Bulgaria is a low-tax, EU member state whose compliance calendar is easy to describe and easy to mix up. The annual corporate income tax return and the annual financial statements are separate filings with separate authorities and separate dates. The tax return goes to the National Revenue Agency (NRA), and the financial statements go to the Commercial Register run by the Registry Agency. Since 1 January 2026 Bulgaria has also used the euro, so filings and fines are expressed in euros.

This guide covers the single-member limited liability company (EOOD) and the multi-member company (OOD), the usual vehicles for foreign-owned subsidiaries, and notes where the joint-stock company (AD) differs. It is written for founders and for legal, finance and operations teams.

Updated November 9, 2026. The dates below are the usual pattern for a calendar-year company, and professional sources note that some current dates came from earlier temporary measures that later became permanent, so confirm them with the NRA and the Registry Agency.

Entity compliance Bulgaria: the quick answer

• File the annual corporate income tax return with the NRA between 1 March and 30 June and pay the tax by 30 June.

• Adopt the annual financial statements at the shareholders' meeting, normally by 30 June, and publish them in the Commercial Register by 30 September.

• File a no-activity declaration by 30 June if the company had no activity, which replaces the financial statements.

• File monthly VAT returns, payroll and social security declarations, and withholding returns for dividends.

What determines a Bulgarian company's compliance requirements?

Legal form, size and activity decide the work. The EOOD and OOD are the standard forms for operating subsidiaries, and the AD is used for larger or regulated businesses. Size categories under the Accountancy Act decide which financial statements are needed and whether an independent audit is required. A company with no activity during the year may use the inactivity route instead of full statements.

Owner-managers should also separate company obligations from personal ones. The company files corporate returns, while the owner-manager, as a self-insured person, files personal declarations and pays social security. Foreign shareholders who are not residents deal mainly with the company-level calendar.

Annual entity requirements in Bulgaria: the core checklist

1. Annual corporate income tax return

The annual return under the Corporate Income Tax Act is filed electronically between 1 March and 30 June of the year after the tax year, and the tax is paid by 30 June. Professional sources emphasize that 30 June replaced the older 31 March date and that many owners still confuse the two. The return is filed through the NRA portal with a qualified electronic signature, and the annual activity report for the National Statistical Institute goes with it. The corporate tax rate is 10 percent. Companies above a revenue threshold pay quarterly advances, and professional sources give the thresholds in euros.

Filing early can bring a discount in some cases, according to professional sources, so ask your accountant whether the company qualifies.

2. Annual financial statements

Companies prepare annual financial statements under the Accountancy Act and adopt them at the shareholders' meeting. Professional sources give 30 June as the usual adoption date and 30 September as the date for publication in the Commercial Register, and note that the publication date was moved from 30 June by a measure that has become permanent. Filing is free of charge. Failure to publish leads to fines for the manager that professional sources put between EUR 102 and EUR 1,534, and to fines for the company, with higher amounts for repeat breaches.

3. No-activity declaration

A company with no revenue, expenses or transactions during the year may file a no-activity declaration with the Commercial Register and the statistical institute by 30 June. Professional sources say it replaces the financial statements, that the penalty for missing it is around EUR 500, and that an inactive company should still consider a nil corporate tax return. Confirm the exact conditions before relying on it.

4. Shareholders' meeting and books

The shareholders approve the accounts, decide on profit distribution and discharge the manager. Keep the minutes, the register of shareholders and the accounting records, and keep invoices and supporting documents for the statutory retention periods. Bulgarian accounting follows national standards or IFRS depending on the company.

5. Beneficial owners and registry updates

Bulgarian companies record beneficial owner information through the Commercial Register, and changes of managers, capital or address are filed with the Registry Agency. Check the current procedure for beneficial owner declarations with a local adviser, because the rules for access and updates have changed over time.

Tax and indirect tax obligations

The standard VAT rate is 20 percent, and monthly VAT returns and the VAT ledgers are due by the 14th of the following month. Dividends distributed to shareholders are subject to withholding tax, and professional sources describe a combined corporate and dividend burden of about 15 percent for owners. Treaty or EU rules can reduce withholding for foreign parents when conditions are met, so keep residency certificates.

Payments to non-residents for services, royalties and interest can attract withholding. Transfer pricing rules require arm's-length terms for related-party transactions, and larger groups prepare documentation. Entertainment and in-kind benefits are taxed through a separate expense tax declared in the annual return.

Foreign-owned subsidiaries

Bulgaria allows foreign ownership of companies without a local partner. A foreign shareholder needs a tax number, and corporate shareholders provide documents from their home registry, apostilled and translated. The company needs at least one manager and a registered address in Bulgaria, and the manager need not be Bulgarian, though a resident manager simplifies banking and tax contact.

Banks apply due diligence to foreign-owned accounts. Intercompany loans and services need contracts and pricing support, and the thin capitalization and interest limitation rules can restrict deductions.

First-year and event-triggered obligations

In the first year, the company is registered in the Commercial Register, receives its unique identification code, registers for VAT if it passes the threshold or chooses to, registers employees with the NRA and registers with the statistical institute as needed. The first financial statements cover the period from registration to year-end, and professional sources describe partial statements for the first incomplete year.

Events that trigger filings include a change of manager, a transfer of shares, a capital change, a change of address, a merger and a liquidation. Each needs an application to the Commercial Register, and most also need an update for tax purposes.

Employment and local requirements

Bulgarian employers register employment contracts with the NRA, pay social security and health contributions, and withhold personal income tax. Employees have rights to paid annual leave of at least 20 working days, notice periods set by the Labour Code, and mandatory occupational health arrangements. Written contracts are required before work starts. Many foreign-owned subsidiaries use a local payroll provider.

Build a compliance calendar for Bulgaria

A compliance calendar turns the rules above into dated tasks with named owners. Start from the financial year-end and the incorporation anniversary, then add the recurring monthly and quarterly items. Review it each quarter, because deadlines, extensions and registry systems change.

• January to March: close the books and prepare the financial statements.

• 1 March to 30 June: file the annual corporate income tax return and pay the tax.

• By 30 June: adopt the financial statements, or file the no-activity declaration.

• By 30 September: publish the financial statements in the Commercial Register.

• Monthly: VAT returns by the 14th, payroll and social security declarations.

• Quarterly: advance corporate tax payments if applicable, and dividend withholding returns.

Common mistakes

• Using the old 31 March date for the corporate tax return.

• Assuming the tax return also satisfies the Commercial Register filing.

• Not filing a no-activity declaration for a dormant company.

• Missing the dividend withholding return after a distribution.

• Letting managers or capital change without a registry update.

• Forgetting that fines are now in euros.

Entity compliance Bulgaria: frequently asked questions

When is the Bulgarian corporate tax return due?

Between 1 March and 30 June of the following year, with the tax paid by 30 June.

When must annual financial statements be published?

By 30 September in the Commercial Register, according to professional sources, with adoption by the shareholders by 30 June.

What is the corporate income tax rate?

10 percent.

What is a no-activity declaration?

A declaration for companies with no activity during the year, filed by 30 June, which professional sources say replaces the financial statements.

What is the standard VAT rate?

20 percent, with monthly returns due by the 14th of the following month.

Is a local manager required?

A company needs at least one manager and a registered address in Bulgaria, and the manager need not be Bulgarian.

How CoverPin can help

CoverPin helps finance, legal and operations teams track entity obligations across countries. See our international entities overview, learn about compliance advisory, or browse more guides in our legal and compliance resources.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or accounting advice. Confirm current requirements with the relevant authority or a qualified local adviser before acting.