Recent Development
The Ministry of Treasury and Finance’s Revenue Administration (“Administration”) published an announcement on its website about certain measures taken within the scope of the fight against COVID-19 on March 19, 2020 (“Announcement”). According to the Announcement, among others, work commencements, work terminations, branch openings or closings, address changes, and no-debt letter requests addressed to tax offices should be electronically submitted until April 10, 2020. According to the Announcement, no physical application to tax offices to obtain a potential tax ID number will be necessary.
What Does the Announcement Say?
In the fight against COVID-19, it is imperative that citizens avoid crowded places unless there is a compelling reason, and therefore the Administration adopted several measures on legal entities’ activities related to registration procedures including incorporation, liquidation, address change, etc.
According to the Announcement, until April 10, 2020, all petitions related to registrations at the Trade Registry, including petitions of work commencement, work termination, branch opening-closing, address change, and requests for no-debt letters will be sent electronically via the Interactive Tax Office’s website (ivd.gib.gov.tr), mobile application (RA Mobile), or mail.
The Announcement further states that those who are not Turkish citizens will be able to make their applications for potential tax ID numbers via the Interactive Tax Office’s website (ivd.gib.gov.tr). Accordingly, potential tax ID numbers will be electronically created and provided, along with an evidencing official document, via the Interactive Tax Office’s website to the relevant person.
Conclusion
Thus, if non-Turkish citizens, for the first time, are appointed as members of board of directors/managers or manager/representative, or become shareholder in a company already incorporated or to be incorporated in Turkey, they will not need to physically apply to the tax office in order to obtain a potential tax ID number.
The Administration has implemented measures to facilitate electronic tax office transactions related to Trade Registry registrations in order to support social distancing and prevent the spread of COVID-19.
