The Finance Ministry has targeted doctors who declare low incomes. It was determined that 3,633 doctors had undisclosed income amounting to 13 billion liras. It was revealed that a doctor performing hair transplants declared 7 million liras of income instead of the actual 69 million liras. Similarly, a dentist was found to declare only 3 million liras out of the 67 million liras earned.

The Revenue Administration of the Treasury and Ministry of Finance (GİB) initiated investigations on some doctors who own private clinics. In the first stage of the investigation, it was found that 3,663 doctors did not report their income from services such as examinations, aesthetics, surgeries, and dental procedures, resulting in approximately 13 billion liras of undeclared revenue. According to information obtained from the ministry, intensive inspections continue for professional groups and sectors operating in the informal economy. The examinations of taxpayers who own private clinics and work as doctors are conducted using artificial intelligence-supported analytical programs to review their tax returns and compliance levels. It was discovered that some doctors who own private clinics did not accurately report the fees from examinations performed on patients, aesthetics, surgeries, and dental procedures, with discrepancies reaching up to 400% between the declared income and actual earnings. Through artificial intelligence-supported analyses, the first riskiest 3,663 taxpayers were identified from doctors showing inconsistencies between their tax declarations and incomes. These taxpayers were found to have concealed approximately 13 billion liras of revenue.

LARGE DISCREPANCIES IN SURGICAL REVENUE
It was also identified that doctors engaged in general surgery, orthopedics, and neurosurgery had underdeclared the fees received from surgeries and examinations they conducted.

Especially, surgeons who work in collaboration with private hospitals or have their own private clinics were found to conceal the required income by underreporting the fees earned from surgeries. For instance, a gynecologist failed to declare an annual income of 53 million liras and reported only 6.5 million liras. In the examinations conducted on dentists, it was revealed that the revenues gained from services such as implants, prostheses, orthodontics, and aesthetic dental treatments were underreported. Even though a dentist earned an annual revenue of 67 million liras, they declared only 3 million liras of it.

SCRUTINY ON AESTHETIC REVENUES
In recent years, the rapidly growing aesthetic sector has also come under scrutiny. Analyses showed that some doctors conducting procedures like rhinoplasty, fillers, Botox, and liposuction had underreported their incomes.

In particular, it was determined that a significant portion of the income in some aesthetic clinics that accept patients from abroad and work with foreign currency remained undeclared. In the study, it was found that a doctor specializing in hair transplants had generated revenue of 69 million liras but declared only 7 million liras. Taxpayers who earned undeclared income started to be invited to tax offices within the scope of voluntary compliance. Out of the doctors invited to voluntary compliance initially, 850 corrected their tax bases by submitting tax returns.

“OUR GOAL IS NOT TO PUNISH ANYONE”
Minister of Treasury and Finance Mehmet Şimşek stated that it is crucial for taxpayers who do not declare or underreport their earnings to communicate with tax offices within the scope of voluntary compliance to avoid severe penalties. Emphasizing that voluntary compliance allowed taxpayers to explain the issues raised by the tax administration, Şimşek stated, “Our goal is not to punish anyone but to tax undeclared earnings. Tax inspections are conducted on taxpayers who do not show compliance in the voluntary compliance process by not declaring their undeclared income or are determined by the reckoning commissions. Our aim is to ensure fairness and efficiency in taxation. Informality is the biggest injustice in taxation. Our determined fight in this regard will continue.”