Plans to implement a flat rate for personal income, corporate income and value-added tax, as proposed by lead opposition party Civic Platform (PO), are feasible at a level slightly higher than the 15% proposed by the party, current deputy Finance Minister Jaroslaw Neneman told a radio audience Tuesday.

"We made such estimations some time ago," Neneman said in an interview for Radio PiN. "Tax receipts levels would be sufficient with flat tax rate a little above 15%."

"It could be 15.5-16%," he added.

PO officials have said that its shift to a "3x15" tax system would be accompanied by the elimination of all current tax breaks and would bring the nation's farmers into the system.

While the PO's tax proposals seem realistic to the deputy FinMin, tax proposals from the conservative party PiS, a likely coalition partner for PO, don't add up.

PiS has proposed two PIT levels of 18% and 32% (heading for 18% and 28%) with family tax breaks and preferential VAT rates.

"We cannot forget about preferential VAT rates," Neneman said. "They just wouldn't make the budget ends meet."

Poland is slated for parliamentary elections in late September which will in all probability reome the the leftist SLD-government from power and replace it with a coalition government led by PO and PiS. The latest polls have consistently shown those two parties capable of forming a solid majority.

Unfortunately, PiS is bitterly opposed to the PO's flat tax plan and much debate will occur in the coming months over tax policy.