Minister Şimşek's controversial tax remarks: He said 'the tax burden is misleading,' but the reality turned out to be very different!

At the TBMM Planning and Budget Committee, where discussions have begun, Minister of Treasury and Finance Mehmet Şimşek explained his priorities for the economy. 

While stating that high inflation is Turkey's most serious problem, Şimşek argued that the perception regarding the tax burden does not reflect the truth. 

THE PERCEPTION OF TAX BURDEN IS MISLEADING

Touching upon tax policies in his presentation, Şimşek said, “The perception that the tax burden is high is not correct. Our goal in revenue policies is to strengthen tax justice and increase the share of direct taxes.” He also stated that work is underway on combating the informal economy and public procurement reforms.

INFLATION CONTINUES TO FALL 

Şimşek stated that annual inflation peaked in May and has been on a downward trend as of June, decreasing by 26.9 points in the last 5 months to 48.6 percent. Emphasizing that inflation in the service sector remains high, Şimşek expressed that the necessary steps for price stability will be taken.

Noting that growth projections are moving in the right direction, Şimşek stated that they expect a recovery in economic activity starting from the second half of 2024. He also announced that the target is to reduce the ratio of the current account deficit to national income to below 2 percent.

EMPHASIS ON STRUCTURAL REFORM 

Stating that structural reforms that will increase economic growth and competitiveness will be accelerated, Şimşek summarized his budget goals with the message, “Everything necessary to ensure price stability will be done.” 

THE REALITY IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT MINISTER ŞİMŞEK DESCRIBED: WE ARE PAYING 260 THOUSAND TL PER SECOND 

It has been stated that the statement by Minister of Treasury and Finance Mehmet Şimşek, ''The perception that the tax burden is high is not correct. Our goal in revenue policies is to strengthen tax justice and increase the share of direct taxes,” does not reflect the truth. 

The taxes paid by citizens continue to increase day by day. According to the data shared by Tax Expert Ozan Bingöl, the taxes paid by citizens continue to rise. 

Accordingly, the amount of tax paid in the first 10 months of 2024 is as follows:

Per second: 260 thousand 943 TL

Per minute: 15 million 656 thousand 583 TL

Per hour: 939 million 395 thousand 10 TL

Per day: 22 billion 545 million 480 thousand 230 TL

Per month: 685 billion 382 million 598 thousand 981 TL

In ten months: 6 trillion 853 billion 825 million 989 thousand 805 TL  

News Source: 12punto