
Bulgaria’s Towns Struggle Under Outdated Taxes as World Bank Urges Sweeping Reform
Published on: Aug. 14, 2025, 10:09 a.m. | Source: Devdiscourse
The World Bank and IME’s review finds Bulgaria’s municipalities fiscally constrained by outdated property taxes, weak vehicle tax design, and overreliance on state transfers, limiting service quality and local autonomy. It calls for market-aligned property valuations, CO₂-based vehicle taxes, redesigned equalization grants, and efficiency-driven spending reforms to boost equity, capacity, and sustainability.