The short answer: if you sell a property in Turkey more than five years after you bought it, you pay no capital gains tax. If you sell sooner, only the real gain is taxed: the price is first adjusted for inflation, and the first 150,000 TL of gains in 2026 is exempt. What is left is taxed at 15% to 40%.
The rule is the same for foreigners and Turkish citizens, and for homes and commercial property.
Work out your own figure: our capital gains tax calculator applies these rules to your dates and prices, in lira, dollars or euros.
At a glance
| Question | 2026 rule |
|---|---|
| Sold after more than 5 years | No tax |
| Sold within 5 years | Tax on the gain |
| Inflation adjustment | Yes, if producer prices rose 10% or more |
| Annual exemption | 150,000 TL of gains |
| Tax rate on the rest | 15% to 40% |
| Inherited or gifted property | Not taxed on sale |
| When you pay | Return in March of the next year |
How the gain is worked out
If you sell within five years, the taxable gain is calculated in four steps:
- Start with the sale price you declare at the land registry.
- Adjust your purchase price for inflation. If the producer price index has risen by 10% or more between the month before you bought and the month before you sell, your purchase price is raised by the same amount.
- Take away your costs of buying, such as the title deed fee you paid.
- Deduct the annual exemption of 150,000 TL (for sales in 2026).
What remains is added to your other Turkish income for the year and taxed at the progressive rates: 15% on the first 190,000 TL, rising to 40% above 5,300,000 TL. Our property taxes guide has the full table.
A simple example
Say you bought an apartment in Istanbul and sell it three years later for 12,000,000 TL. After inflation, your purchase price is worth 9,000,000 TL, and you paid 200,000 TL in costs when you bought.
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| Sale price | 12,000,000 TL |
| Purchase price after inflation | − 9,000,000 TL |
| Costs of buying | − 200,000 TL |
| Gain | 2,800,000 TL |
| Annual exemption (2026) | − 150,000 TL |
| Taxable gain | 2,650,000 TL |
| Tax | about 810,000 TL |
Had you waited until the fifth anniversary had passed, the same sale would have been tax-free.
Selling after citizenship or a VAT exemption
Two other holding periods can affect when you sell:
- Citizenship property carries a three-year no-sale annotation on the title deed. After three years you can sell, but the five-year tax rule still applies. See How to Sell Your Property After Obtaining Turkish Citizenship and our citizenship guide.
- A VAT-exempt purchase by a non-resident must be kept for three years, or the VAT is due before the sale.
Declare the real price
Some sellers are still told to write a lower price on the title deed. It is illegal, and since the 2026 changes the penalty for an under-declared price equals the whole missing title deed fee, on top of any tax. Bank transfers and the Secure Payment System make the real price easy to check. Declare what you are paid.
Related guides
- Property Taxes in Turkey: every tax from buying to selling
- How to Sell Your Property After Obtaining Turkish Citizenship
- Turkish Citizenship by Real Estate Investment
- Sell your property in Istanbul: let us find your buyer
This guide is general information, not tax advice. Amounts are for 2026 and change every year. Check your own sale with a Turkish tax adviser.
Frequently asked questions
6 questions foreign buyers ask us most, grouped by topic.
The basics
Do I pay tax when I sell property in Turkey?
Not if you have owned it for more than five years. If you sell sooner, the gain (after an inflation adjustment and an annual exemption of 150,000 TL in 2026) is taxed at 15% to 40%.
Does the five-year rule apply to foreigners?
Yes. The rule is the same for foreign and Turkish owners, and for homes and commercial property alike.
Is inherited property taxed when I sell it?
No. Property you inherited or received as a gift is outside capital gains tax when you sell, whenever you sell it.
Working it out
How is inflation taken into account?
If producer prices have risen by 10% or more since you bought, your purchase price is raised by that inflation before the gain is worked out. In high-inflation years this often removes most or all of the taxable gain.
When do I declare and pay the tax?
In a tax return filed in March of the year after the sale. The tax is paid in two instalments, in March and July.
Can I declare a lower sale price to pay less tax?
No. It is illegal, and since 2026 the penalty for an under-declared price at the land registry equals the whole of the missing fee, on top of any tax due. Always declare the real price.
