Turkish lawmakers withdraw crypto tax provisions from omnibus bill

The parliament in Turkey has removed provisions introducing cryptocurrency taxation from a massive bill designed to regulate a range of matters related to tax collection and government spending.

The texts, which proved contentious as they envisaged imposing a levy on all transactions through crypto platforms, were withdrawn after a strong pushback from opposition lawmakers and stakeholders.

Crypto tax provisions dropped from Turkish law

Members of Turkey’s legislature have withdrawn provisions aimed at taxing cryptocurrency transactions following talks between the parliamentary majority and other factions.

The articles were part of a sweeping bill covering not just tax policy, but other economic regulations as well and defense spending, the English-language edition Hürriyet Daily News unveiled on Saturday.

The last-minute agreement for their deletion was reached ahead of a formal meeting presided over by the Deputy Speaker of the Grand National Assembly, Celal Adan, the report detailed.

The provisions would have slapped a 0.3% transaction tax on sales and transfers of digital assets processed by crypto service providers in Turkey, collected and paid to the state each month.

They were also introducing taxation for crypto-related earnings, obliging intermediaries to withhold 10% on the capital gains of their clients on a quarterly basis, as reported by Cryptopolitan earlier in March.

The texts, strongly criticized by the opposition, had been added to the omnibus bill by the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party.

While the proposals have been removed now, their representatives indicated they may file a revised draft as part of a separate legislative initiative.

The government in Ankara is still hoping to tap into the massive financial flows generated by the country’s growing cryptocurrency sector.

The Turkish crypto market expanded significantly over the past few years, marked by high inflation of the national fiat currency, the lira.

Turkey wanted to tax even crypto withdrawals

By all indications, Turkey’s tax authority has played a leading role in drafting the controversial legislation as crypto assets are treated mainly from its own perspective.

That resulted in two main issues, according to Ussal Sahbaz, managing partner at Ussal Consultancy & MnP Istanbul Hub, who took to X to explain thoroughly.

The first stems from the intention to apply the suggested transaction tax to all transfers via service providers, including those to self-custody wallets, he pointed out and elaborated:

“In practice, this is equivalent to taxing cash withdrawals from a bank. Globally, this type of approach is extremely rare—reportedly seen only in Kenya.”

Introducing withholding tax on crypto income creates the other problem, noted Sahbaz, whose efforts are focused on bridging the gap between business and policy in Turkey.

“For an asset class with near-zero mobility costs, this would likely push users toward offshore platforms where taxation is declaration-based,” the expert warned.

He reminded that similar developments have already been observed in India and South Korea, “both of which are now trying to correct for unintended capital outflows.”

I the case of cryptocurrencies, “poorly designed taxation does not increase revenues—it shifts the tax base elsewhere,” added the Turkish analyst who specializes in emerging markets.

Ussal Sahbaz recalled that the government-proposed bill quickly passed through parliamentary committees, which approved it without much consultation with interested parties.

Its crypto provisions were only withdrawn at the last moment, thanks to the active efforts of a small group of lawmakers and under pressure from stakeholders.

The remaining part of the broad bill still contains other significant fiscal measures, the Hürriyet news outlet highlighted in its report.

For example, it introduces a 20% “special consumption tax” on diamonds, pearls, and other precious stones, including products made from them.

It also bans companies in Turkey’s gambling and betting industry from deducting advertising expenses from their taxable income.

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