I am writing this post further to a reply to a topic in Talk Bansko Forum. The idea is to give some more information on the things that need to be done once the property purchase has been completed.
This (sort of) guide assumes that the buyer is an individual who bought the property on his/her name, which as per the current legislation in Bulgaria can be only apartment or in some cases apartment with the so called “ideal” shares from the ownership of the land where the building is built.
1. First step is to register in the BULSTAT registry (BULSTAT = BULgarian STATistics). The term for this registration is seven days from receiving the Title Deed for purchase of the property.
Why is this registration required?
The purpose of BULSTAT registration is to sort out the mess caused by the “knowledge” for foreign languages and mostly the interpretation of the names in Bulgarian language / Cyrillic alphabet. By creating unique code only from digits the misinterpretation is (hopefully) avoided. Once each owner has such number it is easier to register properties, check for taxes and obligations. For the Bulgarians this is done with their identity (EGN) numbers but since foreigners do not have such numbers the BULSTAT is going to be used.
The registration is compulsory from some time now but what happens with those who bought properties before it was introduced? Well, the things are not very clear but officially all existing owners should be registered by the State, or at least that is the assumption. In practical terms every owner at one point or another should do this registration so there is no chance to miss it.
2. Secondly, the other registration that is required is with the National Revenue Agency where each owner has to submit a special form/declaration describing the property and its main characteristics. On the basis of this declaration each year are calculated the property and the waste/rubbish collection tax. The term for this registration is two months from the date of receiving of the Title Deed.
3. Thirdly, (and lastly) the registration that is required in case that the property will be rented to tourists is so called “tourist accommodation” registration which has to be made in the Tax Department where the property is located and subsequently is connected with payment of annual tax. In case that this registration is missed then this omission can be reason for imposing fines by the tax administration.
Hope the above information could be useful for someone. However, for each particular case it will be good to consult the things with a lawyer first.
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