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Country guide · 2026

How to open a Bulgarian company from Greece 🇬🇷

Greece is closer to Bulgaria than most founders expect: dividends are taxed at 5% in both countries and an IKE can be formed with nominal capital. The gap is at the corporate layer, 22% against 10%, and in EFKA contributions that owners pay in fixed bands whether or not the company makes money.

Greek rate
22% corporate tax plus fixed EFKA contributions
Bulgaria
10% corporate, 5% dividends
Setup
Remote, 3-7 business days

Why Greek founders move to a Bulgarian EOOD

  • 10% corporate tax instead of 22% on the same profit
  • No compulsory owner contribution bands payable in loss-making years
  • 20% VAT rather than 24%, which matters if you sell to consumers
  • Electronic incorporation with no tax office visits and no physical filing

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

Greece taxes residents on worldwide income and applies management-and-control tests. Staying resident in Athens while owning a Bulgarian EOOD invites the AADE to assess the company locally.

Exit tax and leaving Greece

Greece has no broad exit tax on individual shareholdings, which makes restructuring simpler than in Germany or the Netherlands, but transferring assets out of a Greek IKE can still trigger corporate gains.

Banking and payments

Both countries are in SEPA, so euro transfers settle normally. Greek founders usually keep one Greek account for legacy income and run the company through Bulgaria plus an EMI.

VAT on sales into Greece

Intra-EU B2B services are reverse-charged; if you sell digital products to Greek consumers you still charge 24% Greek VAT through OSS regardless of where the company sits.

Mistakes Greek founders make

  • Assuming the matching 5% dividend rate means there is nothing to gain
  • Keeping EFKA registration active as a sole trader alongside the new company
  • Missing that the Greek 50% non-dom exemption applies to employment income, not dividends

Questions Greek founders ask

Greece also taxes dividends at 5%. Why move?

Because the corporate layer differs. On €100,000 of profit, Greece takes €22,000 before the dividend, Bulgaria takes €10,000. The saving compounds every year.

What about EFKA?

Greek owner-managers pay fixed monthly EFKA bands regardless of profit. Bulgarian contributions are capped and tied to declared insurable income, so a quiet year costs far less.

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

Start your Bulgarian company from Greece

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

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