Achieve Sustainable Prosperity through Awareness of
Tax Importance
"Indonesia's population is 265 million, but only 38 million taxpayers are registered."
After reading these facts, the next question that should be raised is: "Have we become one of them?"
Talking about taxes, we mean talking about the backbone of the country. Taxes are a very reliable
source of revenue to run various programs in Indonesia. In the posture of the State Revenue and
Expenditure Budget (APBN), every year it has great dominance with a contribution that is always more
than 50% of total state revenue.
(Contribution of tax revenue in the APBN. Source: kemenkeu.go.id/apbn2018)
In the 2018 State Budget, tax revenues are expected to contribute 85.4% of total state revenues. This
number always increases from previous years.
According to Siti Resmi (2017), taxes also have two very important main functions, namely:
A. Budgetair function; tax is one of the sources of government revenue to finance expenses, both
routine and development.
b. Regularend function; tax performs a regulatory function as a tool to implement and implement
government policies in the economic and economic fields to achieve certain goals outside the financial
sector.
Due to the important role of taxes in the functions and allocations of the APBN, the Directorate General
(DG) of Taxes is in an effort to maximize tax revenue. Many efforts have been made; starting from
reforming the statutory regulations regarding the official assessment system to self assessment system
in 1983, to implementing a tax amnesty policy which ended on 31 March 2017. However, it is still
unfortunate that the tax ratio in Indonesia is still relatively low, with the following picture:
(Tax Ratio in Indonesia. Source: kemenkeu.go.id/apbn2018)
The realization of the maximum tax revenue is not only the task of the Directorate General of Taxes.
However, the Indonesian people must also accompany it. One way, starts with one word: be aware.
Realize that taxes are done for prosperity. Realizing that the obligation to pay taxes does not mean loss
of wealth, but instead we participate in supporting the distribution of welfare. In addition, there are
other reasons why we should be tax conscious.
1. Taxation is a form of mutual cooperation
As Indonesian society, mutual cooperation is a habit of positive values by helping each other in the
interests of the common interest. Whether we realize it or not, obeying the tax rules is a form of mutual
cooperation. We, the people of Indonesia, carry out our tax obligations according to our respective
portions to realize our common goal in developing the country. Gotong royong is not only applied in
everyday life, but also in state life. Therefore, when he realized that the tax rules, at that time realized
that the obligation as a citizen.
The money we spend to pay taxes may not be large, but when collected, it will be able to meet the
needs of state spending. The Ministry of Development Planning / Bappenas estimates that Indonesia will
have a "demographic bonus" in 2045 with a population of 321 million, of whom 209 million are
productive. This should be a potential for Indonesia to receive even more taxes. Because the more
income, the more funds that can be disbursed to improve the quality of education, public health, food
security, and infrastructure development. Here, we will experience the true "from the people, by the
people and for the people" principle. The Indonesian people can be independent, if they start from
themselves.
2. Taxes are a Bridge for Gap
There are high-income people, with low-income people. Between people who live in cities and people
who live in villages. The gap created a distance between them. Of course, action is needed so that the
distance does not widen further. We can build "bridges" together to reduce boundaries on economic
class or social class.
By paying taxes, we can build this "bridge" to promote equitable distribution of welfare. So, we can also
encourage the government to keep the lower class people from getting good education, health and food
facilities. We can also deliver people who live in the interior, share the infrastructure and get the same
facilities as urban communities. That way, whatever the class, whatever the stage, wherever you live, we
can together become Indonesia that is firm in unity.
3. Many Facilities Provided by the Directorate General of Taxes