Tax Amnesty comes to market and malls

JAKARTA. The second period of tax amnesty has run almost one month. During the period, the program recorded participation of 31,513 taxpayers with a total of redemption fees amounted to Rp 716.3 billion.

The number includes 19,996 and 4,747 private taxpayers of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) and non-MSME, respectively. The number also includes 4,439 and 2.331 corporate taxpayers of MSME and non-MSME.

Tax amnesty program in the second period attracts more participation of MSME taxpayers. Director General of Taxation Ken Dwijugiasteadi said that tax authority will apply the strategy of pick up the ball. “We will deploy tax officers to the center of SMEs activities, such as, Tanah Abang Market, malls, and other markets,” said Ken on Thursday (27/10).

Ken also ensured to continue socializations to markets, as well as to involve some associations related to MSME sector, such as Association of Indonesian Employers (Apindo), Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), and others to attract more taxpayers.

Director of Counseling, Service, and Public Relations at Directorate General of Taxation Hestu Yoga Saksama said that the directorate has instructed all regional tax offices to approach some associations that oversee MSME sector. “The MSMEs can participate tax amnesty through the associations," he said.

Pursuing doctors

According to Hestu, Directorate General of Taxation has provided incentives for MSMEs entrepreneurs to participate tax amnesty. The MSMEs can also fill annual tax letter in a manual manner. They are also not subject to enclose soft copies of the requirements for below 20 items of assets. Hestu added that there are two professions that are potential to participate tax amnesty, namely doctor and professional miners. To date, only 7,125 out of 177,588 doctors have joined tax amnesty.

Professionals of mineral and coal sectors, including commissaries, and president directors, as well as shareholders of mining companies comprise of 6,001 taxpayers. However, to date only 967 taxpayers of the segments that have involved in tax amnesty. Meanwhile, tax authority just recorded participation of 68 out of 1,114 taxpayers from oil and gas sector. “We will conduct socialization to profession associations, such as Indonesian Doctors Association (ID), lawyers associations, and artist associations,” he said.

Member of Commission XI of House of the Representatives Mukhamad Misbakhun asked government to be more active in socializing tax amnesty program through media. According to the survey conducted by Saiful Mudjani Research and Consulting (SMRC), 70% of respondents have never heard about tax amnesty program. (Translator: Muhammad Farid)