Tax authority will change communication strategy

JAKARTA. In order to meet the target of tax amnesty revenues in the second and third phases of tax amnesty, Directorate General of Taxation will change its communication strategy in persuading taxpayers. Director of Counseling, Services, and Public Relations at Directorate General of Taxation Hestu Yoga Saksama said that the strategy includes the divisions of tax payers into four segments.

The first segment includes major taxpayers. In order to socialize the program with taxpayers under this segment, tax authority will build partnerships with profession and enterpreneurs associations, as well as banking sector and stock exchange. Directorate General of Taxation will also publish the lists of taxpayers, who have participated in tax amnesty. The tax authority will deploy Tim 100 (Team of 100) to maximize this tax.

The Tim 100 was spesifically established to monitor the major taxpayers, who have not yet joined the tax amnesty. Hestu claimed that the tax authority has data on major taxpayers, who have not declared their assets in a complete manner. The taxpayers include those who have and have not yet participated in tax amnesty.

IDR50 trillion potentials

Small and medium enterprises (UKM) sector is included under the second segment. In order to persuade taxpayers at the segment, tax authority will build coordination with Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises, Minister of State Owned Enterprises, and some banks, which foster UKM sector. Furthermore, tax authority will also involve Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo), Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), as well as Indonesian Young Enterprises Association (Hipmi) to attract taxpayers under the segment of UKM to participate in tax amnesty. “We have special socialization materials (for this segment)”, said Hestu.

The third segment includes deliquent taxpayers. “This segment has IDR50 trillion of potential tax revenues”, Hestu added. Aside of providing special socialization materias, tax authority will instruct tax office in each region to persuade the potential tax amnesty participants.
Meanwhile, the new taxpayers go to the fourth segment. Directorate General of Taxation will use outbound call marketing and email blast to reach this segment.

Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani said that the government will continue to accelerate tax amnesty realization. Aside of dividing the segments of taxpayers, government will also to pursue taxpayers from professionals group to join the tax amnesty.

(MUHAMMAD FARID/Translator)