Turkey to start 2015 with fee and tax hikes

The New Year will see increases in fees, stamp tax and official fines for traffic and tax offences in Turkey.
Details of the new penalties have emerged just as the government, unions and employers meet in Ankara to discuss raising the monthly minimum wage – a move which could affect some five million people in Turkey.
People face having to pay more than 10 percent in government fines and fees in 2015 – such as in passport costs or for breaking speed limits – according to adjustments made by the Ministry of Finance based on Turkey’s inflation rate over the last 12 months.
According to an announcement in the Official Gazette, motor vehicle taxes for passenger cars with engines between 1,300-1,600 cc will increase to 946 Turkish lira ($408) from 859 lira.
The Finance Ministry did not reveal how much new revenue it was expected to generate after the fee hikes.
The cost of a Turkish passport for a one-year period is set to increase to 154.70 lira ($67) from 140.50 lira. Currently, the government charges 534 liras ($230) for issuing 10-year passport to its citizens.
The fine to be paid by Turkish drivers who exceed the speed limit by up to 30 percent will be 189 lira ($82). Drivers who exceed the limit by over 30 percent will pay 392 lira ($170). The fine for running a red light rose to 189 lira ($82) from 172 lira.
The penalty for drunk drivers will be 800 lira ($345) for first-time offenders and 1,003 lira ($432) for second offenders.
However, the net minimum wage rose five percent to 846 Turkish lira per month in the first half of 2014. In Turkey, the minimum wage is calculated in terms of monthly pay, not hourly.
The Turkish Statistics Institute (TurkStat) has recommended a new minimum wage of 1,424.70 lira ($615) per month.
A fourth meeting of the Minimum Wage Determination Commission, containing representatives from labor and employer unions as well as from the government, will be held in Ankara on Tuesday to decide next year’s minimum wage in the country for nearly five million people.