Finance Ministry to publish names of major tax debtors

ANKARA

Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek has stated that his ministry will release the names of taxpayers with outstanding tax liabilities and penalties amounting to 5 million Turkish Liras ($146,750) or more to the public.

“We continue to take steps to strengthen tax justice. We have issued directives to publish lists of taxpayers with overdue and unpaid tax and penalty debts. We will disclose to the public the names of those taxpayers who owe 5 million liras or more to each tax office," Şimşek remarked on Sept. 1.

Those who wish to avoid being named on the "tax evader" lists have been given until the end of September to settle their debts, the minister noted.

Şimşek clarified that these lists will include tax and penalty debts that were due as of Dec. 31, 2023, but remained unpaid as of Sept. 30.

Another list will disclose the names of taxpayers, regardless of whether they are in arrears, who have undergone tax audits or have had tax assessments finalized between June 1, 2023, and May 31 as determined by audit or assessment commission decisions.

Şimşek emphasized that debts related to penalties will not be disclosed for taxpayers who were registered for income or corporate tax in the areas affected by the earthquakes in the southern province of Kahramanmaraş as of the date of the devastating earthquakes.

The earthquakes in February 2023 killed over 53,000 people and devastated numerous businesses and residential buildings across 11 provinces, prompting the government to extend various forms of relief to the affected enterprises.

All tax offices across Türkiye will release the lists from Oct. 15-31, and the Revenue Administration’s website will host them from Nov. 1-15, he added.

The ministry has enacted significant reforms to bolster tax justice, Şimşek earlier said, adding, “For instance, we exempted the minimum wage from taxation and reduced the tax rate in the lowest income tax bracket.”