The government of Indonesia plans to raise non-taxable income by 50 percent from IDR 36 million (approx. USD $2,727) to IDR 54 million (approx. USD $4,090) in a bid to strengthen people's purchasing power and encourage household consumption. Although at first sight this move should lead to curtailed (income) tax collection, the Indonesian government expects that rising household consumption and investment will lead to higher value-added tax (VAT) and corporate income tax revenue. This should then add 0.16 percentage point to the nation's gross domestic product (GDP) growth.

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Indonesian Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro announced on Tuesday (05/04) that Indonesia's tax revenue reached IDR 194 trillion (approx. USD $14.7 billion) in the first quarter of 2016, down 2.1 percent from tax revenue in the same period one year earlier. Brodjonegoro blamed this poor result on lower income from value-added taxes (VATs) due to tax restitution and people's low consumption amid sluggish economic growth. Meanwhile, he informed that Indonesia plans to cut the personal income tax, a move aimed at boosting tax compliance.

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In its March 2016 Indonesia Economic Quarterly, titled "Private Investment is Essential", the World Bank cut its forecast for Indonesia's economic growth in 2016 to 5.1 percent year-on-year (y/y) from an earlier estimate of 5.3 percent (y/y). This downward revision was made due to weaker-than-expected global economic conditions, further weakening commodity prices, and limitations to Indonesian government spending brought about by a looming shortfall in tax revenue.

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After it was decided to postpone talks between the Indonesian government and the House of Representatives (DPR) about the tax amnesty bill (talks have been postponed until April 2016), the government is in need of formulating a new tax revenue target as the late implementation of the tax amnesty program could mean the government will miss out on tens of trillions of rupiah (billions of US dollars) in tax revenue this year. Indonesia's tax amnesty bill, proposed last year, will make it easier for tax evaders to come clean and repatriate their funds into Indonesia.

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So far this year, a total of 108 Indonesian companies have taken advantage of the tax incentive offered by the government of Indonesia through its fifth economic stimulus package (released on 22 October 2015). This tax incentive makes it more attractive for companies to revalue their fixed assets. With higher-valued assets as well as larger capital, these companies can borrow more funds from banks, hence having more room to invest. This should then boost overall economic growth of Southeast Asia's largest economy.

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The government of Indonesia is in the final phase of revising its tax collection target of 2016 from IDR 1,360.2 trillion (approx. USD $98.5 billion) to IDR 1,226.9 trillion (approx. USD $89 billion). Indonesian Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro said the new 2016 tax target is based on a 10 percent year-on-year (y/y) growth of last year's tax realization plus an estimated IDR 60 trillion (approx. USD $4.3 billion) generated through the government's planned tax amnesty bill.

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The year 2015 has been a tough year for Indonesia's tobacco industry due to an 8.7 percent increase in excise on tobacco products in early 2015 and people's weakening purchasing power amid the country's economic slowdown. During the first nine months of 2015 sales of cigarettes in Indonesia fell 1.3 percent (y/y) to 232 billion cigarettes. Next year, challenges will remain as the Indonesian government prepares another tobacco tax hike (23 percent). However, people's purchasing power is estimated to improve as economic growth may accelerate.

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The plan of Indonesia's government to set an excise tax of between IDR 2,000 and IDR 3,000 (approx. USD $0.18) per liter on carbonated (soda) drinks met fierce resistance from several institutions. Based on Indonesian law, consumption of goods that have a negative impact on consumers' health or the environment need to be controlled and monitored. The Soft Drinks Industry Association (Asrim), Indonesian Food and Beverage Association (Gapmmi),  and Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) all consider this move to be negative for the country's soft drinks industry.

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As Indonesia's budget deficit may widen to 2.78 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2015, the government is ready to seek USD $5 billion through multilateral loans and private placement. Scenaider Siahaan, Director for Strategy and Debt Portfolio at the Finance Ministry's Directorate General of Debt Management, said it involves standby loans that can be disbursed in the two weeks ahead if needed. The main reason why the budget deficit may be wider than expected is Indonesia's weaker-than-estimated tax revenue.

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In the seventh economic stimulus package, the Indonesian government cuts income tax (up to 50 percent) for employees in labor-intensive industries who earn less than IDR 50 million (approx. USD $3,600) per year. This facility, unveiled on Friday (04/12), aims to combat financial pressures on companies caused by the economic slowdown and next year's higher minimum wages (in order to avert a rise in unemployment as companies may feel the need to sack employees). This tax incentive will be offered for a period of two years and - if successful - will be extended.

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In the first month of 2022, we detected some positive signs, both abroad and at home (in Indonesia) as there is growing evidence that the Omicron variant is encouraging strong herd immunity around the world, while not making too many people ill to the extent that they require hospitalization.

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The COVID-19 pandemic made governments around the world impose severe social and business restrictions, thus contributing heavily to the unprecedented decline in economic activity. To maintain society’s support, governments subsequently had to spend heavily on social assistance, soft loans, and various fiscal incentives to keep most businesses alive and allow poorer segments of society to have enough to eat.

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It is something the central government of Indonesia has been planning and weighing for several years now, but the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis seems to have sped up the efforts. Per 1 July 2020, the Indonesian government imposes a 10 percent value-added tax (VAT) on sales of imported digital products and services.

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E-commerce – which refers to the activity of electronically buying (or selling) products through online services or over the Internet – has been developing rapidly in Indonesia over the past decade. More and more Indonesians have started to shop online, forcing many offline retail players to adapt and innovate their business models in order to survive in this new and challenging environment where two newcomers, both tech startups and both e-commerce platforms, have developed into a unicorn (Tokopedia and Bukalapak) which is a startup that is valued above USD $1 billion.

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It came as a big surprise to us. Only three days before the new and somewhat controversial e-commerce tax regulation would come into effect, Indonesia’s Finance Ministry decided to delay its execution.

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More and more processes are being shifted online as this, generally, allows processes to become more efficient and easier to complete. This also applies to Indonesia's tax office. Over the past couple of years, tax can be filed online by legal entities and individuals. However, before an individual of company can file the tax online, he - or it - first needs to obtain an Electronic Filing Identification Number (EFIN).

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Tax is not everybody’s favourite topic of conversation. Nonetheless, it is a crucial subject both for the legal entity and the individual as various taxes need to be filed to authorities. Trying to escape from paying (higher) taxes is a risky affair and can lead to serious sanctions. Similarly, innocent mistakes can also cause problems with tax officials and therefore is it advised to invest some time in understanding the tax system. This advice particularly applies to those who move to different jurisdictions – to work and/or live - as tax regulations may not be the same as the regulations in their home country.

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While reforms related to Indonesia’s corporate income tax rates remain in the planning stage, there is a new important regulation that will come into effect per 1 April 2019. Through Finance Ministry Regulation No. 210/PMK.010/2018 on the Taxation of Trade Transactions through Electronic System or E-commerce, which was signed on 31 December 2018, Indonesia will require e-commerce merchants (sellers) to share data with tax authorities and pay VAT and income taxes.

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Investors are awaiting a series of fiscal incentives from the Indonesian government, including a new tax holiday. Meanwhile, investors also urge the government to improve the investment and business climate by simplifying the process and procedures to obtain permits for investment projects. This also includes improving the coordination between central and regional authorities, for example through the integration of the permitting process at both levels.

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Indonesia's Directorate General of Taxes claims that tax revenue realization in Indonesia will grow by a double-digit figure (on a year-on-year basis) in January 2018. This result comes on the back of strengthening commodity prices that bring in more tax money for the government.

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