FollowerHQThe legal and tax side of running a panel
August 31, 2026 · 2 min read
Running a panel is commercial activity, and like any other commercial activity it carries legal obligations. This post offers a general framework, it does not replace advice from an accountant or a lawyer. Always consult an accountant about your own situation, because the tax side in particular varies significantly with personal circumstances.
Do you need to form a company?
If you are earning regularly, yes. In Turkey commercial income becomes taxable the moment it is continuous. The "I am starting small, I will register later" approach creates the risk of a retrospective assessment.
Two common options:
| Type | When it fits |
|---|---|
| Sole proprietorship | One person, low to mid revenue, fast and cheap to set up |
| Limited company | Partnership structure, high revenue, limited liability |
A sole proprietorship is quick and cheap to register, and moving to a limited company as you grow is a common path. Which one suits you depends on your revenue expectations and your ownership structure.
Invoicing
What you sell is a service and you have to issue invoices. In a panel, a balance top-up and the delivery of the service happen at different times, which can muddle invoicing. Settle this with your accountant upfront, is the top-up invoiced, or the service consumed?
If you sell to resellers, count on them asking for invoices too. Business customers do not work without them.
Distance selling obligations
If you sell to consumers over the internet, distance selling legislation applies to you. The documents expected on your site:
- A distance selling contract, to be accepted before the order.
- A pre-contract information form, covering the scope, duration and price of the service.
- Cancellation and refund terms, clear and accessible.
- Contact and company details, trading name, address, tax number.
The scope of the right of withdrawal on digital services is subject to special rules. On this point, getting legal help is safer than copying a generic text.
Personal data
You hold your customers' email addresses, their IP addresses and their order history, and those are personal data. The basic duties are to publish a privacy notice, to obtain consent where consent is required, not to keep data longer than necessary, and to keep it secure.
A privacy policy page is both a legal requirement and a trust signal for visitors.
The payment infrastructure side
Payment institutions ask about your line of business when they sign you up. A wrong declaration leads to your account being closed later, and your balance can be frozen as well. Declare what you sell correctly from the start.
In short, the technical side is easy to solve and the legal side is expensive to neglect. An hour with an accountant when you start prevents problems that would otherwise run for months.