Tax inspections reveal 300 million lira illicit e-cigarette trade
ANKARA

The Treasury and Finance Ministry’s tax inspection units have uncovered an illicit trade worth 300 million Turkish Liras ($8.4 million) as part of their efforts to combat the unlawful sale of electronic cigarettes.
The ministry's tax inspection board has broadened its initiatives to tackle the shadow economy by focusing on specific products and industries, launching an investigation into e-cigarettes at its "risk analysis center."
According to Turkish legislation, all prohibitions pertaining to tobacco products also extend to e-cigarettes. Consequently, advertising and promotional activities for e-cigarettes are strictly forbidden and their sale to individuals under 18 years of age is prohibited in Türkiye.
In line with these regulations, selling e-cigarettes online and dispatching them via courier services are also considered unlawful. Additionally, due to their nicotine content, cartridges and devices cannot be subjected to free trade. Comparable measures are implemented in both the United States and the European Union.
As part of this initiative, monetary transactions exceeding 20 billion liras were scrutinized, and the business operations of over 50,000 taxpayers were meticulously examined. Taxpayers identified through this surveillance were immediately subjected to comprehensive tax audits.
The investigations culminated in the exposure of an unregistered e-cigarette trade amounting to 300 million liras.
"Our commitment to combating the shadow economy will be intensified this year, encompassing a wider array of products and sectors. We will not waver in this endeavor, ensuring enhanced efficiency and equity in taxation," Minister Mehmet Şimşek said, commenting on the report.
Meanwhile, in a statement on Jan. 19, Trade Minister Ömer Bolat disclosed that 1.5 billion liras' worth of contraband goods was intercepted at customs within the first 15 days of the year.
He further noted that Türkiye, with its 155 customs directorates, facilitated customs clearance transactions for $606 billion in goods trade and approximately $175 billion in services trade in 2024.