New development in 'credit card tax': AKP, having abandoned the 750 TL fee, takes a '10,000 TL' step!
It is alleged that a new formula for the planned "defense contribution" to be collected based on credit card limits was proposed during a consultation meeting at the AKP Headquarters, attended by Minister of Treasury and Finance Mehmet Şimşek.
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Unable to curb the poor economic trend, the AKP submitted an omnibus bill to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) on Friday, which is expected to reach a total annual volume of 80 billion TL in service fees and taxes for defense industry projects.
The most controversial clause in the proposal was the annual deduction of 750 TL per card from citizens with a credit card limit of 100,000 lira or more. It was stated that the deduction in question would be transferred to the Defense Industry Fund.
Discussions on the Defense Industry Support Fund, which drew significant public backlash, have been postponed to 2025.
Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek attended a consultation meeting at the AKP Headquarters yesterday (October 16).
During the meeting, a new formula was proposed for the defense contribution, which is referred to in the public as the 'credit card tax'.
According to a report by the Türkiye newspaper, known for its proximity to the government, AKP deputies conveyed to Minister Şimşek that citizens have concerns regarding 'tax justice' and that complaints in this direction are the most frequent feedback from the field.
The deputies explained that citizens are complaining that despite improvements in economic figures and the decline in inflation, price increases cannot be stopped, and no price drops are observed for any products in markets.
During the meeting, where the transfer of 750 TL to the Defense Industry Support Fund from citizens with a credit card limit of 100,000 lira and above was discussed, the deputies expressed their discomfort.
It was learned that AKP deputies raised questions and suggestions such as, "Why did we propose such a thing? If we proposed it, why did we postpone it? Can a share be taken from money that doesn't exist? If it is to be taken, shouldn't the criterion be higher than 100,000? Instead of taking 750 lira from a citizen with a 100,000 limit, let 10,000 lira be taken from a citizen with a 1 million limit, or let a tiered contribution be taken."
It was also noted that a decision was made to explain to citizens how essential the support package for the defense industry is over the next two months.