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Country guide · 2026

How to open a Bulgarian company from Ireland 🇮🇪

Ireland's 12.5% trading rate is famous, yet Irish owner-managers rarely keep profit at that rate. Extracting it costs up to 52% between income tax, USC and PRSI, close-company surcharges hit undistributed passive income at 20%, and passive income itself is taxed at 25%. Bulgaria's flat 10% plus 5% on distributions is often better on the money that actually reaches you.

Irish rate
12.5% trading rate but up to 52% on income and 25% on passive income
Bulgaria
10% corporate, 5% dividends
Setup
Remote, 3-7 business days

Why Irish founders move to a Bulgarian EOOD

  • 5% dividend withholding instead of marginal extraction at up to 52%
  • No close-company surcharge on undistributed investment or rental income
  • 10% flat personal rate in Bulgaria against Irish USC and PRSI on top of income tax
  • Lower running costs than an Irish limited company with statutory audit exemption conditions to watch

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

Ireland taxes residents on worldwide income and applies management-and-control tests to companies. Irish domicile matters too: domiciled residents are taxed on foreign income as it arises, not on a remittance basis.

Exit tax and leaving Ireland

Ireland has no broad emigration exit tax for individuals on private company shares, but CGT on a disposal remains due while you are resident or ordinarily resident, and ordinary residence can persist for three years after departure.

Banking and payments

Irish clients pay a Bulgarian IBAN under SEPA without friction. Most founders add an EMI for card revenue and non-euro invoicing.

VAT on sales into Ireland

B2B supplies to Irish businesses are reverse-charged from a Bulgarian VAT number; consumer digital sales into Ireland go through OSS at 23%.

Mistakes Irish founders make

  • Assuming the 12.5% headline rate applies to all income, including rent, interest and investment returns
  • Overlooking the close-company surcharge when profits are retained rather than distributed
  • Treating ordinary residence as ending the day you leave Ireland

Questions Irish founders ask

Why leave a 12.5% jurisdiction for a 10% one?

The corporate rates are close, so the decision hinges on extraction: Ireland can take more than half of what you draw personally, while Bulgaria takes 5% on dividends and 10% on salary.

Does the double tax treaty cover Bulgaria and Ireland?

Yes. Both are EU member states with a treaty in force, so dividends, interest and royalties follow treaty rates and there is no blacklist issue.

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

Start your Bulgarian company from Ireland

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

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