T

he Finance Ministry'€™s Tax Office, in cooperation with the city administration, launched on Tuesday an integrated Tax Office and One-Stop Integrated Service (PTSP) office at the Tanah Abang Blok B market, Central Jakarta, to facilitate and encourage vendors to pay their taxes.

Director general of the Finance Ministry'€™s taxation office, Sigit Priadi Pramudito, said that Jakarta had yet to maximize its potential tax revenue from small and medium enterprises.

'€œMany residents still do not understand the importance of paying taxes. That is why we encourage all vendors here to pay their taxes,'€ Sigit said during the launch at Tanah Abang Blok B market.

Data from the Tax Office shows that of the total 12,970 kiosks is Tanah Abang and Thamrin City, only 8,799 were registered taxpayers. Further, as of August 2015, only 1,178 taxpayers have paid their dues. Tax collected from vendors in the two venues as of this August had only reached Rp 3.98 billion (US$282,962).

Sigit said that despite the issuance of Government Regulation No. 46/2013, which eases tax payment and calculations for SMEs, many still failed to pay their dues. According to the regulation, all vendors whose gross income was less than Rp 4.8 billion per year, or less than Rp 400 million a month, only need to pay 1 percent tax of their gross income.

Further, the regulation states that tax may be paid through ATM machines, Internet banking, bank tellers or the post office.

'€œThe regulations have made calculating tax easy for small and medium vendors,'€ Sigit said.

He went on to say that most of the country'€™s revenues were gained from taxes, and that tax was important for the country'€™s development. However, he said many residents had difficulties in understanding how to pay tax or how to register to become a taxpayer. Thus, the city'€™s tax revenue had not reached its potential.

'€œTherefore, the Tax Office and the city administration have opened an integrated office in Tanah Abang so vendors can learn more about taxes,'€ Sigit said.

The office is located on the lower ground floor of the Tanah Abang Blok B market and comprises two counters: one Tax Office counter and one PTSP counter. At the Tax Office counter, visitors can register for taxpayers'€™ cards, submit a tax declaration form, register for an e-FIN (electronic Filing Identification Number), report their electronic tax filing and consult with a tax officer.

Visitors can also register for a legal trade permit (SIUP) and other documents at the PTSP counter.

Governor Basuki '€œAhok'€ Tjahaja encouraged vendors to pay their dues and assured those concerned that there were no corrupt officers, in either the city administration or the Tax Office.

'€œThere are no more officials like Gayus. You can trust your taxes with the government,'€ Ahok said. Ahok was referring to Gayus Tambunan, a former taxman, who in 2012 was found guilty of accepting Rp 925 million in bribes from a tax consultant to influence his assessment. He was also found guilty of failing to report gratuities that he had accepted in handling cases involving the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), in addition to violating the Money Laundering Law.