Türkiye moves to promote tax awareness through TV, film industry

ISTANBUL

Türkiye’s Treasury and Finance Ministry has launched a new initiative to raise public awareness about tax compliance by incorporating tax-related messages into TV series and films.

As part of the efforts, the ministry will actively work with leading television and film production companies to ensure messages promoting voluntary tax payment and highlighting modern payment tools are included in storylines and sketches.

The move follows a recent meeting in the megacity of Istanbul between ministry officials and representatives from major production houses to discuss ways the entertainment industry can support the fight against the informal economy.

The meeting took place at the city’s revenue office and brought together representatives from various different companies, such as BKM, Tims&B Productions, Ay Yapım, Ayna Yapım and Acun Medya.

The participants agreed that the wide reach and influence of television and digital platforms present a valuable opportunity to communicate key messages to the public.

Discussions focused on the importance of incorporating themes related to tax awareness, voluntary compliance and the reduction of unregistered economic activities into mainstream entertainment content.

The initiative will particularly emphasize emerging digital payment methods such as IBAN-based transfers and other cashless systems.

According to officials, these themes may be embedded into scripts through relevant sketches or plot elements, aiming to normalize and encourage proper tax practices among viewers.

Producers and screenwriters are expected to contribute voluntarily to the initiative, not as a mandatory requirement.

The ministry stated that the consultation process with producers will continue in the coming period to explore creative ways of integrating these themes into upcoming projects.

In recent years, the ministry has intensified its crackdown on tax evasion and ramped up audits across various sectors, conducting operations across a wide spectrum of taxpayers to reduce informality in the economy and ensure tax compliance across the country.

Tax inspection teams particularly target large taxpayers, individuals indulging in luxury consumption without visible income, social media influencers and those receiving untaxed payments via IBAN, among others.

Last year, the ministry’s tax audit units achieved a record-breaking collection of 120 billion Turkish Liras (nearly $3.1 billion) as a result of such intense efforts.

Earlier this year, authorities commenced targeting actors, singers and their agencies within the frame of a broader investigation, with thorough examination of the tax filings, bank transactions, digital platform revenues, advertising earnings and other financial streams of artists and agencies.

Within the scope of such efforts, the ministry officials also target businesses that raise their prices without reflecting the corresponding increase in tax revenues, despite the absence of significant cost increases.