Who we help
Personal Tax and Accounting for Expats in Sofia
Bulgaria taxes personal income at a flat 10%, which is why a lot of people move here. The complication is rarely the Bulgarian tax itself — it is proving to your previous country that you genuinely left, and knowing what Bulgaria expects you to declare once you have arrived.
What usually goes wrong
Your old country has not let go
Tax residency does not end when you board the plane. It turns on days present, your permanent home, family location and centre of vital interests. Several countries apply exit rules or continue to treat you as resident for a period after departure.
Bulgarian residents declare worldwide income
Once you are Bulgarian tax resident, your foreign income is reportable here — including dividends, capital gains, rental income and crypto disposals. Treaty relief prevents double taxation, but only if it is claimed on a filed return.
The annual return deadline is not the same as elsewhere
The personal income tax return runs on a fixed spring schedule with an electronic filing discount for early submission. It catches new arrivals who assumed the calendar matched their home country.
Establishing Bulgarian tax residency properly
You are generally Bulgarian tax resident if you spend more than 183 days here in any twelve-month period, or if your centre of vital interests is in Bulgaria — which considers family, property, employment and economic ties rather than day count alone.
We help you document this deliberately: residence registration, lease or property records, day counts, and a tax residency certificate from the Bulgarian authorities. That certificate is what your former country will ask for, and it is far easier to obtain contemporaneously than to reconstruct three years later.
What we file for you
The annual personal income tax return, covering Bulgarian and foreign income with treaty relief applied where available. Where you have investment income, rental property abroad or crypto activity, we set out the treatment before the year ends rather than after.
If you are self-employed or a company manager here, we also handle your social security registration and the annual reconciliation of contributions.
Services you are most likely to need
Corporate tax
Annual returns, advance instalments and planning around the 10% flat corporate rate.
Payroll
Employment contracts, monthly declarations, contributions and payslips — fully compliant.
Accounting & bookkeeping
Monthly bookkeeping, ledgers and statutory reporting — handled in English, on a fixed fee.
Frequently asked questions
When do I become a tax resident of Bulgaria?
Generally after more than 183 days of presence in any twelve-month period, or when your centre of vital interests — family, home, main economic ties — is located in Bulgaria. The two tests are independent, and the second can apply with fewer days.
Do I have to declare foreign income in Bulgaria?
If you are Bulgarian tax resident, yes — worldwide income is reportable, including foreign dividends, capital gains, rental income and crypto disposals. Double tax treaties usually prevent you being taxed twice, but relief must be claimed on the return.
Is personal income tax in Bulgaria really 10%?
Yes, a flat 10% with no progressive brackets. Social security and health insurance contributions are separate and are the larger cost for most self-employed people.
Can you get me a Bulgarian tax residency certificate?
Yes. We apply on your behalf once the substantive conditions are met and the supporting documentation is in place. Your previous country will typically require this certificate to accept that you have moved.
Free consultation
Not sure what your company actually owes?
Book a free 30-minute call. We will look at your situation, tell you what is required and what it costs. No obligation, and no pitch if you do not need us.
30 minutes · English and Bulgarian spoken · no obligation