Türkiye’s Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek stated Friday that the government will publish the names of 36,806 taxpayers with confirmed tax debts and penalties.
He noted that 30,696 of these taxpayers are unable to pay their debts. The total overdue taxes and penalties amount to ₺914.9 billion ($26.65 billion) and 88.8% of these receivables are considered uncollectible.
Simsek announced that a list of taxpayers with debts exceeding ₺5 million will be made available on the revenue administration’s website. He explained that taxpayers will be divided into two lists: one for confirmed taxes and penalties and another for overdue, unpaid taxes and penalties.
Confirmed assessments, fraudulent activities
Regarding the “confirmed assessments” list, he mentioned that it includes 2,464 taxpayers, with total confirmed taxes and penalties reaching ₺53 billion. He pointed out that 419 of these are individual taxpayers, while 2,045 are businesses in Türkiye.
He highlighted that many of the listed taxpayers are not engaged in legitimate business activities, as the list contains entities created for tax evasion and fraudulent invoice practices.
Legal measures against fraud
To tackle fraud, Simsek indicated that the government has enacted legal measures against businesses generating illegal profits through fraudulent invoicing, though some of these measures have been annulled by the Constitutional Court. He mentioned a project utilizing artificial intelligence to identify high-risk taxpayers involved in fraudulent activities.
Efforts to collect overdue taxes
As for the second list, Simsek revealed that it consists of 36,806 taxpayers, including 7,948 individuals and 28,858 corporate entities, with 31,999 of these taxpayers being inactive in türkiye. The total amount of overdue taxes and penalties is ₺914.9 billion. He emphasized that the government is working diligently to collect tax receivables.
Support for well-intentioned taxpayers
He added, “Taxes are the most important source of revenue for the state. That’s why timely payment is essential. We also support well-intentioned taxpayers who find themselves in financial difficulty by offering payment plans.”
