Legislative changes adopted in February 2026
The Romanian authorities have adopted several legislative amendments with effects, among other things, on corporate tax, microenterprise income tax, VAT, income tax and social contributions, local taxes and various tax procedural aspects.
1. Local taxes
Changes have been introduced to the building tax, e.g. on buildings completed/used without a works acceptance report, buildings constructed and/or used without a building permit, etc. Mechanisms for identifying undeclared buildings are also provided for.
If the owner fails to declare a building, the amount of tax due increases by 30% for each 6-month delay period, as applied to the initially assessed tax amount.
Rules have been introduced regarding the local tax on passenger cars in various specific situations, such as purchase/registration/transfer during the same year, as well as for de-registration upon request/re-registration.
2. Aspects related to the Fiscal Procedure Code
Various aspects of the Fiscal Procedure Code have been introduced and modified, as follows:
- the obligation to present a fiscal attestation certificate also applies to the buyer of buildings, land and means of transport. Failure to comply with this obligation leads to the nullity of the transfer deed
- the tax authorities are required to publish on their own website the list of debtors and outstanding tax liabilities, including for individuals
3. Corporate tax
- Tax credits for R&D expenses
From 1 January 2026, an optional 10% tax credit is available for eligible research and development (R&D) expenses, as an alternative to the existing incentive of an additional 50% deduction.
The tax credit mechanism can be used by corporate income tax payers, as well as those subject to the minimum turnover tax. Where only partially used in a given year, the remaining amount is calculated at the end of the tax year (or the modified tax year) and may be used during the following 4 tax years/modified tax years to settle certain outstanding tax liabilities as specified in law or be refunded. There are specific rules for tax groups.
An order will be issued by the Minister of Finance approving the procedure for applying this tax credit.
- Non-taxable income
From 1 January 2026, the list of non-taxable income has been extended to include income representing the difference in tax credit that is offset/refunded, as well as amounts representing the bonification awarded by the tax authority.
- Deadline for filing annual corporate income tax returns
The deadline for submitting annual corporate income tax returns is now 25 June of the following year for all categories of taxpayer (for taxpayers with a modified tax year, the deadline is the 25th day of the sixth month following the closing of the tax year).
- Super-accelerated tax depreciation
From 1 January 2026, it is possible to apply super-accelerated tax depreciation on new assets belonging to subgroups 2.1 Technological Equipment (i.e. machinery, tools and work installations) and/or 2.4 Animals and Plantations that are acquired/produced and put into use in 2026 (or during a modified tax year beginning in 2026).
More precisely, during the first year of use, up to 65% of an asset’s fiscal acquisition value may be deducted, with the remaining value becoming deductible during the subsequent years over the asset’s remaining normal useful life.
Specific rules are provided for assets under construction started before 2026.
Taxpayers applying the corporate income tax exemption for reinvested profits are not entitled to apply accelerated or super-accelerated depreciation on the same assets. By way of exception, for 2026, accelerated depreciation is permitted for certain assets (subgroup 2.1 Technological Equipment and Computers and Peripherals).
Specific rules are provided for taxpayers applying the incentive in 2026 as a modified tax year.
- Increase to the value threshold for depreciable fixed assets
The RON 2,500 threshold for depreciable fixed asset has been increased to RON 5,000 starting 1 January 2026.
For fixed assets with a fiscal acquisition value of between RON 2,500 and RON 5,000 existing as of 31 December 2025 (or the last day of a modified tax year ending in 2026), the remaining un-depreciated fiscal value is recovered over the remaining normal useful life.
- Rules on the use of reserves relating to the reinvested profit tax exemption
Reserves relating to the exemption from reinvested profit tax, starting with the balance existing as of 31 December 2025, become taxable if they are used for share capital increases, distribution or covering losses within a period of 5 years. After this 5-year period, they will be taxed at 50% only if they are distributed.
4. Microenterprise income tax
On 1 January 2026, various aspects relating to microenterprise income tax were introduced and amended, as follows:
- for newly established legal entities, the employee condition is considered fulfilled if met within 90 days (previously 30 days)
- when determining the EUR 100,000 threshold, only revenues that constitute turnover are taken into account
- when calculating the EUR 100,000 threshold for leaving the system, revenues that constitute turnover and revenues from the transfer of fixed assets/land are taken into account where more than one asset from any subgroup or more than one plot of land is transferred
- non-taxable income, as with corporate income tax, also includes revenues representing the bonification awarded by the tax authority
5. 3% bonification for companies
For the 2025 tax year (or the modified tax year starting in 2025), a 3% bonus is introduced for taxpayers subject to corporate income tax, microenterprise income tax and the minimum turnover tax.
The awarding of bonuses is conditional upon filing all returns according to the tax registration vector and the full and timely settlement of all tax/budgetary liabilities. The bonus is to be used for offsetting tax liabilities (it is not refundable).
6. Income tax and social contributions
7. VAT cash-accounting system
- Amendments to optional contributions to pension funds/schemes
For self‑employed individuals under the actual income system, a newly introduced measure allows for the deduction of contributions to voluntary pension funds (Pillar III) managed by authorised entities in a state adhering to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Code of Liberalisation, up to EUR 400 per year per person.
Again with respect to self‑employed individuals, deductibility up to the same limit has been introduced for contributions paid for personal purposes to occupational pension funds/schemes (Pillar IV) and to pan‑European personal pension products (PEPP), where such products are administered by authorised entities within the EU/EEA or in states adhering to the OECD Code of Liberalisation.
Under amendments to the calculation basis for employment income tax, the following contributions become non-taxable, subject to a monthly limit of 33% of the base salary and an annual ceiling of EUR 400 per person:
- voluntary pension funds and schemes managed by authorised entities in a state adhering to the OECD Code of Liberalisation (supplementing existing provisions for funds managed by authorised entities in the EU/EEA)
- occupational pension funds and schemes (Pillar IV) managed by authorised entities in the EU/EEA or in states adhering to the OECD Code of Liberalisation (newly introduced provision)
For the product types listed above, where the cost is born by the employee, the legislative amendments introduce the deductibility of such contributions from the employment income tax base, subject to a ceiling of EUR 400 per person per year. In addition, the employee’s personal contributions to PEPP are likewise deductible, subject to a ceiling of EUR 400 per person per year.
To align with existing provisions on the taxation of employment income, amendments have been introduced to the calculation basis for social security contributions such that the following are now excluded from the calculation basis, within the aforementioned limits:
- voluntary pension funds and schemes managed by authorised entities in a state adhering to the OECD Code of Liberalisation (supplementing existing provisions on funds managed by authorised entities in the EU/EEA)
- occupational pension funds and schemes (Pillar IV) managed by authorised entities in the EU/EEA or in states adhering to the OECD Code of Liberalisation (newly introduced provision
- Shares, Bonds, Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs)
Self‑employed individuals may deduct, up to a limit of EUR 400 per person per year, amounts paid for personal purposes for the acquisition of shares, bonds or units in exchange‑traded collective investment undertakings – Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), provided the transactions are executed through authorised entities and are backed up by supporting documents.
In addition, employees may deduct from the employment income tax base (including income assimilated to salaries) any amounts expended on the acquisition of shares, bonds or ETF units, up to a limit of EUR 400 per person per year.
- Income Tax Bonification for Individuals
Individuals may benefit from a 3% bonification on income tax for 2025, provided they file their Single Tax Return and settle (whether by payment or off-setting) the amount of income tax and social contributions due by 15 April 2026.
The bonification is calculated and recorded by the taxpayer in the return, thereby reducing the amount of tax payable. If the return has been filed without applying the bonification, it may still be awarded by submitting an amended return by the same deadline. Payments made previously or by the due date are taken into account when determining bonifications.
The threshold for applying the VAT cash‑accounting system has been increased from RON 4,500,000 to RON 5,000,000 for the period 1 March-31 December 2026 and will further increase to RON 5,500,000 as of 1 January 2027.
In light of this threshold increase as of 1 March 2026, the following transitional measures have been introduced:
- Taxable persons applying the VAT cash‑accounting system who exceed the threshold of RON 4,500,000 during January 2026, but without exceeding the new threshold of RON 5,000,000, will not be removed from the register of taxable persons applying the VAT cash‑accounting system
- Taxable persons who exceed the threshold of RON 4,500,000 during February 2026, but who do not exceed the threshold of RON 5,000,000, are not required to submit the notification regarding their achieved turnover and will not be removed from the register of taxable persons applying the VAT cash‑accounting system
Source: Emergency Ordinance no. 7/2026 on the amendment and supplementation of certain normative acts, as well as on the adoption of measures to increase the financial capacity of administrative-territorial units – Official Gazette no. 146 of 25.02.2026
Source: Source: Emergency Ordinance no. 8/2026 regarding the introduction of measures for economic recovery and increasing productive investments and competitiveness, as well as on the amendment and supplementation of certain normative acts in the fiscal-budgetary field – Official Gazette no. 147 of 25.02.2026
