Mustafa Olcay: Tax should be perceived as a duty to be fulfilled without expectation for the sake of state continuity and social progress

A panel titled "Current Developments in the Turkish Tax System in the 100th Year of Our Republic" was organized by the VMD at the Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University 100th Year Culture Center. During the event, both the steps taken regarding taxes over the 100-year period and recent regulations were discussed.

In his opening speech at the panel, Olcay stated that they held the event to evaluate the reflections of current changes in the Turkish tax system.

Emphasizing that they aim to contribute to a better understanding of the potential effects of these regulations in both legislation and the social sphere, Olcay said, "I hope that the audit activities carried out to ensure tax justice by protecting the accuracy of taxes that must be paid for our state and nation, as well as the rights of the orphans, will continue to increase under today's economic conditions."

Reminding that the "Century of Türkiye" has been entered under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Olcay reported that they expect the professional and economic expectations of tax inspectors to be resolved during this process.

Pointing out that when tax is viewed as a source of state revenue, it brings to mind the concepts of justice, trust, responsibility, and duty for citizens, Olcay spoke as follows:

"Tax also means public services that provide continuity. Therefore, it should be perceived as a duty that must be fulfilled without expectation for the sake of the state's continuity and social progress."

DIGITALIZATION IN TAX AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE WERE ALSO ADDRESSED

Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences Dean Prof. Dr. Fırat Purtaş stated that they, as a faculty, attach great importance to the event in terms of bringing theory and practice together.

Selçuk Sevinç, Vice President of the Tax Inspection Board of the Ministry of Treasury and Finance, also provided an assessment regarding tax practices.

Academics and experts delivered presentations on various topics at the event.

In this context, the first session addressed "The Turkish Tax System: A Comparison of the 1923-1950 Period with Today." An analysis was conducted comparing past practices with current taxes. Presentations titled "Digitalization in Taxation Processes," "International Tax Developments," and "Artificial Intelligence and the Taxation Process" also evaluated the contributions of emerging technologies to tax systems and audits.

In the second session, current developments were discussed through presentations on "Carbon Tax and the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism," "The Position of Blockchain and Digital Assets in Taxation," "Common Misconceptions About Transfer Pricing," and "Taxation of Social Media Income."