When is the corporation tax return due in Bulgaria?
The Bulgarian annual corporate income tax return under Article 92 of the Corporate Income Tax Act is filed electronically between 1 March and 30 June of the year following the tax year, with the tax paid by 30 June. Advance instalments are due during the year for companies above the net sales threshold of about €153,388.
Finn does your books in Bulgaria
AccountsOS keeps the books for Bulgaria businesses, tracks tax deadlines and handles invoicing, in plain English. Ask Finn about yours, no signup needed.
Detailed Explanation
Bulgaria's corporate income tax is filed on a calendar-year basis (1 January to 31 December). The key deadlines and obligations are:
Annual CT return: 1 March to 30 June
The annual corporate tax return under Article 92 of the Corporate Income Tax Act (CITA) is filed electronically with a qualified electronic signature between 1 March and 30 June of the following calendar year. The annual activity report is filed with it. The corporate tax due is paid by 30 June of the same year. The tax is a flat 10% of taxable profit, and the NRA says a tax loss can be carried forward for the next 5 years, in order, up to the positive tax result of each year.
Expenses tax
The NRA also collects a separate final tax on expenses. It is 10% on representation expenses and in-kind social expenses and 3% on in-kind use of company assets for personal purposes. It is declared in the same annual return and paid by 30 June.
Advance CIT instalments
Companies whose net sales revenue in the year before the previous year was above €153,387.56 pay advance instalments during the year, based on their expected taxable profit. Companies between €153,387.57 and €1,533,875.64 pay quarterly, and companies above €1,533,875.64 pay monthly. Quarterly payers pay for Q1 and Q2 by the 15th of the following month (15 April and 15 July) and for Q3 by 1 December. There is no Q4 instalment. Monthly payers pay January to March by 15 April, April to November by the 15th of each month, and December by 1 December. Newly established companies pay no advances in the year of formation and the following year. The type and amount of advances is declared between 1 March and 15 April, and changes can be declared by 15 November.
Penalties
Failure to file, late filing or inaccurate data that leads to lower tax is fined €255.65 to €1,533.88, and €511.29 to €3,067.75 for a repeat offence. Late payment attracts sanction interest under the tax procedure rules.
Annual accounts are a separate filing
The annual financial statements go to the Registry Agency (Trade Register) by 30 September, not with the NRA tax return.
Source: nra.bg
Real-World Examples
Medium company making quarterly advance instalments
An OOD had net sales of €600,000 in the year before the previous year, so it pays quarterly advance instalments in 2026. It pays the Q1 instalment by 15 April, the Q2 instalment by 15 July and the Q3 instalment by 1 December. There is no Q4 instalment. The balance of the 2026 tax is paid by 30 June 2027 when the annual return is filed.
New company with no instalment obligations
An EOOD is registered in February 2026. It pays no advance instalments in 2026 or 2027, because newly established companies are exempt in the year of formation and the following year. The 2026 annual return is filed between 1 March and 30 June 2027 and the tax is paid by 30 June 2027.
Company with a tax loss
A company makes a tax loss in 2025. It declares the loss in the annual return and can carry it forward for the next 5 years against positive tax results, in the order the losses arose.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using the old 31 March date: the NRA window for the annual return is 1 March to 30 June, and the tax is paid by 30 June.
- Forgetting the expenses tax on representation and in-kind benefits, which is declared in the same annual return.
- Expecting a Q4 advance instalment, when quarterly payers pay Q1, Q2 and Q3 only, with Q3 due by 1 December.
- Not filing the annual activity report together with the return, which is fined separately from €255.65 to €1,022.58.
- Confusing the NRA tax return with the annual financial statements, which are filed with the Registry Agency by 30 September.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the penalty for filing the corporate tax return late in Bulgaria?
Failure to file, late filing or inaccurate data that leads to lower tax is fined €255.65 to €1,533.88 for a first offence and €511.29 to €3,067.75 for a repeat offence. Late payment attracts sanction interest.
Do I need to make advance corporate tax instalments in my first year of trading?
No. Newly established companies pay no advance instalments in the year of formation and the following year, except companies formed by conversion under the Commercial Act.
Which companies pay advance instalments monthly or quarterly?
The NRA sets this by net sales revenue in the year before the previous year. Above €1,533,875.64 the company pays monthly. Between €153,387.57 and €1,533,875.64 it pays quarterly. At or below €153,387.56 it pays no advances.
What is the annual corporate tax return called?
It is the annual corporate tax return under Article 92 of the Corporate Income Tax Act. It is filed through the NRA portal with a qualified electronic signature.
Practical Tips
- Put 1 March (the window opens), 15 April and 15 July (the first two advances), 30 June (return and payment) and 1 December (the third advance) in your accounting calendar at the start of every year.
- Declare the type and amount of your advance instalments between 1 March and 15 April, and change them by 15 November if profit moves sharply.
- Keep records of every advance payment with its date and amount, so you can reconcile them against the annual return.
- Use the NRA e-portal with your qualified electronic signature, because the return and the annual activity report are filed electronically.
Ask Finn your Bulgaria accounting questions
Finn knows National Revenue Agency (NRA / НАП) rules and your specific business numbers. Get instant answers in plain English.
Try free for 14 days