Meal vouchers in Bulgaria are electronic starting from January 2024
1.05.2023
In 2024, meal vouchers in Bulgaria become electronic with the the changes to the Corporate Income Tax Act and Ordinance N 7 by the Ministry of finance.
What are the most important changes:
- Meal vouchers are digitized - they will use only an electronic medium - a plastic or virtual card. This means that employees will receive a card which they'll use to make payments at POS terminals in the merchant locations part of the Pluxee Bulgaria network.
- Paper meal vouchers will no longer be issued starting from July 1st 2024. Until then, employers can choose whether to provide paper or electronic vouchers, and all company employees must receive vouchers in the same medium. After June 30th, only digital vouchers remain an option.
- Electronic meal vouchers can only be issued by licensed operators. Pluxee Bulgaria has been granted a license to issue electronic vouchers.
The full texts of the amendments can be found in issue 66 of 1 August 2023 (of the VAT Act) and issue 99 of 28 November 2023 (of Regulation No 7) of the Official Gazette.
The changes introduced will meet the modernisation needs of the companies and will facilitate the use of vouchers by employers, their employees and our business partners.
What do we need to know about electronic meal vouchers?
- They will be tax-free for up to BGN200 per month per employee, just like paper vouchers;
- Employers must provide the same amount to all their employees, have no public debts, and have not had a pay cut in the last three months;
- Electronic vouchers have a 1-year validity period - employees must spend them within one year. The validity period of the Pluxee Bulgaria cards is be 5 years;
- Card funds will not be able to be withdrawn at an ATM or transferred to a bank account;
- Electronic vouchers will only be usable at shops and restaurants that have signed a contract with the relevant voucher operator and accept payments at a POS terminal. They can only be used to purchase food, meals, soft drinks and food supplements.
What is the annual food voucher quota for 2024?
The total annual quota for paper and electronic food vouchers in 2024 is BGN1.6 billion.
Important: All paper vouchers that are already issued will be valid until the expiry date written on each voucher and will be accepted in our merchant network.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.
