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Country guide · 2026

How to open a Bulgarian company from Germany 🇩🇪

German founders come to Bulgaria for two reasons: the effective burden on a GmbH once Gewerbesteuer is layered on, and the sheer friction of forming and running one. Notary appointments, €25,000 of share capital and Handelsregister timelines make a German setup a months-long project.

German rate
~30% (corporation tax, solidarity surcharge and trade tax)
Bulgaria
10% corporate, 5% dividends
Setup
Remote, 3-7 business days

Why German founders move to a Bulgarian EOOD

  • One national 10% corporate rate with no municipal trade tax multiplier
  • Share capital of about €1 against €25,000 for a GmbH (€12,500 paid in)
  • Registration in days rather than the four to eight weeks a GmbH typically takes
  • Dividends at 5% rather than 26.375% including the solidarity surcharge

The remote registration process, step by step

  1. 1

    Reserve the company name

    We check availability in the Bulgarian Commercial Register and reserve your EOOD or OOD name. Takes a few hours; the reservation holds for six months.

  2. 2

    Sign the incorporation pack

    Articles of association, founder declarations and specimen signature. You sign in front of a notary or a Bulgarian consulate near you, or you give us a power of attorney and sign once.

  3. 3

    Open the capital accumulation account

    The statutory minimum share capital is BGN 2 (about €1). The bank issues a deposit certificate the register requires.

  4. 4

    File with the Commercial Register

    Electronic filing at the Registry Agency. Standard processing is 2 to 4 business days, and you receive an EIK (company number) on approval.

  5. 5

    Register for tax and, if needed, VAT

    The EIK doubles as your tax number. VAT registration is mandatory above the BGN 166,000 turnover threshold and voluntary below it; intra-EU sellers usually register voluntarily on day one.

  6. 6

    Open the operating bank account

    A Bulgarian business account for local payments, plus an EMI such as Wise or Revolut Business for multi-currency invoicing. Most non-resident directors need one video call.

  7. 7

    Appoint an accountant and start filing

    Monthly VAT returns, payroll if you hire, and an annual corporate return filed by 30 June. The 10% flat corporate tax applies from your first invoice.

Tax residency

Germany taxes worldwide income of residents and applies strict place-of-management tests. A Bulgarian company run day-to-day from Munich is a German taxpayer, so the move needs real relocation of management.

Exit tax and leaving Germany

Wegzugsteuer applies to significant shareholdings when you leave Germany, taxing unrealised gains as if sold. Plan the sequence: exit tax exposure is usually cheapest before a company has built up value.

Banking and payments

German founders usually pair a Bulgarian business account with an EMI for SEPA collections; German clients accept a BG IBAN under SEPA rules without surcharge.

VAT on sales into Germany

Supplies to German businesses are reverse-charged on your BG VAT number. Selling to German consumers keeps you inside OSS at 19%.

Mistakes German founders make

  • Assuming a registered address in Sofia is enough while the Geschäftsführung stays in Germany
  • Triggering Wegzugsteuer accidentally by restructuring a GmbH before the move
  • Forgetting the Bulgarian entity still needs German VAT handling for B2C sales

Questions German founders ask

Is a Bulgarian EOOD legal for a German founder?

Yes. EU freedom of establishment lets German citizens own and run a Bulgarian company. The tax outcome depends on where management sits and where you are resident.

How much cheaper is it to run than a GmbH?

Most of our German clients see total annual compliance costs drop by a factor of three to five, before any tax saving.

Full Bulgaria vs Germany tax tableRun your numbers in the tax calculatorFormation pricing

Start your Bulgarian company from Germany

We handle the register filing, bank introduction, VAT and accounting in English. 750+ EU founders incorporated, fully remote.

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