Many self-employed contributors (Bağ-Kur) are asking when a Bağ-Kur registration amnesty will be issued. With the proposal titled “Law on the Restructuring of Certain Receivables and Amendments to Certain Laws” published in the Official Gazette and enacted, debts incurred before December 31, 2022, are included in the scope. So what does the omnibus bill contain, and is there a Bağ-Kur amnesty? Details follow.
Increase in Temporary Worker Employment Periods
The law increases the permissible duration for employing temporary workers to meet institutional needs. Accordingly, temporary workers in temporary positions may now be employed up to 11 months and 29 days within the same authorization period. The determination of this period is subject to the competent authority of the ministry to which the administration, institution, or organization is affiliated.
Good News for Temporary Workers: Transition to Permanent Positions Now Possible
Temporary workers employed by administrations, institutions, and organizations will be transferred to vacant permanent positions at their workplaces based on the length of service they have completed in those workplaces. Additionally, to address pay imbalances among specialist physicians and physicians or personnel in similar positions employed by public institutions and organizations, supplementary payments will be made.
Veterans’ Pensions Raised to Minimum Wage Level
Disparities among pensions for combat veterans will be eliminated, and they will receive a monthly payment equal to the net amount of the minimum wage. Accordingly, Turkish citizens who participated in the National Struggle and were awarded the Independence Medal, as well as those who actually fought in Korea in 1950 and those who served in the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation, will receive a monthly pension equal to 30 days of the net minimum wage for as long as they live.
Has a Bağ-Kur Amnesty Been Enacted?
The tax amnesty bill, jointly prepared by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security and the Ministry of Treasury and Finance, was debated in the Grand National Assembly and recently published in the Official Gazette, coming into force. The package covers various debts, including insurance premium debts, general health insurance premiums, SGK support premiums, unemployment insurance premiums, and administrative fines. However, the omnibus law does not include a Bağ-Kur amnesty or a specific article on Bağ-Kur registration amnesty. Previous measures addressing Bağ-Kur premium debts were introduced in 2008, 2015, and 2018.
What Is the Final Application Date for the Tax Amnesty?
The tax amnesty covers not only the debts mentioned above but also taxes, premiums, administrative fines, student loans, and traffic fines. Applications for restructuring debts under the tax amnesty can be submitted through the Revenue Administration’s official website. Applicants may also apply in person at tax offices or by mail. According to the law, the amnesty covers debts accrued before December 31, 2022. The final application date for the restructuring was set as May 31, 2023.