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SAF-T Reporting in Bulgaria
SAF-T — the Standard Audit File for Tax — requires companies to submit their accounting data to the tax authority in a prescribed structured format. Bulgaria is introducing it in phases, beginning with the largest taxpayers and widening over the following years. It is the single biggest change to Bulgarian accounting practice in a decade.
What SAF-T changes
Until now, the National Revenue Agency saw summary declarations. Under SAF-T it receives the underlying detail: your chart of accounts, general ledger entries, customer and supplier master data, invoices, payments and, where relevant, inventory and fixed assets.
The practical consequence is that inconsistencies which used to surface only during an audit now surface automatically. A supplier who did not declare your invoice, a VAT code applied inconsistently, a ledger that does not reconcile to the declarations you filed — all of it becomes visible without anyone visiting your office.
Who is in scope, and when
The rollout is staged by company size, starting with large enterprises and extending progressively to medium and smaller taxpayers. There is generally a grace period at the start of each phase during which corrections can be made without penalty.
Because the scope thresholds and phase dates have moved during the legislative process, the honest answer for any specific company is: we check your figures against the current schedule. If you are close to a threshold, you should assume you will be in scope one phase earlier than you would like.
Getting ready is a data problem, not a filing problem
Submitting SAF-T is mechanical once your data is right. The work is in the year before: a chart of accounts mapped to the required structure, complete counterparty master data with valid tax identifiers, consistent VAT coding, and a ledger that actually reconciles to what you already filed.
Companies whose books were kept loosely will find this uncomfortable, because SAF-T exposes historical inconsistency rather than just current-period errors. Cleaning that up before the first submission is far cheaper than explaining it afterwards.
Frequently asked questions
What is SAF-T?
SAF-T, the Standard Audit File for Tax, is an OECD-defined structured file containing a company's accounting data — ledger, master data, invoices and payments — submitted to the tax authority in a prescribed format so it can be analysed automatically.
When does SAF-T become mandatory for my company in Bulgaria?
Bulgaria is phasing SAF-T in by company size, beginning with the largest taxpayers. Because the thresholds and dates have been revised during implementation, we check your specific turnover, balance sheet and headcount against the schedule currently in force rather than relying on the original announcement.
What happens if my ledger does not reconcile when I submit?
The tax authority sees the discrepancy directly. Each phase generally opens with a correction window during which mismatches can be fixed without penalty, which is precisely why the preparation work should happen before your first submission rather than after it.
Do I need new software for SAF-T?
Not necessarily — what matters is that your accounting data is complete and correctly structured. We generate compliant files from properly maintained Bulgarian accounting systems. If your current bookkeeping is fragmented across spreadsheets, that is the thing to fix.
Related services
Accounting & bookkeeping
Monthly bookkeeping, ledgers and statutory reporting — handled in English, on a fixed fee.
VAT registration & filings
Registration, monthly returns, VIES and Intrastat — including voluntary registration strategy.
Annual statements
Year-end accounts prepared, filed and published in the Commercial Register on time.
Free consultation
Questions about saf-t reporting?
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