Between 11% and 12% of Bulgaria's fuel market is in the grey sector, according to an estimate cited on BNT's morning show "The Day Begins". Hristo Markov, deputy executive director of the National Revenue Agency (NRA), took part in the discussion. A working group from the NRA and the Customs Agency will meet next week to discuss further steps, and Markov will announce the decisions afterwards.
The NRA, the Interior Ministry and Customs check petrol stations together. In their latest joint check, inspectors looked at 17 sites and found 7 violations, mostly at smaller stations. They examine fiscal receipts, fuel records, tank level gauges and the papers for fuel delivered and sold.
The NRA tracks fuel through its own information centre, from customs tax warehouses to petrol stations, along with the supporting documents. If it suspects a station buys from another source or sells smuggled fuel, inspectors go to the site rather than only checking papers. Sites are chosen after analysis, not at random.
Estimates of the size of Bulgaria's grey economy range from 10% to 30%. Markov said the NRA has its own method to measure it and sees it mostly when it checks businesses. He said the grey sector cannot disappear completely, but the agency is working constantly to shrink it and expects better results.
By 31 October the NRA had collected €21.88bn, the agency's operating data show. That is €880m, or 5%, more than in the same period last year.
The agency has met 77% of its annual plan. November and December are strong months for revenue, and Markov expects the plan to be 98% to 99% met by the end of the year.
He admitted that inflation affects revenue, but said it is not the only reason for the rise. How the NRA collects money matters too, as does whether traders pay on time. Markov said assessments by institutions show the euro has had a limited effect on prices. Prices have also gone up in other European countries, and the main cause is energy costs.
Since the start of the year the NRA has carried out more than 38,000 checks of businesses and found about 15,500 violations. Failing to issue receipts is one of the main problems. Fines go up to €10,000, depending on the violation, but Markov said the current fines clearly do not worry offenders.
"The fine clearly has to go up, because it does not deter anyone. People pay the fines and still do not issue receipts," Markov told BNT.
The share of violations in restaurants is rising. In 2024, violations turned up in 20% of checks at restaurants and cafes, in 2025 in 25%, and this year the share is about 30%. Markov said this points to a weak tax culture and discipline among traders, so the NRA will send more staff and effort to them.
"There are cases even in well-known restaurants and hotels where they fail to issue fiscal receipts," he added.
The agency is discussing making fines depend on a business's turnover. It is also considering whether to link card payment terminals to cash registers, as in Italy.