The up-to-date list of SGK profession codes can be easily accessed from the “mergumder” website. SGK profession codes vary depending on the type of work performed.
For example; the profession code for an emergency medical technician is 3258.02, for a cook it is 5120.10, and for an athlete it is 3421.14.
What Are SGK Profession Codes?
The SGK profession code system has been in effect since 2012 and assigns a unique code to each occupation as determined by the Social Security Institution (SGK). Every task a worker performs at their workplace is associated with a code, and employers are required to report these codes to SGK.
What Are SGK Profession Codes Used For?
The benefits of SGK profession codes include:
- These codes officially record the work a person performs at their workplace with SGK. For example, the code system prevents a mechanical engineer from being registered as a factory worker. Correct classification serves as an important reference for the insured worker’s future career.
- When applying for apprenticeship, journeyman, or master certificates, vocational education authorities require specific seniority conditions and use previously reported SGK profession codes to verify those conditions. Therefore, accurate reporting of profession codes is important for workers.
- One advantage is preventing high-earning professions and employees from being reported to SGK at minimum wage or lower. As a result, insurance premiums and retirement pensions are calculated based on the actual wages received, helping workers receive fair compensation.
- The profession code system has helped reduce undeclared employment.
- SGK adopted the code system to better protect workers’ rights and to improve workplace inspections and oversight.
What Happens If an SGK Profession Code Is Reported Incorrectly?
If an SGK profession code is reported incorrectly, the employer will face a monetary penalty. The penalty amount equals 10% of the minimum wage for each worker whose profession code was reported incorrectly. This sanction ensures that profession codes are reported correctly so that workers receive the salary and social security rights they are entitled to.
What Happens If an SGK Profession Code Is Not Reported?
If a profession code is not reported, the same penalty applied for incorrect reporting will be enforced. The fine amount is the same as for erroneous submissions.
How to Check Your SGK Profession Code
To check your SGK profession code, you can use the E-Devlet (e-Government) portal. The steps to follow are:
- Log in to E-Devlet using your Turkish ID number and E-Devlet password.
- Go to the SGK Registration and Service Statement page.
- In the service statement, find the profession code listed under the relevant section; that code is your registered profession code.
How to File a Complaint About an SGK Profession Code
In some cases, employers may intentionally or accidentally report their employees’ profession codes incorrectly, incompletely, or inaccurately. If the employee requests a correction and the employer refuses or fails to make the change, the employee should file a complaint.
Options for filing an SGK profession code complaint include:
- Submitting a written petition to the SGK office where the employer is registered.
- Calling the ALO 170 hotline and reporting the complaint to the relevant authorities.
SGK profession codes must be reported accurately. Otherwise, the worker may encounter problems with insurance premiums, retirement benefits, promotions, and future employment records.
How Are SGK Profession Codes Changed?
Changes to SGK profession codes can be made online by the employer. A petition to the SGK Directorate is not required for routine updates. However, code changes made online are only effective prospectively.
In other words, you cannot update the code for work performed in the past through the online system. For example, an employer cannot change the code for a job performed in 2017 using today’s online system. Therefore, both employers and employees should monitor codes carefully and keep them accurate.
To request a retroactive change for past periods, the employer must apply in person at the local Social Security Institution Directorate using a written petition in the format shown below.
Retroactive updates can only be made for the period from 01.08.2009 to the present. It is not possible to update profession codes for periods before that date.
What Should an SGK Profession Code Change Petition Look Like?
A sample petition for changing an SGK profession code should be prepared as follows:
To the ……… Social Security Center
At your Directorate, for our workplace registered with workplace registration number …………………………………….., I request that the profession code of our employee with ID number ………………. be updated to profession code ……………. for the period …../…./….-…../…./……. .
This petition is submitted at the employer’s request. The employer can deliver the petition in person to the SGK Directorate or prepare the petition in a Word document and send it by email to the Directorate if they prefer.
How to Update an SGK Profession Code
Employers who want to update an SGK profession code can follow these steps:
- Log in to the insured person “Employment Entry and Exit Declarations” application with your username.
- After logging in, go to the Employment Entry Declaration menu on the main screen.
- Enter the Turkish ID number of the employee whose past profession code you want to change and search for the record.
- Select the employment declaration that appears at the bottom of the results and requires updating.
- Using the current list of profession codes, find the appropriate code and enter it in the insured person’s profession field.
That completes the profession code change process.
Changes made online do not apply retroactively and will only affect current and future documents. Employers seeking retroactive changes must apply in person at the SGK Directorate with a written petition.
When Does an SGK Profession Code Change Take Effect?
An SGK profession code change is reflected immediately in the SGK Registration and Service Statement once it has been processed. Changes made through the Employment Entry and Exit Declarations application will appear on subsequently submitted documents.
What Is the Penalty for Incorrectly Changing an SGK Profession Code?
The penalty and enforcement procedure for incorrect SGK profession code reporting are as follows:
- Updates made within the Employment Entry and Exit Declarations application or in declarations submitted for the current period that alter codes are not subject to penalties.
- For retroactive changes that include periods before the current one, penalties may apply for updates following the transition to the Withholding Premium and Service Declaration system on 01.01.2018.
- Retroactive change requests submitted in person by the employer to the SGK Directorate will not result in penalties.
- If an insured employee files a complaint alleging incorrect or false profession code reporting, SGK will form a committee to investigate. If the committee determines the employer reported the profession code incorrectly, a fine equal to 1/10 of the minimum wage will be applied for each affected period. The fine for a single period will not exceed the gross minimum wage.
As a reference, the 2022 penalty for profession code update violations was 500 TL, and the total fine payable for a single period could not exceed 5.004 TL.
Both employers and employees should monitor SGK profession codes closely. Accurate coding protects workers’ rights and helps ensure proper oversight of workplaces. Necessary code changes should be made in a timely manner.