The tax amnesty bill has been published in the Official Gazette and entered into force. Under the bill, all tax debts below 2,000 Turkish Lira are written off, and certain traffic fines are also subject to cancellation or restructuring. Drivers fined for speeding, unauthorized use of bridges or highways, violating the emergency lane, driving without a license, driving under the influence, driving without inspection, illegal parking and similar offenses can benefit from restructuring. Questions such as “Were 2023 traffic fines canceled?” and “How to apply?” as well as whether the tax amnesty covers traffic fines are answered in this article.
When Can You Apply for Restructuring?
Applications for restructuring must be submitted by May 31, 2023. Payments of restructured debts must begin by June 30, 2023. If debts are paid in full up front, 90% of the calculated Domestic Producer Price Index (Yİ-ÜFE) increase will be waived. Traffic fines can be paid in installments of up to 48 months. Drivers with traffic fines who wish to make payments can check their fines and obtain detailed information through the e-Devlet (e-Government) portal.
Were 2023 Traffic Fines Canceled?
With the publication of the tax amnesty bill in the Official Gazette, public receivables under 2,000 TL dated before December 31, 2022 were forgiven.
For debts exceeding 2,000 TL, debtors are offered the opportunity to defer confirmed debts under this arrangement with installment plans up to 48 months and to pay in 48 equal installments.
The tax amnesty package includes tax penalties and various administrative fines such as traffic, military, civil registry, and fines for unauthorized passage of bridges and highways. Therefore, it can be stated that restructuring also applies to traffic fine payments. Additionally, if traffic fines and other administrative fines are paid in full up front, a 25% discount is applied to the principal amount of the fine.
How to Pay a Traffic Fine?
Under the restructuring, all debts of 2,000 TL and below will be canceled. Therefore, those whose outstanding debt is below 2,000 TL do not need to take any action. There is no need to apply to tax offices for these debts to be written off; tax offices will remove these debts automatically and they will not be subject to legal collection. Regarding application deadlines, MP Aydemir from the AK Party stated that restructuring applications will be accepted until May 31, 2023 and that the first installment payments must be made by June 30, 2023.
2023 Traffic Fine Amounts
Traffic fines increased in 2023. Examples of the fines in effect include: first offense for driving under the influence — 4,064 TL; refusing an alcohol test — 8,551 TL; using a vehicle without plates — 5,151 TL; improper use of sirens or unauthorized exit — 4,064 TL; drifting — 20,342 TL. Fines for exceeding the speed limit by 10–30%, using a mobile phone while driving, overtaking in prohibited areas, and driving an uninspected vehicle were set at 951 TL, and not wearing a seatbelt carried a fine of 436 TL.
How to Check Traffic Fines?
Drivers who are unsure whether they have traffic fines or who want to confirm the due date can easily check fines online. To query traffic fines, users can log in to the e-Devlet portal with their Turkish ID number and password to view details of any traffic violations, including the reason for the fine and the address where the violation occurred.