DigiKit2026 Severance Pay Calculation Guide (Turkey)
Severance pay is calculated as 30 days of gross salary for each full year worked, but exact start and end dates, plus partial years, can complicate the math.
Summary
Severance pay is calculated as 30 days of gross salary for each full year worked, but exact start and end dates, plus partial years, can complicate the math.
Step by step
- Pin down the exact start and end dates, day by day, and note any partial year separately (in months and days).
- Determine the most recent gross salary, including any regular additional payments.
- Enter the number of full years and the remaining days into the calculator separately.
- Compare the result against the statutory cap; if the figure exceeds it, the payment is limited to the cap.
Some background for non-Turkish readers
Kıdem tazminatı is a statutory severance payment under Turkish labor law. It is separate from notice pay and is paid by the employer, not from a public fund.
Before you calculate: are you entitled?
The first question is not the amount but whether you qualify at all. As a general rule you need at least one year with the same employer. Dismissal without just cause, retirement, compulsory military service, or the employee leaving for a legally justified reason typically trigger the right. Resigning on your own without a justified reason usually does not. If you are not sure which group your case falls into, any calculator result is only an estimate.
What counts as salary
The calculation is not limited to the base gross salary on your payslip. Regular, ongoing payments such as meal allowance, transport allowance or recurring bonuses are generally included. Occasional one-off payments generally are not. Looking back through your payslips is the most reliable way to see which items were regular.
An example
Take someone with 3 years and 6 months of service and a final gross salary of 40,000 TRY, and assume that salary is below the cap. Three full years give 3 × 40,000 = 120,000. The extra six months are half a year, so 20,000. Gross severance comes to 140,000 TRY. No income tax is withheld from severance pay, only stamp duty, so the amount you receive is slightly lower. If your salary is above the cap, the cap is used instead of your actual salary.
Common mistakes
- Confusing severance with notice pay, which is a separate entitlement tied to the notice period.
- Calculating from net salary. The base is gross.
- Ignoring the partial year, or rounding it up to a full year.
- Using last year's cap. It is updated periodically.
When to talk to a lawyer
If the reason for termination is disputed, the employer refuses to pay, part of your salary was paid off the books, or you worked at several companies within the same group, speak to an employment lawyer. Check the current cap through e-Devlet or official announcements. A calculator gives you a starting point, not a legal opinion.