Jurisdiction comparison · 2026
Norway taxes company profit at 22% and then the dividend at an effective 37.84%, on top of a net wealth tax on the shares themselves. Bulgaria applies 10% and 5% with no wealth tax.
| Bulgaria 🇧🇬 | Norway 🇳🇴 | |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate tax | 10% flat | 22% |
| Dividend tax | 5% | 37.84% effective on personal shareholders |
| VAT rate | 20% (0% intra-EU B2B) | 25% |
| Min. share capital | BGN 2 (≈ €1) | NOK 30,000 (≈ €2,570) for an AS |
| Setup time | 3-7 business days | 1-3 weeks |
| EU membership | Yes (since 2007) | No (EEA member) |
| Social contributions | ~32% (capped at BGN 4,130/mo) | 14.1% employer contribution, uncapped |
The Norwegian net wealth tax is what pushes many owner-managers to look abroad, because it is charged on the value of the shareholding rather than on income the founder has actually received. Combined with the 37.84% effective dividend rate, an owner can face a tax bill in a year with no distribution at all. Bulgaria has no net wealth tax and taxes only realised profit and distributions. Norway also sits outside the EU VAT union as an EEA member, so a Norwegian AS selling into the EU handles import VAT and customs that a Bulgarian EOOD avoids. Exit taxation on unrealised gains applies to Norwegian residents who emigrate, so plan the move with a Norwegian adviser first.
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