We expect an urgent response to our requests! | Mersin Haberci Newspaper

YUSUFCAN GÜDÜK

A simultaneous joint press release was held throughout Turkey regarding the chores imposed on accountants and financial advisors and their current problems. A large group gathered in front of Mersin Chamber of Independent Accountants and Financial Advisors (Mersin SMMMO), the umbrella organization of the sector in Mersin, and shouted that they were waiting for an urgent response to their demands.

“DO WE HAVE TO DIE AT THE DESK FOR OUR DEMANDS TO BE CONSIDERED?”

Mersin SMMMO President Emin Levent Türkili made a press statement here and explained his problems and demands. Stating that the justified and humane demands of 130 thousand financial advisors should be implemented urgently so that they can do their jobs in a healthier way, Türkili said, “Do our colleagues have to die at their desks for our written and verbal applications to the Ministry of Treasury and Finance officials to be taken into consideration! It is clear that states need some data to collect tax revenues and to make future plans in various areas. However, while collecting this data, it is of great importance that the requested data be collected from a single source as much as possible, unnecessary information collection is prevented, and the methods used for data collection work properly.

“THE LOAD ON FINANCIAL ADVISORS HAS REACHED UNBEARABLE SIZES”

However, today the burden on financial advisors has reached unbearable levels. The number of statements and notifications received through professionals is increasing day by day, and the content of these statements and notifications is becoming more difficult rather than easier. While it is being discussed in developed countries to reduce weekly working days to four days in order to increase work efficiency, we, as Financial Advisors, are confined to our offices almost 24/7.

Although apparently requested from taxpayers or employers, almost all data needed regarding economic and social life has become collected through Financial Advisors.

While this situation causes members of the profession to be crushed under an already very heavy workload, the fact that the systems used to receive declarations and notifications do not work properly and become clogged during busy periods increases the stress of our colleagues who are racing against time.

Our colleagues have become unable to prepare statements and notifications in a healthy way, even in routine periods.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO PROVIDE HEALTHY SERVICE UNDER THIS WORKLOAD?

In Article 1 of our Professional Law No. 3568, the purpose of the Law is to ensure the healthy and reliable functioning of activities and transactions in businesses, to present the real situation in an impartial manner for the benefit of the relevant parties and official authorities by subjecting the results of activities to inspection and evaluation within the framework of the relevant legislation and to maintain high professional standards. It is defined as ‘to realize, …’.

However, is it possible for a business with professionals forced to work under such a heavy workload to carry out its activities and operations in a healthy manner?

WORK SCHEDULE IS NOT FAIR AND APPLICABLE

It is clearly seen that a total of fifty-six declarations and notifications will be made in the tax calendar announced by the Revenue Administration in April alone. In addition to these declarations and declarations, we do not find it fair and practicable to force the work on inflation adjustment procedures, which were last implemented 20 years ago and whose general notification and circular were published only two or three months ago, and which still contain many hesitations in practice, to be completed in the same calendar!

When official, administrative and weekend holidays are combined with Ramadan Feast, there are only eighteen working days left in April due to a total of twelve days of holiday. It is not possible to give so many statements and notifications in such a short time.

“SIMPLICATION OF NOTIFICATIONS AND MODERNIZATION OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS INFRASTRUCTURE IS A MUST”

Do our colleagues have to die at their desks for our written and verbal applications to the Ministry of Treasury and Finance officials to be taken into consideration?

Solution suggestions that will ease the workload of Financial Advisors have been conveyed to the Ministry of Treasury and Finance officials many times, both in writing and verbally.

In every interview, it has been frequently stated that Financial Advisors are crushed under the heavy workload, that the burden on their shoulders has reached an unbearable level, and that the physical and mental health of our colleagues cannot bear this burden.

In order to eliminate these problems, which have grown as a result of our suggestions being kept silent for years, it is necessary to simplify declarations and notifications and modernize information systems infrastructures.

“WE CANNOT DO OUR CURRENT JOBS ANYMORE, IT’S BACK TO THE BONE!”

An excessive workload and unfair wage scale negatively affect the work and life balance of financial advisors and take away their human right to life.

We should not remain indifferent to the cries of 130 thousand members of the profession who are crying out for immediate solutions to our problems. We are no longer able to do our current work, it is at a standstill! It is also our constitutional right as financial advisors to live in humane conditions.

The Ministry of Treasury and Finance is asking not to extend the declaration periods every month, but to effectively classify the data collected through electronic applications and to communicate with institutions that legally request data, such as the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK), the Central Bank and the Public Procurement Agency, in an age where artificial intelligence technology is used today. We demand that it be shared with all public institutions such as. We want the burden of repetitive declarations and notifications based on the same data to be alleviated.

TAX DECLARATION PERIODS AND DURATIONS SHOULD BE REGULATED TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

Additionally, we request that tax declaration periods and deadlines be regulated taking into account public holidays.

There is currently a state of outrage in the professional community. Our colleagues are working day and night, in addition to their routine work, to complete their corporate tax returns by the end of the month.

It is not possible to prepare corporate tax returns in a timely manner due to the interruption of work due to the holiday and the inability to collect information and documents from taxpayers.

While even corporate tax returns cannot be prepared and declared on time, the request for inflation adjustments to be made in the provisional tax period 17 days later and the balance sheet to be attached to the declaration causes us financial advisors to go crazy. We request that our applications to the Ministry of Treasury and Finance and the Revenue Administration be implemented, along with their justifications, so that inflation correction procedures will not be carried out in the provisional tax periods in 2024 due to the transition period in 2024 and the publication of the secondary legislation quite late and excessive density.

EXTRAORDINARY CONDITIONS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED

It is not possible to upload Corporate Tax Declarations and electronic ledger certificates for 2023 on time due to the long public holiday periods in April.

For this reason, our request to extend the loading times of corporate tax returns and e-book certificates and the provisional tax declaration period must be fulfilled.

In addition, our request that the ongoing force majeure situation in the earthquake region should be extended until the end of the year, taking into account the extraordinary conditions experienced in the region, and that inflation adjustment should be implemented without tax effects for taxpayers in the region, should be fulfilled.

CAN ANYONE HEAR OUR VOICE?

We are a professional group that makes all kinds of sacrifices for our state and fulfills our duties with a high awareness of responsibility, risking our health to keep the wheels of the economy turning, just like during the pandemic period.

The state is our state. Of course, in times of crisis, everyone must take responsibility and work with all their might. However, no public power has the right to put so much pressure on a professional group or to harm people’s psychology.

We expect our justified and humane demands to be implemented immediately so that 130 thousand financial advisors can do their jobs in a healthier way. Does anyone hear our voice?

“Hear our voice,” he said.