Turkey Moves to Mandate Integrated Fiscal Devices in Taxis to Expand Digital Payments

Turkey’s Revenue Administration (Gelir İdaresi Başkanlığı – GİB) has taken a major step toward modernizing the taxi sector by drafting a new regulatory framework to diversify payment methods and strengthen tax compliance. The proposed communiqué, shaped in consultation with sector representatives, introduces a compulsory “taxi fiscal device” that will operate in full integration with existing taximeters, marking a significant shift in how taxi fares are recorded and paid.

The regulation is designed to standardize fare recording, reduce informal economic activity, and ensure that digital payment options become a core feature of taxi services across the country. By embedding fiscal controls directly into daily operations, the system seeks to create a more transparent and traceable structure for both drivers and regulators.

Implementation Timeline and Transition Rules

Under the draft communiqué, all taxpayers engaged in passenger transportation who are legally required to use taximeters must install Treasury and Finance Ministry–approved taxi fiscal devices in their vehicles by 1 July. This deadline applies broadly across the sector and forms the backbone of the transition to the new system.

The regulation also outlines several additional timelines that address different operational scenarios. For newly established businesses or for vehicles in which an existing taximeter is replaced, operators will be required to begin using an approved fiscal device within 30 days of the change. Importantly, if passenger transport activities start before the 30-day window expires, the fiscal device must be activated immediately, without waiting for the full period to lapse.

For operators who receive new taxi plates and begin operations between the effective date of the communiqué and the Ministry’s first official device approval date, a longer transition period has been предусмотрed. These businesses will have until 1 January 2027 to fully comply with the new requirements, allowing additional time for procurement and technical adaptation.

Mandatory Bank Card Acceptance

A key pillar of the draft regulation is the expansion of cashless payment options. Once taxi operators begin using the fiscal device, they will be obligated to enter into an agreement with at least one bank or licensed payment service provider within 15 days. Following this agreement, they must accept bank card payments from passengers.

This requirement effectively makes card payment acceptance standard practice in taxis, addressing long-standing consumer complaints about limited payment options. It also aligns the sector with broader national goals around digital payments and financial inclusion.

Technical Infrastructure: Full Integration as a Core Principle

The new system is built around the concept of inseparable integration between the taximeter and the fiscal device. The regulation envisions these two components operating as a single, synchronized unit rather than as independent tools.

Taxi fiscal devices will be approved in two technical formats: those capable of issuing physical receipts and those designed to generate electronic documents (e-documents). Both device types, along with their associated taximeters, will be subject to rigorous technical review processes conducted by TÜBİTAK and the Turkish Standards Institution (TSE), in line with criteria established by GİB.

Anti-Abuse Measures and Operational Safeguards

To prevent misuse and ensure data integrity, the draft includes strict operational rules governing how the system functions in practice. One of the most critical principles is simultaneous operation. When a taximeter is activated at the start of a trip, the fiscal device transaction will automatically begin. Likewise, when the fare calculation ends, the transaction will close on both systems simultaneously.

The regulation explicitly prohibits independent operation. Taximeters will not function without a connected fiscal device, and fiscal devices will be unable to issue receipts or e-documents unless they are linked to an active taximeter session. This mutual dependency is designed to eliminate gaps where fares could go unrecorded.

Another crucial safeguard involves automatic data transfer. Fare amounts cannot be entered manually into the fiscal device. Instead, pricing data will be transmitted directly from the taximeter to the device. Moreover, a new trip cannot be initiated until the receipt or e-document for the previous journey has been issued, closing off opportunities for delayed or omitted documentation.

Core Objectives: Transparency, Compliance, and Convenience

The overarching goal of the proposed regulation is to make taxi transportation activities more transparent and fully traceable, thereby strengthening the fight against the informal economy. By automating fare recording and linking it directly to fiscal documentation, tax oversight becomes more efficient and less dependent on manual controls.

At the same time, the regulation aims to enhance the passenger experience. Mandatory card payment acceptance increases convenience for riders, particularly in urban areas where cashless transactions are increasingly the norm. The broader push toward digitalization is expected to modernize the taxi sector, aligning it with evolving consumer expectations and national digital transformation strategies.

If adopted, the new framework will represent one of the most comprehensive reforms of Turkey’s taxi payment and reporting infrastructure in recent years, with implications for operators, passengers, and public finance alike.