Head-to-head · tax residents 2026
Ireland or Bulgaria: which should you move to?
Two of Europe's top relocation targets, both with newcomer regimes. Here is how they compare on the taxes that move the needle.
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| Factor |  Ireland ↗ |  Bulgaria ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| Top personal income tax | 40% | 10% |
| Corporate tax | 12.5%* | 10%* |
| Capital gains tax | Taxed | Taxed |
| Dividend tax | 40% | 5% |
| VAT / sales tax | 23% | 20% |
| Wealth tax | No | No |
| Inheritance tax | Yes | Yes |
| Foreign income | Worldwide | Partly exempt |
| Headline expat regime | SARP | 10% Flat Personal Income Tax |
| Cost of living (vs your country) | 85 | 23 |
| Population | 5,484,367 | 6,433,302 |
| Area | 70,280 km² | 110,910 km² |
| Population density | 78/km² | 58/km² |
| Airports (large + medium) | 10 | 9 |
| Annual tourists | 10,951,000 | 5,557,000 |
| Flight time from your country | · | · |
| Direct flight likely? | · | · |
| Life expectancy | 82.6 yrs | 75.8 yrs |
| Safety (homicides/100k) | 0.7 | 1.1 |
| Happiness (0-10) | 7.09 | 5.1 |
| Corruption index (higher = cleaner) | 72/100 | 44/100 |
| Double-tax treaties (approx) | ~74 | ~70 |
| Internet speed (median fixed) | 221 Mbps | 94 Mbps |
| Healthcare spend / person | $7,395 | $1,258 |
| Air quality (PM2.5, lower=better) | 7.51 | 19.68 |
| Time zone (approx) | UTC | UTC+2 |
| Digital nomad visa | · | · |
| Official languages | 2 (English, Irish) | 1 (Bulgarian) |
Green = more favourable. Cost of living shown as a percentage of your home country (under 100% = cheaper than home). Tax data: compiled by us, being re-verified; cost of living: World Bank PPP; area & population: GeoNames; life expectancy & homicide rate: World Bank.
* Ireland: 12.5% on trading income, 25% on passive/non-trading income. 15% top-up (Pillar Two) for groups with turnover >=€750m. · Bulgaria: Flat 10% CIT on worldwide income of residents; lowest headline rate in the EU. EU Pillar Two (15% minimum) applies to in-scope large groups from 2024/2025.
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