Accounting & bookkeeping for foreign-owned companies in Turkey
Peace of mind, not a pile of technical tasks. SYSTEMS CPA keeps your Turkish company’s books to statutory standard, files everything on time, and reports monthly in English — so your head office always knows where the entity stands.
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Accounting in Turkey at a glance
| Who it is for | Foreign-owned companies, subsidiaries and branches operating in Turkey |
| What is included | Statutory bookkeeping, e-Ledger (e-Defter), e-Invoice, monthly close and reporting |
| Standards | Turkish Tax Procedure Law, Commercial Code and the Uniform Chart of Accounts |
| Reporting | Monthly management pack in your group format and in English |
| Language | English and Turkish — one point of contact for your HQ |
| Handled by | Certified Public Accountant (SMMM), TÜRMOB Reg. No. 35675, Istanbul |
Who does accounting for foreign companies in Turkey?
In Turkey, statutory bookkeeping must be performed by a licensed accountant — a Certified Public Accountant (SMMM) or Sworn-in CPA (YMM) registered with TÜRMOB. Foreign-owned companies appoint a licensed local firm such as SYSTEMS CPA to keep the electronic ledger (e-Defter), file taxes, run payroll and report monthly. The parent company keeps oversight; the licensed local accountant carries the statutory responsibility.
What is included
Comparing accounting providers? Review our three scope-based accounting and finance service packages, from statutory compliance to CFO reporting. To see what headquarters could receive, open the illustrative monthly reporting pack.
- Statutory bookkeeping under the Tax Procedure Law and Commercial Code
- Electronic ledger (e-Defter) and e-Invoice (e-Fatura / e-Arşiv) management
- Chart of accounts based on the Uniform Chart of Accounts, mapped to your group
- Monthly close, trial balance and financial statements
- Fixed-asset, inventory and bank reconciliations
- Coordination of VAT, withholding and corporate-tax filings
- Monthly management reporting in English
What Turkish law requires of your books
Companies in Turkey must keep their records under the Tax Procedure Law (VUK) and the Turkish Commercial Code, using the Uniform Chart of Accounts. Most companies are inside the e-Invoice (e-Fatura / e-Arşiv) and e-Ledger (e-Defter) system, which means invoices and ledgers are issued and archived electronically and the ledger summaries (berat) are uploaded on a set schedule. Miss those uploads and penalties follow — which is why a foreign owner wants a licensed firm that treats the calendar as non-negotiable.
What if I am behind on my books?
My previous accountant left the books incomplete — can you fix them? Yes. We reconcile the prior period during onboarding, correct what is wrong, and, where prior filings were affected, set out the exposure and options (including voluntary correction) before anything is filed. See our accounting takeover page.
Do I need a Turkish accountant if my company is small? If you have a Turkish legal entity, statutory bookkeeping and filings are mandatory regardless of size — there is no threshold below which you can skip them.
Worked example: clean books, real reporting
The situation. A foreign-owned trading company kept its own spreadsheets and used a cheap bookkeeper only for filings. Year-end never reconciled.
The obvious answer. “Keep the spreadsheets, file the taxes, done.” That is compliance on paper, not control.
Why it failed. With no proper chart of accounts or monthly close, stock, cash and margin were never reliable, and the year-end scramble hid real errors.
What we did. We rebuilt the chart of accounts on the Uniform Chart of Accounts, ran a disciplined monthly close, and gave the owner a monthly English pack — so the numbers were right every month, not reconstructed once a year.
A clear scope for your Turkish accounting team
Tell us whether you are setting up a Turkish subsidiary or branch, replacing an existing accountant, or improving reporting to headquarters. We can then scope the local bookkeeping, monthly close and English reporting around your entity.
- Entity and activity: your Turkish company structure and business model.
- Monthly workload: approximate invoice volume and employee headcount.
- Head-office reporting: reporting format, close timetable and group requirements.
- Takeover needs: current provider, records available and any unresolved periods.
Discuss your Turkish entity and request a scoped quote → · See how accounting takeover works
See the full finance, payroll, tax-compliance and HQ-reporting budget checklist for CFOs, including scope and cost drivers.
One fixed fee. Agreed in writing. No surprises.
- A single fixed monthly fee for the scope we agree. No hourly billing for routine work.
- Priced on what actually drives the work: invoice and transaction volume, headcount, VAT and e-invoice profile, and the reporting your head office needs.
- A written proposal lists every deliverable line by line. One-off work (VAT refunds, audit support, transfer pricing files) is quoted upfront, before it starts.
- Senior CPA review on every file. You are buying certainty, not data entry.
What does accounting in Turkey cost?
We charge a fixed monthly fee based on the drivers that create the work: transaction volume, number of employees, VAT status, and how much reporting your HQ needs. No surprises after the quote. See what accounting in Turkey costs →
Related services
Payroll services → · Management reporting → · Tax compliance & advisory → · Accounting takeover →
Verified local partner
Work is performed by Osman Evren Özmen, Certified Public Accountant (SMMM), registered with TÜRMOB — Reg. No. 35675, Istanbul. SYSTEMS CPA is the international-facing practice of independent CPA Evren Özmen (SMMM).
info@ozmconsultancy.com · +90 216 352 29 61 · WhatsApp +90 506 682 96 55
Hand your Turkish books to a partner who answers
Request a scoped proposal → WhatsApp us →
“They are definitely the best accountant in Turkey for international business owners. They handle everything.”
“Finding a trustworthy, English-speaking CPA in Istanbul felt overwhelming at first — until I met Evren and his team.”
“Working with Evren has been the best decision for my business in Turkey.”
Discuss your requirements in Turkey
Talk to our advisory team about accounting, tax and compliance for foreign-owned companies. We reply in English, usually within one business day.