Bulgaria amends VAT Law to combat fraud

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 amends VAT Law to combat fraud

intl-updates-small.jpg

A recent amendment to the Bulgarian VAT Law introduces a new obligation for traders that aims to tackle fraud.

varbanov.jpg

Petar Varbanov

The changes to the VAT Act introduce a mechanism whereby liquid fuel traders will have to provide the competent territorial directorate of the National Revenue Agency collateral in cash, government securities or an unconditional and irrevocable bank guarantee, each of which is valid for a period of one year. The types of liquid fuels for which such collateral is required include natural gas, gasoline, heavy fuel oil, kerosene, liquefied petroleum gas and other gaseous hydrocarbons.

According to Art. 176c, para 1 of the VAT Act, the obligation to provide collateral arises when the taxable person has made in the current tax period taxable supplies of liquid fuels, as follows:

1) Supplied liquid fuels exceeding BGN 25,000 ($14,000) per month;

2) Has performed an intra-community acquisition of liquid fuels, which are not intended for consumption by the person that has performed the acquisition, with a total value exceeding BGN 25,000; and

3) Has received liquid fuels, released for consumption under Art. 20, para 2, pt 1 of the Excise Duties and Tax Warehouses Act ( EDTWA ) worth over BGN 25,000, if no basis has arisen for collateral on other grounds. In this case, it is irrelevant whether the received liquid fuels are intended for consumption by the receiver.

The collateral, which must equal 20% of the VAT base of the supplies, but not less than BGN 50,000, can be provided by taxpayers as:

  • Collateral in cash;

  • Collateral in government securities; or

  • Collateral in an unconditional and irrevocable bank guarantee.

The collaterals are provided by filing an application in the respective tax office as per the registration of the company. The application, depending on the type of collateral, should be accompanied by various documents. Failure to provide the collateral will lead to sanctions with penalties.

Petar Varbanov (petar.varbanov@eurofast.eu)

Eurofast Bulgaria Office

Direct tel: +359 2 988 69 75

Website: www.eurofast.eu

more across site & shared bottom lb ros

More from across our site

TP is a growing priority for West and Central African tax authorities, writes Winnie Maliko, but enforcement remains inconsistent, and data limitations persist
The UK tax agency has appointed six independent industry specialists to the panel
The two tax partners have significant experience and expertise in transactional and tax structuring matters
Katie Leah’s arrival marks a significant step in Skadden’s ambition to build a specialised, 10-partner London tax team by 2030, the firm’s European tax head tells ITR
Increasingly, clients are looking for different advisers to the established players, Ryan’s president for European and Asia Pacific operations tells ITR
Using tax to enhance its standing as a funds location is behind Luxembourg’s measures aimed at clarifying ATAD 2 and making its carried interest regime more attractive
Encompassing everything from international scandals to seismic political events, it’s a privilege to cover the intriguing world of tax
In his newly created role, current SSA commissioner Bisignano will oversee all day-to-day IRS operations; in other news, Ryan has made its second acquisition in two weeks
In the age of borderless commerce, money flows faster than regulation. While digital platforms cross oceans in milliseconds, tax authorities often lag. Indonesia has decided it can wait no longer
The tariffs are disrupting global supply chains and creating a lot of uncertainty, tax expert Miguel Medeiros told ITR’s European Transfer Pricing Forum
Gift this article