Bulgaria.

Listed shares

0% on-market, 10% off-market

The result turns on where the trade executes, not the issuer's country. A sale off such a market.

Fund and ETF units

Different rules apply

A US-domiciled ETF traded on a US exchange is off-market for this purpose and taxed at 10%.

Holding period and allowances

No holding-period system (exemption is by market, not by time held)

Bulgaria has no holding-period relief or short-vs-long-term distinction for securities. Relief is binary and structural.

Losses

Different rules apply

The rate line above gives the resident result. The rule is tested each year.

Foreign and US listings

Different rules apply

The resident's gain depends on the execution venue. A foreign share traded on an EU/EEA regulated/growth market is exempt like any other. Check the treaty for source tax and Bulgaria's relief.

Accumulating funds and annual tax

Exempt under the ordinary rule

Bulgaria has no annual deemed-distribution or advance tax on an accumulating fund's fund income for individuals (no Vorabpauschale/Box-3 equivalent). Accumulating-fund income is taxed only on disposal.

Bulgarian company dividend

5% (final withholding tax)

The rate line above gives the resident result. The rule is tested when the income is received.

Foreign listed-share dividend

5% (self-assessed final tax)

The rate line above gives the resident result. The rule is tested when the income is received. The treaty can change source-country tax and relief.

EU or EEA company dividend

5% (no distinct individual EU rule)

The rate line above gives the resident result. The rule is tested when the income is received. The treaty can change source-country tax and relief.

Third-country company dividend

5% (same as EU or EEA)

The residence rate does not diverge from the EU/EEA case. The only real divergence is at source. Check the treaty for source tax and Bulgaria's relief.

Passive or substantial holding

5% regardless of holding size

The rate line above gives the resident result. The rule is tested when the income is received.

Fund or ETF distribution

Different rules apply

A cash distribution from a fund/ETF that qualifies as a dividend carries tax at 5%. This precise characterisation of a foreign fund distribution as a 'dividend' vs other investment income can affect whether 5% or 10% applies and should be verified per fund.

New-resident treatment

No separate rule

For this case, Bulgaria has no separate non-domicile, remittance-basis or newcomer regime. There is nothing to override the ordinary 5% dividend rate.

Sale for money

10% on annual net gain, less 10% deemed costs (about 9% effective)

A crypto sale for money is taxable under the rule in force from 1 January 2024. Annual gains minus losses receive a 10% deemed-cost deduction, then carry 10% tax.

Crypto-to-crypto exchange

10% (a swap is a disposal or exchange)

Taxes income from 'sale or exchange' (prodazhba ili zamyana) of financial assets including crypto. An exchange is a taxable event, so a crypto-to-crypto swap realises gain or loss on the asset given up.

Spending crypto

10% (disposal on payment)

Paying for goods or services with crypto is an exchange of the crypto and follows the same rule. Gain or loss on the crypto given up enters the annual net base, taxed at 10%.

Staking and lending

10% (other or economic income)

Staking and lending yield is not specifically named in the and is not within the exemptions. It falls into the residual income categories and carries tax at 10%.

Mining, validation and airdrops

10% (economic-activity or other income)

Mining and transaction validation are ordinarily treated as economic activity and airdrops as other income, both taxed at 10%. Systematic mining as a trade may bring mandatory social contributions.

Private investor or business

Different rules apply

A passive investor's crypto gains sit in the capital-gains base (10%). Habitual, business-scale trading can be reclassified as economic activity, still 10% on the profit but bringing mandatory social-security contributions and possibly the 15% sole-trader rate.

All 34 crypto rules, side by side →

Bulgaria pension

0% (mandatory plus qualifying supplementary)

A Bulgarian mandatory state pension is exempt. A qualifying supplementary voluntary pension can also be exempt once the right to draw it has arisen.

Foreign state or social-security pension

0%

A foreign state or social-security pension is income from mandatory insurance abroad and is therefore exempt in Bulgaria under. This rule expressly covers mandatory insurance 'in Bulgaria or abroad'. Check the treaty for source tax and Bulgaria's relief.

Foreign occupational or private pension

10% (unless it qualifies as mandatory insurance)

A foreign occupational or private pension/annuity that is not mandatory-insurance income falls outside and is ordinary income taxed at 10%. The remaining conditions include the treaty's private-pension article (usually residence-state taxing right).

Foreign government or civil-service pension

Special rule

The rate line above gives the resident result. The rule is tested when the income is received. The treaty can change source-country tax and relief.

Foreign pension lump sum

Different rules apply

A lump-sum from a foreign mandatory insurance scheme is exempt like periodic mandatory-pension income. A lump-sum from a foreign voluntary/private scheme is not clearly within (which is framed around Bulgarian supplementary voluntary schemes) and would generally be taxable at 10%.

Company profit

10% company tax

A Bulgarian company pays a flat 10% corporate income tax on its profit before any distribution. A foreign company whose effective management moves to Bulgaria can itself become Bulgarian tax-resident and pay the 10% company tax.

Distribution from a Bulgarian company

5% (final withholding tax)

The rate line above gives the resident result. The rule is tested when the income is received.

Distribution from a foreign company

5% (self-assessed) plus foreign source tax

EU/EEA vs third-country makes no difference to the 5% residence rate. The difference is source-side withholding. Check the treaty for source tax and Bulgaria's relief.

Foreign entity type

No safe answer yet

No safe answer is shown for this exact case yet. Check the facts and treaty before relying on a result.

Sale of your company stake

Different rules apply

A sale of the owner's shares/units follows the securities rule. Exempt if executed on an EU/EEA regulated/growth market, otherwise.

Salary or director fee

10% (plus mandatory social contributions)

Salary and director/management fees carry tax at the 10% flat rate after mandatory social and health contributions. Director fees are also a distinct treaty category.

Social contributions and remuneration risk

Special rule

Extracting value other than as declared salary/dividend risks a 'hidden profit distribution' recharacterisation, taxed at 5% on the gross. Genuine remuneration for work triggers mandatory social and health contributions.

Running the company from Bulgaria

10% company tax if the company becomes Bulgarian-resident or has a Bulgarian taxable business presence

Running the foreign company day-to-day from Bulgaria risks making it Bulgarian tax-resident by place of management, or creating a Bulgarian permanent establishment. This can expose profit to the 10% company tax and complicate the other country's claim.

Controlled foreign company rules

EU anti-avoidance controlled foreign companies inclusion

Bulgaria has EU anti-avoidance controlled foreign companies rules: undistributed passive income of a controlled low-taxed foreign subsidiary can be attributed to the Bulgarian controlling entity. Presence and one-line trigger only.

Review the company and your personal position together before the move.

Property in Bulgaria

10% on gross less 10% deduction (about 9% effective)

Rent from a Bulgarian property carries tax at 10% on the gross reduced by a flat 10% statutory expense deduction. Advance tax is due quarterly.

Property abroad

Taxable under the ordinary rule

Foreign rental income is included in the Bulgarian resident's base at 10% on gross less the 10% deduction. Immovable property is normally taxable first in the situs state. Check the treaty for source tax and Bulgaria's relief.

Rental deductions

Flat 10% statutory deduction only

The rate line above gives the resident result. The rule is tested each year.

There is no separate rule here. Use the general foreign-income case, then check what the treaty says about the country paying the money.

Bulgaria main home

0% if held more than 3 years (one residential property per year)

It is a per-year, one-property allowance keyed to a holding period, not to actual main-home occupation. Simpler than most main-home exemptions.

Bulgaria investment or second property

Different rules apply

A property sold inside the holding window carries tax at 10% on the gain (sale price minus acquisition) less a 10% deemed-cost deduction.

Foreign property

Different rules apply

Overseas immovable property is normally taxable first in the situs state. The Bulgarian holding-period exemptions are keyed to the property and holding period (not location). Check the treaty for source tax and Bulgaria's relief.

Main-home conditions

Exempt under the ordinary rule

The residential-property exemption is a holding-period test. No occupation, family or reinvestment condition applies.

Starting value after a move

Taxable under the ordinary rule

The rate line above gives the resident result. The rule is tested when the asset is sold or otherwise disposed of.

There is no separate rule here. Use the general foreign-income case, then check what the treaty says about the country paying the money.

Bulgaria royalties

10% after a 40% (or 25%) statutory deduction

Copyright and licence royalties earned by a non-trader individual are economic-activity income. The base is the income less a statutory expense band.

Foreign royalties

Reduced rule

Foreign royalties to a Bulgarian resident carry tax at 10% on the income net of the deduction. The source state's royalty withholding tax is credited under (per country, capped at the Bulgarian tax). Check the treaty for source tax and Bulgaria's relief.

Which rights qualify

Reduced rule

The 40% deduction band covers authorship, artistic and free-profession income, which captures most copyright/patent licensing by an individual creator. General freelance royalties fall in the 25% band.

Passive or active

10% (freelance) vs 15% plus social contributions (sole trader or trade)

Royalties received as a non-trader freelancer use the deduction and 10% rate. If the activity is a registered trade (registered sole trader), profit carries tax at 15% with full trader accounting and mandatory contributions.

Social contributions and value-added tax

Special rule

Royalty/freelance income generally triggers mandatory social and health contributions on the insurable base (up to €2,111.64/month in 2026). For this case, value-added tax registration may be required above the turnover threshold.

Employment in Bulgaria

10% (after social contributions)

Employment income earned while working in Bulgaria carries tax at 10% on the base after mandatory social and health contributions. The employer withholds monthly and reconciles annually.

Remote work for a foreign employer

Taxable under the ordinary rule

The Bulgarian resident working remotely for a foreign employer is taxable in Bulgaria at 10% (usually self-assessed, as a foreign employer may not run Bulgarian payroll). The employer risks creating a Bulgarian permanent establishment or a payroll/social-security obligation.

Self-employment and consulting

Taxable under the ordinary rule

A freelancer (non-trader) carries tax at 10% on income after a 25% statutory expense deduction, plus mandatory social/health contributions on the insurable base. A registered sole trader carries tax at 15% on accounting profit.

Director fees

10% (separate treaty category)

Director/management-board fees carry tax at 10% and are a distinct treaty category. This rule can give the company's state a taxing right independent of where the director physically works.

New-resident worker rule

None

Bulgaria has no special inbound-worker/expat regime. The ordinary 10% flat rate already applies to everyone, so there is nothing to add.