Alican Ebedinoğlu, President of the Diyarbakır Union of Chambers of Tradesmen and Craftsmen (DESOB), has expressed his reaction to the methods used and the high-amount penalties imposed during tax audits conducted by the Ministry of Treasury and Finance on small businesses.
Speaking at a press conference held in Diyarbakır, Ebedinoğlu stated that they are not against the necessity of audits, but that the practices must take into account the real economic conditions of tradespeople. Ebedinoğlu said, "Auditing is one thing, but leaving tradespeople economically breathless is another."
Stating that small businesses are struggling due to high costs, rental expenses, difficulties in accessing financing, and declining purchasing power, Ebedinoğlu noted that in some audits, officials have sat in businesses for days to calculate turnover, leading to high penalties based on assumptions.
Recalling the example of a 400 thousand lira penalty imposed on a 20-square-meter dürüm shop, Ebedinoğlu emphasized that such claims should be examined based on concrete records, and that the payment capacity of small businesses, whose total capital does not even reach such levels, must be taken into consideration.
EMPHASIS ON THE INFORMAL ECONOMY
Stating that audits should not be directed solely at registered tradespeople with known addresses, Ebedinoğlu said that tax justice can only be achieved if businesses operating informally are audited with the same determination.
Ebedinoğlu used the following expressions: "Turkey's problem is not just auditing the turnover of registered tradespeople. The real issue is to eliminate the injustice between those who pay their taxes regularly and those who operate informally."
The DESOB President stated that the same sensitivity should be shown regarding financial crimes and large-scale economic grievances, saying, "The public authority that examines every penny of the tradesperson must show the same sensitivity in combating structures that cause major economic grievances."
Ebedinoğlu requested that penalties deemed disproportionate and excessive be re-examined, that appeal mechanisms be operated effectively, and that the costs and profit margins of small businesses be taken into account. He also called for the expansion of the fight against the informal economy and for the evaluation of tax exemptions and simplified taxation models for the smallest businesses.
Addressing the Ministry of Finance, Ebedinoğlu said, "You cannot close the budget deficit or strengthen the registered economy by punishing tradespeople. Tax justice is not about burdening the segment that is easiest to reach, but about collecting fair taxes from everyone in proportion to their strength and obligations."
News Source : 12punto
