student host family deported?

[kayakebab]

Please don't shoot the messenger as I was told this and didn't hear it first hand....

Apparently a host family declared their income from English & More on their residency application and were deported.
I signed up to have students but this is really worrying and I shan't be having any until I know if this is true.

Has anyone else heard about this?

[Old Daffodil]

Perhaps you should contact English and More and ask them if it is true?The authorities are very strict about foreigners making any income.They would also maybe be faced with a large fine for employing the family.

[kayakebab]

When I signed up it was a question I asked, of course they're going to say its ok, but in hindsight there was nothing in writing to this effect.
You have to give your tax number for tax to be deducted so it looked as if it was going to go through the correct channels.
I will try & contact them, they've just moved to Hisaronu I understand.

[Old Daffodil]

Even residency does not give the right to work in Turkey. I wish you luck. Sorry to hear about the family being deported if it is true. I am sure they would not have meant to have broken the law.

[kayakebab]

Thank you, I'm not going to risk it, waited too many years to get here to risk being deported!
I was attracted to it as you can use their huge pool in Calis and have free Turkish lessons, but these dont apply now they've moved anyway.

[stoop]

I've had a look at their website and to me it looks like all you are doing is renting a room out to a stranger. So my question is - what is the difference between this and renting your property out as a holiday home? Surely not much. Are you actually employed by them or just supplying a room for a student? I can't see any reason why they would need to put you in their employment really.

Interesting that they take your tax details though but having said that you need your tax number to be able to do lots of things in Turkey so it might not be for employment purposes.

Maybe the Turkish authorities look at renting a room out differently to renting your home out - unlike the UK where you can do this up to a certain amount without any tax liability - and you are certainly not employed by the company that sets it all up.

[col]

I also know a few families who have been doing this for a few years without any problems. I imagine there are many members on the forum who do the same. It would be a great help if some of those reply to this post in the hope that postive feed back is recieved.

[Firo]

We have done this with English & More and we were not employed by them and it was legally allowed to rent a room to them and tax on that was paid at source by them. It will be interesting to see their reply to you but I suspect it's an urban rumour.

[Ovacikpeedoff]

I would say that the tax laws on letting in Turkey are similar to the UK. In the UK a letting agent is required by law to deduct tax at sourse andthat is probably why a tax number is required.

I would agree with Fiona in that it is the good old rumour mill in full flow and if someone was deported it was probably for something else and it is not in any way related to providing rooms to foreign students.

[Fastlady]

I'm pretty sure that English & More will soon let you all know the situation however, in the meantime, and in an effort to dispel any rumours, I can shed some light on the situation.

The person involved was deported because, when completing her application for residency the wrong information was submitted, which suggested that she was a teacher, employed by English & More, and not a host family.  As I understand it, the directors and accountants of English & More were quickly despatched to Gunlukbasi police station, armed with all manner of documentation to prove that the person was NOT employed as a teacher.  Whilst the police accepted what was being said, unfortunately, it seems that once 'the order has been given' there is no stopping it!  English & More were most helpful to the deportee who has been advised that, rather than having to stay out of Turkey for a year, as is the norm, if an application is submitted to the Turkish Consulate in London, it will be viewed most favourably.  I haven't had an update yet as to what has happened with the Consulate in the past few days.
English & More are keen to point out that being a Host Family is quite acceptable by the Turkish Government and is not considered 'working' and thence there is no need for anyone to panic unnecessarily.