Why You Need This Calendar
Running a Bulgarian EOOD means juggling a steady stream of filing obligations — corporate tax, VAT, social security declarations, financial statements, and more. Miss one deadline and you face automatic penalties. Miss several and you invite an NRA audit.
This page is designed as a bookmarkable reference. It covers every obligation your EOOD faces in 2026, organized month by month, with exact deadlines, the specific forms involved, and the penalties for non-compliance. Whether you handle compliance yourself or delegate to an accountant, you need to know what's due and when.
Month-by-Month Compliance Calendar
The following table covers every key EOOD obligation in chronological order. Recurring monthly obligations (VAT, social security) are listed separately below.
| Month | Obligation | Deadline | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Annual inventory | January 31 | Conduct physical inventory of assets, verify account balances, prepare for year-end close of prior year |
| February | Finalize prior year accounting | End of February | Close the books for the prior tax year, reconcile all accounts, prepare trial balance for annual financial statements |
| March | Advance corporate tax declaration | March 31 | File declaration for advance corporate tax payments for the current year (if annual net revenue exceeded EUR 150,000 in prior year) |
| March | Early personal filing discount | March 31 | EOOD owners: file personal GDD-50 + pay tax by March 31 for a 5% discount on personal income tax due |
| April | Personal income tax (GDD-50) | April 30 | EOOD owner's personal return — declare salary, dividends, and any other personal income from the prior year |
| April | Social security annual reconciliation | April 30 | Self-insured persons (EOOD owner-managers) reconcile advance contributions vs. actual income in Table 1/Table 2 of GDD-50 |
| April | Q1 advance corporate tax payment | April 15 | First quarterly advance payment (if required — companies with prior year revenue above EUR 150,000) |
| June | Corporate tax return (Form 1010) | June 30 | File annual corporate income tax declaration to NRA and pay any remaining corporate tax due (10% on profit) |
| June | Inactivity declaration | June 30 | EOODs with no activity must file a declaration of inactivity with the Commercial Register |
| July | Q2 advance corporate tax payment | July 15 | Second quarterly advance payment (if required) |
| September | Annual financial statements | September 30 | Submit annual financial statements to the Commercial Register (Търговски регистър) — must be prepared by a certified accountant |
| October | Q3 advance corporate tax payment | October 15 | Third quarterly advance payment (if required) |
| December | Year-end planning | December 31 | Review advance payments vs. estimated actual profit, adjust Q4 payment if needed, plan dividend distributions, prepare for year-end close |
| December | Q4 advance corporate tax payment | December 15 | Fourth and final quarterly advance payment (if required) |
The 5% personal tax discount: If you pay yourself a salary or dividends from your EOOD, file your personal GDD-50 and pay any personal tax owed by March 31 instead of April 30. You receive a 5% discount on the tax due. On a EUR 5,000 tax bill, that is EUR 250 saved — just for being organized. This discount does not apply to the corporate Form 1010.
Recurring Monthly Obligations
In addition to the annual deadlines above, your EOOD has obligations that repeat every single month:
| Obligation | Monthly Deadline | Applies To | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| VAT return + ledgers | 14th of the following month | VAT-registered EOODs | Submit VAT return, purchase ledger, and sales ledger electronically via the NRA portal |
| Declaration 1 | 25th of the following month | EOODs with employees or self-insured manager | Per-employee declaration of social security and health insurance contributions |
| Declaration 6 | 25th of the following month | EOODs with employees or self-insured manager | Aggregate declaration of total social security and health insurance due |
| Salary payments + withholding | End of month | EOODs with employees | Pay salaries, withhold and remit income tax (10%) and social security contributions |
| Dividend withholding tax | End of month following the quarter of distribution | EOODs distributing dividends | Withhold 8% dividend tax, remit to NRA, file quarterly declaration |
Penalties for Missing Deadlines
Bulgarian penalties are not theoretical — the NRA enforces them automatically. Here is what each missed deadline costs:
| Violation | Penalty | Legal Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Late corporate tax return (Form 1010) | EUR 250 first offense; EUR 500 repeat | Art. 261 CITA (ЗКПО) |
| Late personal tax return (GDD-50) | EUR 250 first offense; EUR 500 repeat | Art. 80 PITA (ЗДДФЛ) |
| Late or missing VAT return | EUR 250 first offense; EUR 500 repeat | Art. 179 VATA (ЗДДС) |
| Failure to file VAT return at all | EUR 250–500 per return | Art. 179 VATA (ЗДДС) |
| Late social security declarations (Decl. 1 & 6) | EUR 50–250 per declaration | Art. 355 Social Security Code |
| Late annual financial statements | EUR 250–1,500 for the company; EUR 100–500 for the responsible person | Art. 74 Accountancy Act |
| Missing inactivity declaration | EUR 500 | Art. 74 Accountancy Act |
| Late advance corporate tax payments | Interest at BNB base rate + 10% per annum on the underpaid amount | Art. 89 CITA (ЗКПО) |
| Late dividend withholding tax | 10% of unremitted amount (minimum EUR 250) | Art. 261 CITA (ЗКПО) |
| Late payment of any tax due | Statutory interest: BNB base rate + 10 percentage points per annum | Art. 175 TSIPC (ДОПК) |
| Incomplete or inaccurate declaration | EUR 50–250 depending on severity | Various |
| Failure to keep accounting records | EUR 100–500 for the company; EUR 50–250 for the responsible person | Art. 74 Accountancy Act |
Penalties compound: Missing a VAT return triggers a EUR 250 penalty. But the NRA may also charge interest on any VAT amount that should have been declared. If you miss multiple months, each return is penalized separately — three missed VAT returns means three separate penalties. The same applies to Declaration 1 and Declaration 6.
New SAF-T Reporting Requirement
Bulgaria is implementing the Standard Audit File for Tax (SAF-T) — an OECD-standard electronic reporting format that is becoming mandatory across the EU. Here is what EOOD owners need to know:
What Is SAF-T?
SAF-T requires companies to submit their accounting data to the NRA in a standardized XML format. Instead of the NRA requesting documents during an audit, the data is submitted proactively and can be cross-referenced automatically.
What Data Is Required?
- General ledger: All journal entries and account balances
- Accounts receivable: Customer invoices, credit notes, payments received
- Accounts payable: Supplier invoices, credit notes, payments made
- Fixed assets: Asset register, depreciation schedules
- Inventory: Stock movements, valuations
- Tax-related data: VAT records, withholding tax records
Timeline for Implementation
| Phase | Who | When |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Large enterprises (annual turnover above EUR 50 million or 250+ employees) | 2026 |
| Phase 2 | Medium enterprises (turnover EUR 8–50 million or 50–249 employees) | Expected 2027–2028 |
| Phase 3 | Small and micro enterprises (most EOODs) | Expected 2028–2029 |
For most EOOD owners in 2026: SAF-T does not apply to you yet. However, it is coming. The practical implication is that your accounting software must be capable of generating SAF-T exports. If you are choosing or switching accounting software now, make sure it supports the Bulgarian SAF-T XML format. Ask your accountant about their SAF-T readiness.
EOOD Without Activity
If your EOOD had no business activity during the prior year — no revenue, no expenses, no transactions — you still have filing obligations:
- Declaration of inactivity: Must be filed with the Commercial Register by June 30. This is a specific declaration stating the company had no activity during the prior financial year
- Penalty for non-filing: EUR 500 — even for a dormant company
- Exemption from financial statements: If you file the inactivity declaration on time, the EOOD is exempt from preparing and submitting annual financial statements
- Corporate tax return: An inactive EOOD should still file Form 1010 as a nil return to the NRA by June 30 — while the NRA may not always enforce this for truly inactive companies, filing avoids any ambiguity
- Social security: If the EOOD has no employees and the owner is not self-insured through it, no social security declarations are needed
Common mistake: Many EOOD owners assume a dormant company requires no filings at all. This is wrong. The inactivity declaration is mandatory. If you have not filed one for prior years, file now — the NRA and Commercial Register do check, and the EUR 500 penalty applies per year of non-compliance.
VAT-Specific Obligations
If your EOOD is VAT-registered, you have a separate set of recurring obligations beyond income tax:
Monthly VAT Return
- Deadline: 14th of the month following the reporting period
- What to file: VAT return (declaration) + purchase ledger + sales ledger
- How: Electronically via the NRA portal — paper filing is not accepted for VAT
- Payment: Any VAT due must be paid by the same deadline (14th of the following month)
- Refunds: If input VAT exceeds output VAT, the excess is carried forward and offset against future periods. After three consecutive months of excess, you can request a refund (processed within 30 days, extendable to 45 days with audit)
VIES Declarations
- What: Intra-community supply of goods or services to VAT-registered businesses in other EU member states
- Deadline: 14th of the month following the reporting period (same as VAT return)
- When required: Any month in which you invoiced an EU customer using the reverse charge mechanism (B2B cross-border services or goods)
- Penalty for non-filing: EUR 250–500 per missing declaration
Intrastat Declarations
- What: Statistical reporting of physical goods moving between EU member states
- Threshold (2026): EUR 290,000 for arrivals (goods received from EU), EUR 150,000 for dispatches (goods sent to EU)
- Deadline: 14th of the month following the reporting period
- Note: Intrastat applies only to physical goods, not services. Most service-based EOODs are not affected unless they also trade in goods across borders
VAT compliance tip: The NRA's VAT system is highly automated. Discrepancies between your sales ledger and your customers' purchase ledgers are flagged automatically. If your invoices do not match what your Bulgarian customers report, expect a query. Ensure your accountant reconciles the VAT ledgers carefully before each monthly filing.
Social Security Obligations
If your EOOD has employees — or if you as the owner are self-insured through the company — social security compliance is a monthly obligation with no room for delay.
Declaration 1 (Per-Employee, Monthly)
- What: Individual declaration for each insured person — reports the insurable income, days worked, and contributions due
- Deadline: 25th of the month following the reporting period
- Filed by: The employer (your EOOD), typically via your accountant
- Data required: Employee's EGN (personal number), insurable income amount, type of insurance (all risks, pension + health, etc.), days insured, contribution amounts split between employer and employee
Declaration 6 (Aggregate, Monthly)
- What: Aggregate declaration showing total social security and health insurance contributions due from the company for all employees combined
- Deadline: 25th of the month following the reporting period (same as Declaration 1)
- Must match: The total in Declaration 6 must exactly match the sum of all individual Declaration 1 filings. Any discrepancy triggers an automatic error notice from the NRA
Annual Reconciliation (Self-Insured Persons)
- Who: EOOD owner-managers who are self-insured (paying their own social security contributions through the company)
- What: Reconcile advance monthly contributions paid throughout the year against actual income earned
- How: Complete Table 1 and Table 2 in the personal GDD-50 tax return
- Deadline: April 30 (same as GDD-50 personal return)
- If you underpaid: Pay the difference by April 30. Interest accrues on late payment
- If you overpaid: Credit against future contributions or request a refund
The reconciliation surprise: If you paid social security on the minimum insurable income (EUR 710/month in 2026) all year but your actual income was significantly higher, you may owe a large lump sum in April. For example, if actual insurable income was EUR 1,800/month but you contributed on EUR 710, the shortfall in social security contributions can exceed EUR 3,500 — due in one payment by April 30.
Never Miss a Deadline Again
Our team handles all EOOD compliance — monthly filings, annual returns, social security, VAT. We track every deadline so you do not have to.
Get a Compliance QuotePractical Tips for Staying Compliant
1. Set Calendar Reminders
Create recurring calendar events for every monthly and annual deadline. Set reminders one week before each deadline — not the day of. Key dates to calendar:
- 7th of each month: Reminder for VAT return (due 14th)
- 18th of each month: Reminder for Declaration 1 & 6 (due 25th)
- March 15: Start preparing personal GDD-50 (for March 31 early filing discount)
- June 1: Reminder for corporate Form 1010 (due June 30)
- September 1: Reminder for financial statements (due September 30)
2. Use a Bulgarian Accountant
This is not optional — it is practically a legal requirement. Bulgarian law requires annual financial statements to be prepared by a certified accountant (Дипломиран експерт-счетоводител). Beyond the legal requirement:
- A Bulgarian accountant knows the NRA portal, the filing formats, and the current interpretations
- They handle Declaration 1, Declaration 6, and VAT returns as routine monthly work
- They catch errors before filing — corrections after filing are possible but create unnecessary complications
- Typical cost for a small EOOD: EUR 100–300/month depending on transaction volume
3. Keep Digital Copies of Everything
- Retention period: 5 years minimum for tax-related documents (the NRA can audit up to 5 years back)
- 10 years for accounting records under the Accountancy Act
- Scan and store all invoices, contracts, bank statements, and correspondence digitally
- Keep copies of all filed declarations and NRA confirmations
- Use cloud storage with backup — a local hard drive failure should not mean losing your compliance records
4. Separate Business and Personal Finances
Use a dedicated business bank account for all EOOD transactions. Never mix personal and company funds. The NRA treats commingled finances as a red flag during audits — it suggests either undeclared personal income or hidden company expenses.
5. Review Your Accountant's Work
Trust but verify. Ask your accountant for a monthly summary of what was filed and when. Verify that VAT returns, Declaration 1, and Declaration 6 were submitted on time. The penalties fall on the company — not on the accountant. You are ultimately responsible.
6. Plan Dividend Distributions Strategically
Dividends trigger an 8% withholding tax obligation that must be remitted by the end of the month following the quarter of distribution. Plan distributions in advance so your accountant has time to file the quarterly dividend declaration and remit the tax. See our salary vs. dividends guide for optimization strategies.