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Türkiye’s Revenue Administration (GIB) has uncovered that over 17,000 individuals conducting sales through e-commerce platforms failed to report a total of ₺44.5 billion ($1.1 billion) in income, according to data shared by the Treasury and Finance Ministry.
As digital shopping trends accelerate, authorities have intensified efforts to identify tax non-compliance in online commercial activities.
A series of investigations revealed widespread inconsistencies between declared income and actual earnings derived from digital platforms.
In its review of tax filings from 2021 through 2024, GIB found that 13,494 individuals had left ₺18 billion in earnings undeclared during 2021–2022.
In the 2023–2024 period, an additional 3,610 individuals were identified as having failed to declare ₺26.5 billion.
In total, the analysis exposed 17,104 individuals with unreported e-commerce revenues, marking a large-scale case of tax evasion in Türkiye’s growing digital economy.
The investigation also uncovered cases of individuals operating with no registered taxpayer status. In one instance, a person was found to have completed 895,562 transactions on e-commerce platforms in 2021, generating ₺135 million in revenue, of which ₺122 million went undeclared. The individual had no registered tax file and paid no taxes at all.
To encourage voluntary compliance, tax offices have begun issuing explanation requests to flagged individuals. Of those contacted, 3,147 people submitted revised income statements, declaring a combined ₺2 billion in earnings.
Additionally, outreach to 190 previously non-registered individuals yielded 276 tax declarations, accounting for ₺83 million in taxable income.
Taxpayers who respond to such notices and revise their filings are subject to reduced penalties. Those who ignore the calls or continue to conceal income will face full tax audits and legal sanctions.
In support of tax enforcement, Türkiye implemented a 1% withholding tax on e-commerce payments as of Jan. 1.
The measure is intended to help track income and reduce unregistered earnings in the sector.
Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek emphasized that digitalization is making it easier to trace tax losses.
He reiterated the ministry’s commitment to combating unregistered income and encouraged all online sellers to voluntarily update their filings to avoid penalties.
“Everyone earning income through e-commerce platforms must pay their taxes. We will not allow tax losses in a digital world,” Simsek stated.
He added that the newly introduced withholding regulation will play a key role in strengthening tax compliance.
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