For many years, the accuracy of declared sale values in Turkey’s property transactions has been a matter of debate. With the Ministry of Treasury and Finance introducing the Spatial Data Analysis System (MEVA), the alignment between the sale price declared at the Land Registry and the asset’s actual market value is now examined in a far more systematic manner. This supervision does not stem from a new legal amendment; rather, it is the strengthened, data-driven enforcement of existing legislation.

MEVA analyses property transactions from the past five years using advanced big-data technologies, identifies cases with potential underreporting, and enables the authorities to request an “explanation” from the parties involved. As a result, declaring the true sale value in property transactions has become more critical than ever.

What Is MEVA? How Does AI-Driven Property Audit Work?

MEVA is an artificial intelligence-supported analytical platform developed by the Ministry. The system aggregates:

• Land Registry and Cadastre data,

• Banks’ valuation reports,

• Housing loan records,

• Real-estate listing platform data,

• Municipal unit value (rayiç bedel) information,

to identify significant discrepancies between the declared sale price and the asset’s market value.
This technology aims to enhance the accuracy of declarations, reduce off-the-books transactions, and increase transparency in tax enforcement.

Five-Year Retrospective Audit

This process is the digital application of the five-year statute of assessment set out in Article 114 of the Tax Procedure Law. In other words, the Ministry already had the authority to conduct retrospective audits covering five years. What is new is that these audits are now being carried out on a large scale and automatically through MEVA.

What Happens If Underreporting Is Detected?

If MEVA’s analysis reveals a clear discrepancy between the declared sale price and the market value, the taxpayer is first issued a request for explanation. During this stage:

• If the taxpayer provides a reasonable and well-documented justification for the lower declaration, the audit may be closed without penalty.

• If the explanation is deemed insufficient, the underreported portion of the title deed fee may be collected from both the buyer and the seller—together with penalties and late-payment interest.

This process is entirely lawful within the framework of the Fees Law and the Tax Procedure Law.

Real-Estate Agents Are Also Within the Scope of Audit

The supervision is not limited to title deed transactions. If real-estate agents issue commission invoices for a lower amount and receive the remaining portion in cash, this discrepancy may also be detected through MEVA’s data-matching processes. In such cases, agents may likewise face retrospective tax assessments and penalties.

For professional real-estate offices, fully transparent and properly documented transactions are no longer optional—they are a mandatory standard.