Tobacco inspection from the Ministry of Treasury and Finance: Tax audits for 23 companies

The Ministry of Treasury and Finance has conducted a comprehensive inspection of 23 cigarette and filter tube manufacturing companies as part of its "fight against the informal economy." The Ministry carried out simultaneous physical counts at 26 locations across 8 provinces. It was reported that a tax audit process would be initiated based on the results of these counts.

During the inspections, checks were made to determine whether there were products in violation of excise stamp regulations and whether there were discrepancies between stock records and the actual situation. Companies that failed to comply with collateral obligations, in particular, were subjected to risk analysis by the Tax Inspection Board (VDK) based on information obtained from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's Department of Tobacco and Alcohol.

In line with the instructions of Minister of Treasury and Finance Mehmet Şimşek, who stated, "We are eliminating the unfair competition and injustice caused by informality among taxpayers. We will increase justice and efficiency in taxation, and we will collect more taxes from those who earn more," these inspections determined that some companies had low or non-existent revenue declarations despite high costs.

In the inspections across 8 provinces, including Istanbul, Izmir, Adana, and Diyarbakir, revenue specialists, as well as Police and Gendarmerie personnel, took part under the coordination of tax inspectors. The counts continued throughout the day, and it was decided to initiate tax audits for the taxpayers where findings were made.

In a similar inspection in the past, a tobacco product manufacturer found to be operating informally was fined 6 billion liras in taxes and penalties. The Ministry continues its determination in the fight against the informal economy.