Bağ-Kur Premium Support: What's Changed for Sole Proprietors, and What Hasn't

One of the questions we hear most often these days is: “Is my Bağ-Kur premium support still valid?” Social security incentives in Turkey get revised fairly often through omnibus laws and budget adjustments, which means information circulating on social media is frequently out of date. We’re deliberately not quoting a fixed rate or date here — those figures can change, and acting on stale information is often more costly than simply not knowing yet. Instead, here’s how to find out where you actually stand.

What Did the Bağ-Kur Premium Support Cover?

Broadly, this support mechanism allowed the Treasury to cover part of the Bağ-Kur (self-employed social security) premium burden for sole proprietors and self-employed professionals who met certain conditions. Depending on the legal basis — new business registration, young entrepreneur status, or specific employment policy goals — the support could fall under more than one statutory provision. In other words, “Bağ-Kur premium support” isn’t a single scheme; it’s a shorthand for several distinct legal mechanisms.

Why Is There So Much Talk About Changes?

Social security regulations are revised relatively often in response to economic conditions and budget priorities. In these periods, information spreading among taxpayers tends to be incomplete or over-generalized: a change specific to one situation gets shared as if it applied to everyone. So neither “the support is completely gone” nor “nothing has changed” should be taken at face value without confirming your specific situation.

Who Is Affected by This Uncertainty?

• Entrepreneurs planning to register a new sole proprietorship who were counting on this support
• Existing taxpayers who have used the support for years and don’t know whether a condition or duration change affects them
• Anyone planning to combine this support with the young entrepreneur exemption

What Should You Do Right Now?

1. Confirm which statutory provision your support (current or planned) is based on, via your SGK service record or e-Devlet.
2. Check your monthly premium accruals for any unexpected deduction or increase.
3. If you’re planning a new application, clarify the current conditions before applying — retroactive correction is often not possible in social security matters.
4. Confirm information from a single authoritative source (an official SGK announcement or your accountant), not from summaries circulating online.

Don’t Confuse It With the Young Entrepreneur Exemption

The income tax exemption for young entrepreneurs and the Bağ-Kur premium support are two separate schemes based on different statutory provisions. A change to one does not automatically affect the other. We cover the income tax exemption in detail in our young entrepreneur incentive guide.

How We Help

We track changes in social security regulations on behalf of our clients and review your monthly premium accruals so you don’t lose an entitlement without noticing. If you’d like clarity on where you stand, we’ll review your insurance history together and give you a current, verified assessment specific to your situation.