On Wednesday, 21 October 2026, the Senate adopted a bill amending Article 62 of the Fiscal Code. Prizes in cash or in kind, at sports competitions, cultural events or educational contests, would be tax-free up to one-sixth of the national gross minimum wage, for each prize, on the date it is awarded. The vote: 60 for, one against, 31 abstentions. The Senate is the first chamber. The Chamber of Deputies decides. It is not law in force.

The adopted text, as reported by Agerpres, also covers prizes financed by sponsorship, entry fees or similar sources. Those already taxed under Article 110 are excluded. The sixth is a cap per prize, not an unlimited exemption. Headlines that speak of “scrapping the tax” skip the cap.

Today, Article 62 already leaves untaxed, among other things, prizes for athletes medalled at world and European championships and the Olympics, plus other high-performance sports rights. Article 110 otherwise taxes prize income at 10% after a 600-lei tax-free slice per prize. Wednesday’s bill would add a new category to 62; it would not repeal 110.

The Chamber can amend, reject or pass it. Until then, the one-sixth cap does not apply. No one is exempted by the Senate vote. No one is fined.

The Agerpres report does not say who voted against and who abstained. The 31 abstentions are not a veto. One vote against is not a law.

On 21 October the Senate plenary sat from 10:00 with a final vote from 12:00, according to the agenda on senat.ro. The agenda confirms the sitting; it does not replace the Chamber.

Image: the Palace of Parliament, Bucharest, 27 April 2013, Nicubunu, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons. The palace in 2013, not Wednesday’s vote.

Sources consulted: Senate: Tax-free prizes for participants in sports competitions, cultural events, contests — AGERPRES; The Senate wants to scrap tax on prizes from sports competitions and cultural and educational contests — Știrile ProTV.