The current fiscal and administrative framework discourages real estate ownership, especially for SMEs, due to high taxes, unstable rules and costs, says Cosmin Răileanu, founder of Depozit Virtual.
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“In its current form, the fiscal and administrative framework in Romania indirectly discourages the ownership of real estate per company, especially for SMEs. There is no explicit ban, but the combination of high taxation, changing rules and administrative costs makes investing in your own space perceived as risk rather than stability“Cosmin Răileanu, the founder of the Depozit Virtual platform, explains for “Adevărul”.
A concrete example, he argues, is the comparison between ownership and rent. More precisely, according to his words, for an office or production space of approximately 100,000 euros, a company ends up bearing building tax calculated at the market value, periodic revaluation costs and additional taxation on sale.
“The capital is locked up for the long term, in an unpredictable fiscal context. In parallel, the same company can rent a similar space for 800 – 1,000 euros per month, fully deductible rent, without locking up the capital and with contractual flexibility. From an economic point of view, the message is clear: it is safer to rent than to own”. complete this.
Recent legislative changes
Cosmin Răileanu's statements come against the backdrop of recent changes in tax legislation, which significantly affect companies' decisions to own real estate.
We remind you that, from January 1, 2026, local taxes for housing have increased considerably, both for individuals and for companies, with average increases reaching 70-80%, according to estimates made by real estate agent George Marcu.
Initially, Law 239/2025 provided for increases of up to 7 times the tax on apartments purchased by the company. Two days after the publication of the Law in the Official Gazette, the Bologna Government issued an emergency ordinance and suspended these provisions.
Thus, the Emergency Ordinance 78/2025 orders that the provisions of Law 239/2025 (Fiscal Package 2), regarding the increase of the local tax on companies' real estate, enter into force from January 1, 2027.
It should be noted that the tax percentage applied to buildings (between 0.08% and 0.2%) remains low, but the taxable base on which this rate is applied has increased significantly in 2026. As a result, the effective increase in the amount of payment for companies and individuals reaches 70–80%, explaining the difference between the small rate and the real impact on the budget.
This complex tax structure, combined with changing rules and high administrative costs, makes investing in a private space more of a risk than an opportunity.
Recently, business consultant Gianina Crăciun, founder of Supertree Workspaces & More, explained to “Adevărul” that the calculation structure of local taxes does not fundamentally change. “The current legislation provides for the taxation of buildings on the basis of taxable value × differentiated rate for residential / non-residential / mixed. The same logic remains for 2026”.
According to her, the taxable amount is significantly higher this year.
“Even if the calculation structure remains, the law published in the Official Gazette increases the taxable base of buildings, which in practice leads to higher payment amounts. Local authorities cannot reduce below the 2025 threshold. The draft law clearly states that municipalities cannot set tax rates for 2026 lower than those applicable in 2025. Updated official data on the new exact taxable values per square meter for 2026 (for example by MFP Order or HCGMB update) – these values are not yet officially published on the websites of fiscal institutions or municipalities (to date). The reported situations indicate increases of up to ~80% compared to 2025, but remain indicative until the publication of detailed rules”said the specialist.
As a reaction, companies will increasingly turn to rent, flexible spaces and remote or hybrid work models, experts estimate. “In the short term, this adaptation provides agility. In the long term, however, it can limit capital accumulation and productive investment. A healthy environment should provide entrepreneurs with real options so that ownership or rent are strategic decisions, not solutions to avoid fiscal or administrative risk.”says Cosmin Răileanu.
