New era for meal cards! Limits imposed on grocery spending

A new era is beginning for meal cards, one of the largest non-salary benefits for employees. From now on, the daily upper limit for grocery spending is restricted to 158 TL. Calculated over 22 working days, this amounts to a monthly ceiling of 3,476 TL.

With the regulation from the Ministry of Finance, steps have been tightened to ensure that meal cards are used exclusively for food purposes. Grocery purchases made with these cards will no longer be able to exceed the set upper limit. The primary justification for the practice is to ensure that the tax advantage employers gain through meal cards is limited strictly to food expenses.

"THE BUTCHER WORRIES ABOUT THE MEAT, THE SHEEP WORRIES ABOUT ITS LIFE"

Consumer Confederation President Aydın Ağaoğlu criticized the regulation with harsh words. "A restriction has been placed on meal cards. As we say, the butcher worries about the meat, the sheep worries about its life... The Ministry of Finance has put the brakes on the amount that employers can deduct from taxes for the meal cards they provide to their employees," he said.

"AS THE TREASURY'S NEED FOR RESOURCES INCREASES..."

Emphasizing that the pressure on small and medium-sized enterprises is increasing, Ağaoğlu stated, "As the Treasury's need for resources grows, the solution is once again found in burdening small businesses. In a place where chain supermarkets generate billions of liras in turnover, a limit is being placed on the food the consumer eats," he expressed.

"WHERE CAN ONE EAT FOR 158 LIRA OUTSIDE OF A CITY RESTAURANT?"

Stating that it has become almost impossible to eat a meal for 158 TL under current conditions, Ağaoğlu reacted to the regulation with the words, "For heaven's sake, a serving of dried beans has become 200-300 liras. Where can one eat for this money outside of a city restaurant?"

On the other hand, employers can also provide the same amount as a cash meal allowance, in which case they can still benefit from the tax advantage.