The minimum limit for meal expenses has been removed.

The changes made in the Social Insurance Transactions Regulation have brought significant arrangements regarding the meal allowances of millions of employees. With the regulation published in the Official Gazette, which will come into effect on January 1, the minimum wage formulation for meal allowances has been removed, and meal cards have also been included. With the decision that will come into effect on January 1, 2025, meal payments will no longer be limited to cash only.

DAILY MEAL ALLOWANCE WILL BE BASED, NOT A MINIMUM LIMIT

In the previous regulation, meal allowance calculations were made based on a certain percentage of the daily minimum wage. This formula was applied in cases where meal services were not provided at the workplace. With the new regulation, the meal allowances provided to employees will be calculated based on the daily meal cost. This allows for more flexible determination of meal allowances. Employers will now be able to offer a wider range of options for meal payments to employees. Meal payments can be made in cash or with meal cards.