Minister Şimşek responds to claims that 'tax debts were wiped out': Reminds of irregularities

Minister Mehmet Şimşek made a statement on his X account regarding the claims that "tax debts were wiped out." Şimşek stated, "There is no legal regulation that allows for the wiping out of tax debts. When an irregularity is detected, the necessary action is taken immediately."

The Revenue Administration (GİB) issued a written statement regarding a news report published in a media outlet titled "They robbed the state and got rich."

The statement pointed out that the news was completely "baseless" and "did not reflect the truth," emphasizing that in Turkish tax law, there is no legal regulation that allows or permits the unconditional wiping out of tax debts, except for provisions for cancellation brought for certain special circumstances such as natural disasters and provisions for waiving the collection of some small-amount receivables.

The statement underlined that the practice alleged in the news never occurred, stating, "Because no authority, with the exception of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, has the power to wipe out a tax debt, a tax penalty, or their surcharges and interest that have accrued, meaning they have become due for payment. On the other hand, the institution in tax law that provides the opportunity for settlement regarding taxes and penalties that have not yet been finalized has been reorganized by law, and the principal tax amount has been removed from the scope of settlement."

The statement noted that the GİB conducts the necessary analysis, controls, and audits with its electronic tax systems and reports the results, adding the following:

"When an irregularity is detected, the necessary action is taken immediately. In fact, the incident that is the subject of the news took place in 2021, was immediately detected by the administration, and the legal process was promptly initiated and referred to the judiciary, and the judicial process is ongoing. Furthermore, the administrative investigation within our Ministry has been concluded and the necessary sanctions have been applied. The necessary tax processes regarding the incident have been completed, no loss of accrual has been allowed, and there has been no public loss."

News Source: AA