Today, the Budget and Finance Committee of the National Assembly reviewed on second reading the Draft Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria for 2026. The budget is the first in euros and has a deficit of 3% of GDP.
Main highlights of the project:
- Increase in dividend tax from 5% to 10%
- Increase in taxation for gambling games from 20% to 25%
- Introduction of electronic reporting of sales revenue
- Expansion of the scope of goods subject to fiscal control
- Increase in the insurance contribution to the "Pensions" fund by 2 percentage points
- Increase of the maximum insurable income
The total expenditures under the consolidated fiscal program are set at 45.8% of GDP. The minimum wage is expected to increase from 550.67 to 620.20 euros. Pensions will be updated according to the "Swiss rule".
Proposals for changes between first and second reading:
- Proposal for a concession of the Bulgarian Sports Totalizator
- Increase in the maximum amount of state guarantees
- Adoption of a plan to reduce administrative staff
- Increase in the subsidy for religious denominations (for the Muslim religious denomination)
- Raising the VAT registration threshold
- Proposals for investments in agricultural infrastructure
- Various proposals from PP-DB, including for the preservation of salaries in certain institutions, reduction of public debt, bonuses in the Supreme Judicial Council, etc.
- Changes in the Law on Underground Resources
The Budget Committee adopted the draft budgets of NHIF and NSSI for 2026.