Special Communication Tax Increased to 10 Percent!

Special Communication Tax has been increased to 10 percent! This tax is also known as the earthquake tax.

The Special Communication Tax, which was put into effect after the great Marmara Earthquake in 1999 and also known as the earthquake tax, was increased to 10 percent by the Presidential decision. The tax in question was previously collected at a rate of 7.5 percent. In the decision published in the Official Gazette, following statements took place; “It was decided that the attached Decision on the re-determination of the rates in sub-clauses (a), (b), (c), (d) of the first paragraph of Article 39 of the Expenditure Tax Law numbered 6802, in accordance with the seventh paragraph of the aforementioned article” Clauses a, b, c and d of Article 39 of the Expense Taxes Law mentioned in the Official Gazette pointed out that all kinds of mobile electronic communication including radio and television broadcasts, wired-wireless internet service provider services was subject to 7.5 percent Special Communication Tax. The Special Communication Tax, which started to be collected "temporarily" in 1999, was decided to be permanent in 2003 by the AKP government. It is frequently debated among the public where the Private Communication Tax revenue, which reached over 70 billion lira in 20 years, was spent. Today, discussions about the tax raise are increasing on social media.