Bulgaria: New amendments in the Corporate Income Tax Law

International Tax Review is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 4 Bouverie Street, London, EC4Y 8AX

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2024

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

Bulgaria: New amendments in the Corporate Income Tax Law

pechilkova.jpg

Donka Pechilkova

Some new amendments in the Corporate Income Tax Law in Bulgaria have been approved by the Bulgarian National Assembly, and entered into force on January 1 2013. One of the most significant amendments concerns the advance payments for corporate income tax, such as: The method of calculation; the range of tax obliged entities; the criteria for assignment of the base on a monthly or three months basis; the declaration and payment of the advance payments.

The amendments related to the method of calculation of the advanced payments prescribes that the base for the calculation will be the forecast tax profit that the entities expect to realise in the current tax year. The tax result from the previous year will not be a factor as it used to be until 2012. In this way the correction coefficient, regulated in previous years had been dropped off. If the final corporate income tax obligation increases by 20% from the amount of the paid advances during the year, a penalty interest in accordance with the Law on Tax Interest is applicable for the period from April 16 until December 31. In addition, all entities have the right to submit a Declaration for increase/decrease of the advanced payments.

The exemption for the corporate income tax advance payment remains for the new established entities, as it was, but also stays for companies that had less than BGN300,000 ($204,000) net income in the previous year (it was BGN200,000 until now).

According to the amendments to the criteria for determination of the type of the advanced payments, on monthly or three months basis: If the net incomes of the entity are at the range of BGN300,000 to BGN3 million, the payments should be executed on three months basis; for higher than BGN3 million, companies are obliged to proceed with monthly advanced payments.

Regarding the declaration, the amendments say that the declaration of the advanced payments should be done along with the submission of the annual tax form for the previous year. The payments should be done as follows: For three months payments-not later than the 15th of the month following the quarter that they are related for. There is no advance payment for the last quarter of the year. For entities that are obliged to pay on a monthly basis the term for the first three months is 15th April and respectively for the other months 15th of the following month.

The aim of the amendments is to facilitate the whole process of calculation, accrual and execution of the advanced payments for the companies, as well as to increase the collection of this tax.

Donka Pechilkova (donka.pechilkova@eurofast.eu)

Eurofast Global, Sofia Office, Bulgaria

Tel: +359 2 988 69 78

Website: www.eurofast.eu

more across site & bottom lb ros

More from across our site

PwC has taken the ‘remarkable position’ that a former partner was singularly responsible for its tax leaks scandal; in other news, Forvis Mazars unveiled its next UK CEO
Luxembourg saw the highest increase in tax-to-GDP ratio out of OECD countries in 2023, according to the organisation’s new Revenue Statistics report
Ryan’s VAT practice leader for Europe tells ITR about promoting kindness, playing the violincello and why tax being boring is a ‘ridiculous’ idea
Technology is on the way to relieve tax advisers tired by onerous pillar two preparations, says Russell Gammon of Tax Systems
A high number of granted APAs demonstrates the Italian tax authorities' commitment to resolving TP issues proactively, experts say
Malta risks ceding tax revenues to jurisdictions that adopt the global minimum tax sooner, the IMF said
The UK and what has been dubbed its ‘second empire’ have been found to be responsible for 26% of all countries’ tax losses by the Tax Justice Network
Ireland offers more than just its competitive corporate tax environment but a reduction in the US rate under a Trump administration could affect the country, experts tell ITR
The ‘big four’ firm was originally prohibited from tendering for government work until December 1 due to its tax leaks scandal, but ongoing investigations into the matter have seen the date extended
Approximately 74% of MAP cases in 2023 reached a full resolution, but new transfer pricing MAP cases fell by 16%
Gift this article