The two percent residence tax will come into effect in Turkey from January 1, 2023. The corresponding circular was published on Wednesday in the government bulletin “Resmi Gazeta”.
The tax will be charged for accommodation in hotels, tourist villages, motels, boarding houses, guest houses and other accommodation facilities directly by them. In addition, it can be included in tours by travel agencies.
Exemption from tax will be granted to students and students living in dormitories, boarding houses and campsites, it follows from the document. In addition, representatives of diplomatic missions accredited in Turkey and international organizations whose representatives have diplomatic status will not pay the tax.
A source in the Union of Hoteliers of Turkey told TASS that almost all hotels, especially in resort areas, are ready to work in new conditions, and there is nothing unusual in this. According to him, booking services are also adapting to it. “All the work should be completed now, the General Directorate of Taxes and Duties of Turkey will exercise strict control over the implementation of the decision on the collection of residence tax,” he said.
Representatives of the Turkish tourism industry have previously opposed the introduction of a residence tax. They noted that this could weaken the competitive position of the country, which, unlike many others, had not previously collected such fees.
The Turkish government made the decision to introduce a residence tax in 2019, but postponed the implementation of this decision due to the coronavirus pandemic. Turkey expects 51.5 million tourists and $46 billion in tourism revenue by the end of this year. Its plans for next year are to receive 60 million tourists, the country’s Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said.
Source: TASS
