Bulgaria: New amendments in the Corporate Income Tax Law

International Tax Review is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Garden, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2025

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

Bulgaria: New amendments in the Corporate Income Tax Law

pechilkova.jpg

Donka Pechilkova

Some new amendments in the Corporate Income Tax Law in Bulgaria have been approved by the Bulgarian National Assembly, and entered into force on January 1 2013. One of the most significant amendments concerns the advance payments for corporate income tax, such as: The method of calculation; the range of tax obliged entities; the criteria for assignment of the base on a monthly or three months basis; the declaration and payment of the advance payments.

The amendments related to the method of calculation of the advanced payments prescribes that the base for the calculation will be the forecast tax profit that the entities expect to realise in the current tax year. The tax result from the previous year will not be a factor as it used to be until 2012. In this way the correction coefficient, regulated in previous years had been dropped off. If the final corporate income tax obligation increases by 20% from the amount of the paid advances during the year, a penalty interest in accordance with the Law on Tax Interest is applicable for the period from April 16 until December 31. In addition, all entities have the right to submit a Declaration for increase/decrease of the advanced payments.

The exemption for the corporate income tax advance payment remains for the new established entities, as it was, but also stays for companies that had less than BGN300,000 ($204,000) net income in the previous year (it was BGN200,000 until now).

According to the amendments to the criteria for determination of the type of the advanced payments, on monthly or three months basis: If the net incomes of the entity are at the range of BGN300,000 to BGN3 million, the payments should be executed on three months basis; for higher than BGN3 million, companies are obliged to proceed with monthly advanced payments.

Regarding the declaration, the amendments say that the declaration of the advanced payments should be done along with the submission of the annual tax form for the previous year. The payments should be done as follows: For three months payments-not later than the 15th of the month following the quarter that they are related for. There is no advance payment for the last quarter of the year. For entities that are obliged to pay on a monthly basis the term for the first three months is 15th April and respectively for the other months 15th of the following month.

The aim of the amendments is to facilitate the whole process of calculation, accrual and execution of the advanced payments for the companies, as well as to increase the collection of this tax.

Donka Pechilkova (donka.pechilkova@eurofast.eu)

Eurofast Global, Sofia Office, Bulgaria

Tel: +359 2 988 69 78

Website: www.eurofast.eu

more across site & shared bottom lb ros

More from across our site

The report is solid and balanced as it correctly underscores the ambitious institutional redesign that Brazil has undertaken in adopting a dual VAT model, experts tell ITR
The Brazilian law firm partner warns against going independent too early, considers the weight of political pressure, and tells ITR what makes tax cool
The lessons from Ireland are clear: selective, targeted, and credible fiscal incentives can unlock supply and investment
The ITR in-house award winner delves into his dramatic novelisation of tax transformation, and declares that 'tax doesn’t need AI right now'
Recent news of job cuts at EY is symptomatic of how the PwC controversy has tarnished the reputation of the entire ‘big four’
Experts reportedly discussed extending the safe harbour to 2027 to give countries more time to legislate; in other news, Baker McKenzie and Greenberg Traurig made senior tax hires
Awards
Submit your nominations to this year's WIBL Americas Awards by January 23
Recent changes in UK tax rules and cross-border requirements are generating high demand for specialist advice, according to MHA
Hany Elnaggar examines how Gulf Cooperation Council countries are internalising transfer pricing norms within evolving fiscal systems shaped by both Islamic and international influences
Where a TP study of comparables produces an arm’s-length range, and the taxpayer’s filed position is outside that range, HMRC will adjust to the median by default
Gift this article