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Employees in Türkiye earning a gross annual salary of €100,000 ($116,527) take home more money than workers in several of Europe’s biggest economies, according to the report, despite still losing more than a third of their income to taxes and social security deductions.
Türkiye ranks ahead of Germany, Italy, Belgium, Denmark and Sweden in net income from high salaries, with workers estimated to keep around €63,200 from a €100,000 gross salary after taxes and social security deductions, the Euronews research found.
That figure stands above Germany’s €57,900 and Italy’s €56,700, while Belgium posted the lowest net salary in the comparison at €50,750.
Across 31 European countries, including EU member states, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway and Türkiye, net income from a €100,000 gross salary ranged from €50,750 in Belgium to €86,930 in Bulgaria.
Among Europe’s five largest economies, the UK offered the highest net salary at €69,900. Spain and France landed in the middle of the rankings with €64,200 and €63,000, respectively.
The report pointed to a broader regional pattern, with Eastern European countries generally allowing workers to retain a larger share of their income through flatter tax systems and lower top rates.
Western and Northern European countries, meanwhile, tended to impose heavier deductions through progressive taxation and broader social security contributions
Türkiye applies a progressive income tax system, meaning tax rates rise as income increases. However, only the portion of income exceeding each threshold is taxed at the higher rate.
As of 2026, income tax rates for salaried employees start at 15% for annual income up to ₺190,000 and climb to 40% for earnings above ₺5.3 million ($115,469).
Because of the tiered system, many employees in Türkiye begin the year with higher net salaries before moving into higher tax brackets later on. Additional payments such as bonuses, overtime, and premiums can accelerate that shift, causing monthly take-home pay to fall over time.
At the same time, Türkiye will offer wage income tax exemptions worth up to five times the gross minimum wage (nearly ₺2 million, or $90,966) for employees at Turkish subsidiaries of multinational companies under a recently rolled-out incentive package, allowing eligible workers to keep a larger share of their salaries.
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