Taxed Earnings Are Sacred

Oh Necla, you make such a beautiful cake!

Let me do it for you too, I can do it quickly, it's easy anyway.

Oh dear, that's not possible, don't waste it now, we're eating here, that's enough.

What is it going to cost? There is everything in the cupboard, there are only walnuts left in the house. You go and buy 250 grams of walnuts from the market, come back and I'll start the preparations right away, it would be nice while we chat while we're doing it.

Okay, so while I'm at it, I'll take whatever's in your recipe, just tell me what you need, at least I'll cover the cost.

Okay then, take this much this, this much this…

***

When can we call an exchange a trade?

For example, if Necla starts making cakes at home and distributes them to neighbors at cost, can we say that she has started trading?

Or, let him bake a cake again, do not pay the cost, and give it as a gift to his friends, for example.

Or he may have actually started trading. Maybe they say they only pay the cost, but they actually make a profit!?

How do we detect the difference?

Even if he does it to his neighbor, he is still producing illegally!

Could this also be a point of view?

***

The government collects taxes from trade, and for this you need to open a company in which you can trade.

Natural person or legal entity!

If you want to do business, you have to open a company according to the law and register with the tax office. You will also pay taxes.

When you open a company, you have to work under the control of the state and within the rules set by it.

For example, in order to produce and sell something, the thing you produce will have a brand; there is no trade without a brand! At least there will be no production. If you are talking about production, there will be standards and the state will inspect whether you comply with these standards. The state can also carry out this inspection by different organizations.

In return, the state will collect tax from you on the earnings you make from the product you produce.

I make these cakes to help my neighbors!

Impossible!

If you make money by making cakes, you will pay taxes! On top of that, whoever buys that cake from you will also pay taxes.

Okay, but how much of the income I earn from that cake, or if I am the buyer, how much of the price of the cake I buy, will I pay as tax?

Reasonable amount!

How? For example?

Well, I say it's reasonable, the rates change. The lowest income tax is 15% from the manufacturer and 20% VAT from the buyer for most products.

If what is traded is not cake but, for example, alcoholic beverages, what happens to the tax rate then?

Look, things are changing then, SCT also comes into play on alcoholic beverages, and the tax rate collected from the producer also increases.

In short, we can say that the alcoholic beverages we buy are for one citizen and three states. We can say that the total tax revenue obtained by the state from the producer and the end user corresponds to these rates.

If we take into account the tax collected from the producer, one out of every four glasses goes to the citizen and three goes to the state. This is a tremendous injustice!

***

Raise your glasses, father state, raise your glasses too, even raise all three glasses together.

Let's drink, friends, let there be pleasant sounds at the locksmith's table, turn up the music.

/ Fill it up, tavern keeper

Don't let my glass be empty

Fill it up, tavern keeper.

My troubles never end /

Adnan Şenses used to sing this song very sincerely. In fact, it is written on the internet that the lyrics and music belong to Vedat Ozkan Turgay, but Feyzullah Çınar sang this folk song much earlier.

It doesn't matter who wrote it, Adnan Şenses would sing it very sincerely, I loved listening to this song in his voice. This song was almost identified with him.

/ Let's drink friend

I have a lot of problems

Let's drink friend

There is no solution to my problem

Let's drink friend

I'm not in a good mood today

Let's drink friend

I have no taste /

***

So, are the tax rates imposed by this state equitable?

Does it matter?

Those who govern the state set tax rates as they wish. This state even collected vehicle tax for the second time just last year, and even the constitutional court could not raise its voice.

Today's state administrators think that it is better for us to have taxes on alcoholic beverages and cigarettes much higher than in the past or compared to other states in the world. Do you have any objections?

They say don't drink!

But in this way, the state causes the production of illegal alcohol!

No matter, the state controls it and does not allow illegal production.

But I think the biggest liquor smuggling operation in the history of the republic was caught in Adana. Isn't this because taxes are too high?

He's been caught, what more do you want?

What if they hadn't caught it?

What if all that bootleg liquor had been released? People would be poisoned, God willing.

Do you think that few people are poisoned by illegal alcohol?

It's not a little, but they shouldn't drink alcohol either, brother. Why is this government increasing taxes, isn't it so that people don't drink alcohol?

***

There is Kent, there is Marlboro...

When I was young, they used to sell illegal cigarettes on corners. Cigarette smuggling was even the subject of movies. I remember Aydemir Akbaş selling illegal ciga rettes in a movie. There are similar scenes in Kemal Sunal's films.

But it didn't seem like there was much moonshine back then.

Although back then, There were also wine sellers, wines under the bridge, most of them would drink wines that killed dogs. They sell wine and raki wrapped in newspaper, that is, the buyer knows that it is not a good thing and feels ashamed when buying it.

Dog-killing, fast-produced cheap wines with vodka-like alcohol added to the grape juice. Vintners.

I think we are back to those old days, street vendors appeared on the corners again, those selling illegal alcohol, those selling illegal cigarettes...

Moreover, today things are worse than in the past; drugs are now being sold openly in front of schools.

As you know, the most famous pastime of the rich is the notorious cocaine (or should I say powdered sugar?) and it doesn't matter whether it is conservative or secular among the cocaine users, those who have money immediately smoke cocaine as if it is a sign of being rich, and the poor are left with synthetic drugs. Vendors in front of schools only sell synthetic drugs.

All the cartel heads of the world flocked to the country, would there be a shortage of drugs that they trade worldwide?

***

Tax is sacred.

No wrong! Taxed earnings are sacred!

Taxes are not sacred.

Taxes must be fair.

What is to be blessed is not taxes, but taxed earnings.

However, just as excess spoils every sacred thing, excessive taxes also spoil the sanctity of earnings.

Taxes should be in the appropriate dose. If you miss the dose, it will be like an eggplant, growing taller but losing its taste.

***

Is tax reform needed?

Of course there is, but who will do it?

Today's government is happy with the situation. Since no one speaks out, let the taxes go.

Release the price hikes, raise the price of gasoline, increase highway and bridge tolls, VAT, SCT, and these high tax rates fill the state's coffers. Why should our leaders make reforms?

When the taxes collected are more than enough, those in charge of the tap spend the collected taxes as they please.

They distribute the taxes collected from you and me to your supporters.

***

Moreover, there is no rule that the taxes we pay will return to us in the form of roads, water and electricity, as in the past.

You will both pay taxes and if you want service, you will also pay for the service you receive.

If the state says so, is there anyone who can object?

VAT and SCT rates were last adjusted on July 7, 2023, I do not know if they will adjust again in the near future, but I heard news that the taxes collected from the national lottery have been reduced. I don't know if it's true, I haven't bought the lottery for a long time. This means that they sometimes play with the SCT rates of at least some things.

One way or another, as prices increase, the amount the state obtains from tax revenues also increases.

General price adjustment is already in the hands of the state in basic matters.

The state is not slowing down at all, it has made new increases as of the new year.

Then they ask why your hair has turned white, friend.

By the way, I had opened Adnan Şenses on the internet, I was listening to him while writing this article, I also loved this song.

Look, the song says that the world's suffering will never end with drinking, and it's true. No one has yet come to replace Adnan Şenses. Let's remember him too.

Let me end the article by saying that the new raises will be beneficial to our nation. I hope some of the taxes collected will return as a service to this nation.

With love and respect to everyone from Moscow.