Unregistered Activity – The Perfect Start for an Online Creator? Everything You Need to Know

If you want to start earning as a creator but don’t want to immediately dive into paperwork, social security, and tax numbers – unregistered activity is exactly what you’re looking for. It’s a legal way to test whether your idea makes sense. Without starting a company, without monthly contributions, without the stress of a “big launch.” Read on to find out how unregistered activity works step by step – what is allowed, what is better to avoid, how to invoice a client, what about taxes, and when you exceed the limit. It’s an ideal option for those who want to start earning “seriously” but casually.

Unregistered activity, a legal business test – without social security, without a company, without stress

Unregistered activity (also known as non-evidenced) is an official, legal form of operating without starting a business. You don’t have to register with the Central Registration and Information on Business (CEIDG), you don’t have to pay social security, you don’t need a tax number or REGON. And yet – you can sell, issue invoices, make money.

What do you need to meet to take advantage of it?

• Your monthly income cannot exceed 75% of the gross minimum wage (which in 2025 is 3499.50 PLN).
  
• You have not run a business for the past 60 months.
  
• What you do does not require a concession or entry in the register of regulated activities.
  

This is the perfect form if you want to sell e-books, share affiliate links, collaborate with brands, or manage paid consultations. The only thing you need to do is keep a simplified sales record (i.e., note what and to whom you sold) and settle your taxes once a year.

Thanks to this, you can focus on building your brand, testing subjects, and finding out what works – without the risk of falling into a bureaucratic and financial whirlwind.

Limit of 3499.50 PLN monthly – when does unregistered activity stop being “a trial”?

This limit is your best friend… and foe. For as long as you earn up to 3499.50 PLN gross per month (which is 75% of the minimum wage in 2025), everything works smoothly. But exceed it by just one zloty – and suddenly you need to start a business, preferably from the day of exceeding. And then social security is already waiting.

What do you need to know?

• Gross income counts – which means the total amount on the issued invoice, even if the client hasn’t paid.
  
• Barter can also be counted as income if you have a real value for it (e.g., a product worth 500 PLN for an advertisement).
  
• The limit applies to each month separately – you cannot “carry over” the surplus to the next.
  
• If you exceed it – you need to establish a business, preferably immediately.
  

For many creators, this is a natural moment to transition to “a company” – but if you are just starting out and, for instance, issue one invoice per month for 1500 PLN, you can calmly operate without any registration. You just need to regularly check the sum and not sign a contract, e.g., for 4000 PLN “blindly.” Because then the Tax Office and social security might take an interest.

Unregistered activity and social security – a paradise for creators or a minefield?

In theory – you do not pay any contributions. In practice – it depends on whom you collaborate with. Unregistered activity is exempt from social security, but if you start combining it, e.g., with a contract for specific work, the situation becomes more complex.

A few things worth knowing:

• you do not have to pay social security from unregistered activity – that’s a huge plus,
  
• if you have another basis for insurance (e.g., employment, studies), you are “insured” and can operate without worries,
  
• If you sign a contract for specific work – social security may appear because the client must pay contributions,
  
• If you want full control – issue invoices instead of contracts for specific work.
  

The solution? Many creators simply avoid contracts and invoice everything “from unregistered activity” – even if it’s just a PDF with a logo and a table. The client pays, you receive the transfer, there is no social security. Legally, simply, without complications. And if you start earning regularly above the limit – you just smoothly transition to a business.

How to issue invoices without a company? Influencers, it really works!

Yes – you can issue invoices without a company. More specifically: bills that perform the same function in the eyes of your client. And no, you don’t need a tax number, REGON, or a business account. Just your name, surname, address, and a few simple details.

What should such a bill include?

• Your personal information (name, surname, residential address).
  
• Customer details (e.g., brand, agency, store).
  
• Name of service or product (e.g., “product review on Instagram,” “sale of an e-book”).
  
• Gross amount.
  
• Date of issue and payment deadline.
  
• Legal basis – e.g., “Sales under unregistered activity, according to Article 5(1) of the Act – Law of Entrepreneurs.”
  

You can generate such a document in Word, Excel, or even online (there are free invoice generators). If the client asks for a VAT number, write that you are operating under unregistered activity and are not obliged to have it. Most agencies understand this.

Importantly,the client can normally expense such an invoice. And you have order in your paperwork and a clear tax situation. Win–win.

E-books, collaborations, courses – what (and how) you can sell without starting a business

You don’t need a company to sell digital products, receive payments for collaborations, or conduct consultations. All this can be managed legally with unregistered activity. The condition? You stick to the limit and do it in a repetitive but not mass way.

What can you sell without a business?

• E-books, PDFs, checklists, templates – everything you create yourself and deliver electronically.
  
• Online consultations, workshops, mentoring – if you account for it as a service, not a contract.
  
• Brand collaborations – reviews, sponsored posts, placements.
  
• Simple physical products (e.g., handicrafts) – but without mass sales and without a cash register (unless the client requests it).
  

What should be avoided?

• Dropshipping (due to VAT and complicated logistics).
  
• Sales brokerage.
  
• Products requiring a license (e.g., dietary supplements).
  

If you want to make managing the topic easier, you can set up a space in RefSpace and promote partners’ products – and settle earnings unregistered (up to a certain limit).Everything goes through the system, you have revenue insight, no stress.

FAQ

Can I issue invoices without a company and without a VAT number?

Yes. Under unregistered activity, you issue a so-called simplified invoice (instead of a VAT invoice). You don’t need a VAT number, you provide your data as an individual. The client/agency can expense it.

Do I need a cash register if I operate unregistered?

No, as long as you sell remotely (e.g., online) and there’s no obligation to issue a “physical” receipt. E-book, course, consultation – everything happens online, so a cash register is not required.

Can I operate unregistered and be employed full-time?

Yes. Full-time employment does not exclude unregistered activity. It’s even a plus – because you have insurance and can calmly test your projects without social insurance.

Is unregistered activity profitable?

Very much – if you are just starting, want to test something, and your income does not exceed PLN 3,499.50 gross per month. It’s the cheapest and simplest way to start.

What if I exceed the income limit?

You must start a business – preferably from the day you exceed the limit. Otherwise, you may have problems with the tax office and social insurance. Therefore, it’s worth regularly monitoring income and not leaving it until the last minute.

Can I run an online store as unregistered activity?

Only to a very limited extent. If you are selling handmade goods or simple physical products on a small scale, that’s fine. But if you have dropshipping, mass sales, or card payments – then it might require a business and a cash register.