SCT Discount for Disabled People is Being Removed: Purchasing a Vehicle is Becoming Difficult!

Tax advantages and SCT exemption provided to disabled people in Turkey have recently become a major topic of discussion with the new tax reform package prepared by the Ministry of Treasury and Finance. According to the allegations, the right of disabled individuals to purchase a vehicle without SCT will be abolished and instead, limited vehicle purchase support will be provided depending on their income status.

The Right of Disabled Individuals to Buy Vehicles Without Special Consumption Tax is at Risk

The regulations included in the new tax package draft of the Ministry of Treasury and Finance have caused great concern among disabled individuals. The draft envisages applying to the Ministry of Family and Social Services instead of the Revenue Administration and providing vehicle purchase support to disabled people who “certify that they are poor”.

However, it is stated that if this support is received, other social assistance of disabled people will be cut off. This is a serious concern, especially for individuals who are dependent on disability-related social supports.

Burhan Gümrükçü, President of the Anatolian Association of Uniting the Disabled People (AEBD), emphasized that the new regulation virtually imposes an income requirement for the disabled, and stated that this means eliminating the right of the disabled to buy vehicles without SCT.

Gümrükçü warned that the steps taken by the state in this direction could negatively affect the social and economic lives of disabled people.

The government’s draft new tax package includes important changes that will affect the quality of life of disabled individuals. The removal of the right to purchase a vehicle without SCT and the provision of limited cash support based on income instead caused great outrage among disabled individuals.

The risk of cutting social supports may completely end the dream of owning a vehicle, especially for disabled individuals in low-income groups. This situation may initiate a deep debate about how disability policies and social assistance should be shaped in Turkey.