. Third: ZUS contributions. Initially, you can take advantage of a relief – for the first six months, you pay nothing, and for the next two years, you have lower contributions. Also, remember that even in dropshipping, you are subject to taxes – regardless of whether you sell the product from Poland or abroad. The dropshipping model does not exempt you from tax responsibility. And even if you use a foreign wholesaler, you need to know how to account for revenues, whether to include VAT, and how to handle the customer in the context of consumer law.

Returns, complaints, and personal data – the obligations of a dropshipper towards the customer

The fact that you don’t send packages yourself doesn’t mean you have no obligations towards customers. Quite the contrary. From the consumer’s perspective, you are the seller, not the wholesaler. And it is you the customer will contact if the shipment is lost, the product turns out to be defective, or does not meet expectations. You have an obligation to respect the right to withdraw from the contract within 14 days, you must clearly inform about the terms of returns and respond to complaints. Furthermore – in accordance with GDPR – you process personal data, so you must have a privacy policy, store regulations, and secure user data. Selling in the dropshipping model means you are simply the “face” of the whole process. And even if the wholesaler fails, the customer holds you accountable. If you don’t include this in your action plan – instead of earning, you’ll be dealing with dissatisfied customers and legal issues.

Contracts with suppliers – are they worth having and what should they include?

A formal contract with a wholesaler is something beginner dropshippers often forget about. And that’s a big mistake. Because if you base your entire business on cooperation with one supplier, you need to know where you stand. What if the product suddenly disappears from the offer? What if the wholesaler doesn’t fulfill the order or sends goods that don’t match the description? The contract doesn’t have to be extensive – it’s about establishing who is responsible for what, what are the delivery times, and how returns and complaints are handled. In many cases, wholesalers have ready-made contract templates – but it’s worth thoroughly analyzing them or even consulting with a lawyer. This way, you gain the assurance that dropshipping sales won’t be based solely on “trust in word.” Because if something goes wrong, it’s better to have documents in hand than just a chat history with a wholesaler representative.