AbstractPolarizabilities of shallow donors and acceptors in finite‐barrier GaAs/Ga1−xAlxAs quantum wells are calculated using Hasse's variational method within the effective mass approximation. The effect of spatially dependent screening on polarizabilities is taken into account with an r‐dependent dielectric response. It is shown that spatially dependent screening effects can be more important for acceptors than for donors in GaAs/Ga1−xAlxAs quantum wells. The effects of electric and magnetic fields on binding energy are also