Commercial books: which book, when to certify, how long to keep?
The commercial books companies must keep, paper and electronic form, opening and closing certification deadlines, e-Ledger and ETDS, retention periods, the loss certificate if a book is lost, and penalties.
The books are a company's memory before the tax office, the courts and its partners alike. Which book is kept in which form, and whether certification deadlines are met, has direct consequences in audits and lawsuits.
Which books are kept?
| Book | Limited company | Joint stock company | Form |
|---|---|---|---|
| Journal | ✓ | ✓ | e-Ledger or paper |
| General ledger | ✓ | ✓ | e-Ledger or paper |
| Inventory book | ✓ | ✓ | Paper |
| Share register | ✓ | ✓ | Paper or ETDS |
| Resolution book | If there is a board of managers | Board of directors resolution book | Paper or ETDS |
| General assembly meeting and minutes book | ✓ | ✓ | Paper or ETDS |
e-Ledger is compulsory for companies meeting certain conditions and optional for others: Switching to e-Invoice, e-Archive and e-Ledger
From 2026, the share register, resolution books and general assembly book are kept through the Electronic Commercial Book System (ETDS) in newly formed companies: ETDS
Certification of paper books
| Certification | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Opening certification (first year) | Before starting business; at formation it can be done by the trade registry office |
| Opening certification (later years) | Within the last month before the accounting period in which the book will be used (December for calendar-year periods) |
| Journal closing certification | By the end of the sixth month of the following accounting period (30 June for calendar-year periods) |
| Board of directors resolution book closing certification | By the end of the first month of the following accounting period (31 January) |
Books such as the share register and general assembly book can be used until their pages are full; no new opening certification is needed each year.
Certifications are made by a notary. To add the deadlines to your calendar: Deadline calculator
e-Ledger
Companies using e-Ledger do not have opening and closing certification on paper; instead, they upload the certificates of their monthly books to the Revenue Administration system on time. Certificate deadlines and the consequences of delay: e-Ledger certificate deadlines
Retention periods
| Law | Period | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Turkish Commercial Code | 10 years | Commercial books, inventories, financial statements, copies of commercial letters received and sent, documents supporting accounting records |
| Tax Procedure Law | 5 years | Books and documents (starting from the calendar year following the year to which they relate) |
Because the two periods differ, in practice ten years should be the standard. The retention period starts at the end of the calendar year in which the entry was made or the document was created. Books and documents kept electronically are also kept for the same periods, in readable form.
If a book is lost: loss certificate
If books or documents are lost through fire, flood, theft or similar causes, a loss certificate must be requested from the competent court where the business is located within 15 days of learning of the loss. If the books cannot be produced without a loss certificate, serious consequences such as ex officio assessment and rejection of deductions can arise in a tax audit.
Sanctions
- Books whose opening certification was not obtained, or not obtained on time, may be treated as never having been kept for Tax Procedure Law purposes.
- The Turkish Commercial Code provides administrative fines for breaches of book-keeping and retention obligations.
- Failure to produce books in a tax audit can lead to the rejection of VAT deductions and ex officio assessment: Preparing for a tax audit
Practical recommendations
- Add notary certifications in December to your annual calendar.
- Keep physical copies of the books in one place, protected against fire and water.
- Keep backups of your accounting software and e-Ledger files on a separate medium.
- Specify in writing who keeps the books and documents; draw up a handover record when the accountant changes: Accounting service and handover
Our related service: Books and e-Ledger
Legal basis: Turkish Commercial Code No. 6102 arts. 64, 65 and 82; Tax Procedure Law No. 213 arts. 13, 182, 220–226 and 253; Communiqué on Commercial Books.