Why Bulgaria · The Numbers
Same Europe. Same protections. A fraction of the tax.
Full EU, NATO, Schengen and Eurozone membership, with the lowest flat tax regime in the Union, unchanged since 2007. Compare Bulgaria against your home country and the usual alternatives.
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| Criterion | Bulgaria | France | UK | Germany | Switzerland |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tax & take-home | |||||
| Corporate tax | 10% | 25%1 | 25% | ~30% | 12–21% |
| Personal income tax | 10% flat | up to 45%+ | up to 45% | up to 45%+ | up to ~40% |
| Dividend tax | 5% | 30% | up to 39.35% | ~26% | varies |
| Capital gains tax individuals, securities | 10%; 0% listed8 | 30% flat | up to 24% | ~26% | 0% private |
| ★What a founder keeps % of profit kept after corporate + dividend tax | ≈85% | ≈53% | 45–67% | ≈52% | 60–75% |
| Rate stability | since 2007 | surtax 2025–26 | raised 2023 | stable | stable |
| Social contributions employer + employee, on salary | ≈33%, capped at ~€2,300/mo6 | ~60%+ | ~23% | ~40% | ~12–15% |
| Pension model7 | hybrid: PAYG + funded | répartition (PAYG) | PAYG + funded | PAYG | PAYG + funded ★ |
| Inheritance tax spouse & children | 0% direct heirs9 | up to 45% | 40% over £325k | 7–30% | 0% most cantons |
| Doing business | |||||
| Min. capital to start | €1 | €1 | £0 | €25,000 | CHF 20,000 |
| Operating & labour costs | lowest in EU | high | high | high | highest |
| Labour & business regulation hiring, firing, red tape | flexible, EU-baseline | rigid | flexible | rigid | very flexible |
| GDP growth real, recent annual, approx.13 | ≈3% | ≈0.8% | ≈1% | ≈0.2% | ≈1.4% |
| EU single market | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ Brexit | ✓ | partial |
| Currency | € since 2026 | € | £ | € | CHF |
| Living there | |||||
| Tax residency path | 183 days, clear | complex | complex SRT | 183 days | by canton |
| Cost of living | lowest in EU | high | high | high | highest in Europe |
| Buying a home 50 m² two-bed flat, capital centre, approx.12 | ≈€125k | ≈€550k | ≈€650k+ | ≈€330k | ≈€780k+ |
| Renting 1-bed, capital centre, €/mo, approx.12 | €600–700 | €1,400+ | €2,300+ | €1,300+ | €2,500+ |
| Safety — Global Peace Index5 | #26 of 163 | #99 | #39 | #28 | #3 |
| EU · NATO · Schengen · € | all four ✓ | all four ✓ | NATO only | all four ✓ | Schengen only |
Sources: OECD Tax Database · Tax Foundation Europe 2026 · PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries · Eurostat · Institute for Economics & Peace (Global Peace Index 2026) · national tax authorities. Last verified August 2026. 1 Up to ~35% for large companies via the exceptional surtax, extended by the 2026 Finance Law to groups with turnover above €1.5bn. 5 Global Peace Index 2026 (Institute for Economics & Peace), lower rank = more peaceful. Composite index covering societal safety, ongoing conflict and militarisation — France's and the UK's ranks partly reflect their militarisation and external engagements as well as domestic factors. Malta is not covered by the index. 6 Bulgarian contributions apply only up to a maximum monthly insurable income (€2,300 from 1 August 2026; €2,111.64 for January–July 2026 — confirm current figure with us). Income above the cap carries zero social charges: high earners pay a fixed maximum amount, not a percentage of everything. 7 PAYG (répartition) = today's workers fund today's pensioners; funded = contributions capitalised in personal accounts. Bulgaria combines a PAYG first pillar with a mandatory funded second pillar in your name, plus voluntary private pillars. 8 0% on gains from shares traded on the Bulgarian and EU/EEA regulated markets; residential property exempt after a holding period. 9 Spouse and direct-line heirs fully exempt in Bulgaria; other heirs pay low municipal rates (roughly 0.4–6.6%) above a threshold. 12 Indicative estimate for a 50 m² two-bedroom flat in the capital's central districts (Sofia, Paris, London, Berlin, Zurich, Lisbon, Dublin, Valletta, Nicosia, Bucharest), from market data; prices vary widely by district and property. Ask us for current figures for a specific city or region. 13 Approximate recent annual real GDP growth (Eurostat / IMF World Economic Outlook); confirm latest release before relying on figures.