Quick answer
What determines accounting fees in Turkey for foreign-owned companies, what monthly service usually includes, and how to compare proposals without hidden scope gaps.
Accounting fees in Turkey are normally determined by workload and risk, not foreign ownership alone. Transaction volume, employee count, imports and exports, e-document obligations, reporting language and group-reporting requirements all change the engagement. A useful proposal therefore defines the monthly scope before quoting a fee.
What Usually Determines the Monthly Fee?
| Factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Monthly purchase, sales and bank transaction volume | Changes bookkeeping and reconciliation time |
| Employees and payroll complexity | Adds payroll, social security and employment reporting work |
| Import, export or foreign-currency activity | Requires additional document, customs and exchange-rate controls |
| VAT, withholding and sector-specific filings | Changes the compliance calendar and review risk |
| E-invoice, e-archive and e-ledger status | Adds system, data and submission workflows where applicable |
| English reporting or group packages | Requires a separate management-reporting layer beyond statutory books |
| Related-party transactions | May require transfer-pricing review and documentation |
A dormant company still has statutory responsibilities. Low invoice volume does not automatically mean that bookkeeping, declarations and year-end closing disappear.
What Should Be Included in a Proposal?
A clear recurring scope should identify bookkeeping under the Turkish Tax Procedure Law, routine tax returns, payroll headcount, social security filings, reconciliations, statutory ledger processes, year-end closing and the response channel for ordinary compliance questions. See the full accounting services in Turkey scope for a practical comparison.
Items commonly priced separately include company formation, historical cleanup, tax inspections, litigation support, transfer-pricing reports, IFRS conversion, consolidation packages, special-purpose reports and certified translations. The proposal should say this expressly rather than relying on a vague “full service” label.
Is There an Official Minimum Tariff?
Yes. Türkiye’s professional body publishes an annual minimum fee tariff for certified public accountants and sworn-in CPAs under Law No. 3568. The 2026 minimum tariff published by TÜRMOB took effect on 1 January 2026. It is a minimum professional tariff, not a universal fixed package price. The actual engagement still depends on scope and complexity.
How to Compare Two Accounting Quotes
Compare like with like. Ask both firms to state transaction assumptions, payroll headcount, included declarations, e-document responsibilities, reporting language, response model, year-end work and exclusions. Also confirm who will be the licensed reviewer and how records will be handed over if the engagement ends.
For predictable onboarding, prepare the documents in our monthly accounting requirements guide and separate statutory compliance from optional management reporting. Compare the reporting layer with the Turkish accounting standards and IFRS guide, or review bookkeeping services when the immediate need is limited to the transaction-recording workflow. Foreign founders who have not formed the entity yet should start with company formation in Turkey.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an accountant cost in Turkey?
There is no single compliant price for every company. The fee depends on transaction volume, payroll, tax profile, e-document status, foreign trade and reporting requirements. A scoped proposal is more reliable than a headline price.
Does a foreign-owned company pay a higher accounting fee?
Not merely because it has foreign shareholders. Cross-border transactions, English reporting, group packages, related-party dealings and additional communication may increase the work and therefore the fee.
Is payroll included in the monthly accounting fee?
It depends on the engagement. The proposal should state the included employee count, payroll filings and whether employment advisory or exceptional calculations are separate.
Are tax inspections and IFRS reporting included?
They are commonly separate projects unless expressly included. Statutory bookkeeping under Turkish rules is different from IFRS conversion, consolidation and tax-inspection support.
What information is needed for an accurate quote?
Provide the business activity, expected monthly invoices and bank movements, employee count, import/export activity, related-party transactions, e-document status and required reporting language.
Get a Scope-Based Accounting Proposal
Celikel CPA prepares proposals around the actual compliance and reporting workload, with inclusions and exclusions stated before onboarding. Request an accounting consultation or review our tax services in Turkey for a combined scope.
