E-commerce accounting in Bulgaria: NRA registration, cash on delivery, couriers and returns
In e-commerce, money passes through a platform, a payment provider, a courier and a bank before it reaches you. Each has its own report — and if they don't reconcile, turnover, VAT and profit drift apart. Here's how to keep it all in order.
- Declare your online shop to the NRA before the first sale — including sales via marketplaces and social media.
- Which document you issue depends on the payment method: bank transfer, cash on delivery via postal money order, or card.
- Reconcile monthly: orders ↔ courier reports ↔ bank ↔ stock.
- Distance sales to EU consumers above €10,000 a year are taxed at the customer's VAT rate — easiest via OSS.
Step 1: declare your shop to the NRA
Every trader selling goods or services through an online shop submits details of the shop to the National Revenue Agency (Art. 52m of Ordinance N-18) — before the first sale and whenever something changes. This also applies if you sell through marketplaces such as eMAG, Amazon and Etsy, or via social media.
You declare details such as the shop's name and domain, the domain owner, the hosting provider, payment methods and product types.
Step 2: the right document for each payment method
The most common e-commerce mistake is one process for all payments. In fact the document depends on how the customer pays:
| Payment method | What is usually required |
|---|---|
| Bank transfer | No fiscal receipt. Invoice on request (always for businesses). |
| Cash on delivery through a licensed postal operator (postal money order) | No fiscal receipt — the courier's document proves payment. |
| Online card payment | Specific requirements for the payment document; under certain conditions a fiscal document and SUPTO. |
| Cash on delivery that is not a postal money order | A fiscal document and Ordinance N-18 requirements. |
Ordinance N-18 requirements depend on your shop's exact set-up and payment providers. Before adding a new payment method, check with us what changes in your documents.
Step 3: monthly reconciliation
Reconciliation is the heart of e-commerce accounting. Every month we check four sources:
- The platform — orders, cancellations, discounts, shipping.
- Couriers — cash-on-delivery reports and their fees.
- Payment providers — card payments, commissions, amounts held back.
- The bank — what actually arrived.
Differences usually come from deducted fees (the courier pays out a net amount), delayed transfers at month end and returned parcels that weren't recorded. Caught in the same month, they are easy to fix. Found at year end, they are not.
Returns and cancellations
Consumers can withdraw from a distance purchase within 14 days. For your accounts, every return should:
- be linked to the specific sale (order number, invoice or receipt);
- be documented — a credit note for an invoice, or the equivalent document for a till receipt;
- have a traceable refund (bank transfer, card refund);
- be reflected in stock — goods returned to inventory or written off with a protocol.
VAT on online sales
- Bulgarian registration threshold: €51,130 of taxable turnover per calendar year. Watch it daily in peak months — registration becomes mandatory 7 days after you cross it.
- Sales to EU consumers: once your total distance sales exceed €10,000 a year, you charge the VAT of the customer's country. The One-Stop-Shop (OSS) lets you file all of it in Bulgaria.
- Marketplaces and advertising: commissions from foreign platforms and ads on Facebook or Google usually require reverse-charge VAT. If you are not VAT-registered but receive such services from EU suppliers, you may need to register under Art. 97a of the VAT Act — check before the first payment.
Stock and cost of goods
Without an accurate cost of goods you don't know your real profit. At minimum you need purchase prices including delivery costs, stock by item and protocols for damaged goods, shortages and samples. At higher volumes a link between the platform and the accounting software pays for itself.
Online seller's checklist
- Your shop is declared to the NRA and the details are up to date.
- You know which document is issued for each payment method.
- Courier reports and the bank are reconciled every month.
- Returns are documented and linked to the sale.
- You monitor the VAT threshold and EU sales.
- Stock in the warehouse matches stock in the books.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a fiscal device for an online shop in Bulgaria?
It depends on how customers pay. If you accept only bank transfers and cash on delivery through a licensed postal operator (postal money order), no fiscal receipt is issued. Card payments and other cash-on-delivery arrangements have different requirements and may require a fiscal document and certified sales software (SUPTO).
I only sell on eMAG or Etsy. Do I still declare a shop to the NRA?
Yes. The obligation to declare an online shop also covers sales through marketplaces and social media.
How long do customers have to return goods?
Consumers can withdraw from a distance contract within 14 days, as a rule without giving a reason. The return must be documented and linked to the specific sale.
Do I need to be VAT-registered to sell in the EU?
Not necessarily. While your total distance sales to EU consumers stay under €10,000 a year and your turnover is below the €51,130 threshold, you can sell without VAT registration. Above those thresholds the rules change.
