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Directorate General of Taxation objects
Tax returns from individual taxpayers increased by 2.88 percent and from corporate taxpayers by 12.76 percent, unlike the figures reported by the Post.
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People submit their tax returns at the Directorate General of Taxes, Sudirman Building, Jakarta, on March 11, 2020. (JP/Dhoni Setiawan)
T
he Directorate General of Taxation (DJP) appreciates The Jakarta Post for having participated and helping the tax office in the dissemination of tax information to the public through informative and educational articles. However, we note there are some things that need to be corrected relating to the article titled “Taxpayers’ compliance drops after taxman case” published on April 5, 2023, in print and online.
The first sentence of the article reads “Tax compliance in Indonesia has slid as government figures show a drop in the share of individual taxpayers having submitted their tax returns by the March 31 deadline, which experts suggest may be due to a decline in public trust following widespread reporting about the wealth-flexing son of a high-level tax officer.”
And the second sentence says “Individual taxpayer compliance with the March 31 tax return submission deadline dropped to 63 percent in 2023, much lower than the 66 percent logged by the deadline a year earlier, according to tax news portal DDTC News.”
We object to the title and the two opening sentences of the article because they do not reflect the truth and are not based on facts. We are afraid they could lead to misinformation among the public.
Based on our data as we published in a press release on April 1, 2023, by March 31, 2023 midnight, the DJP had received 12.02 million tax returns (SPT) consisting of 11.7 million SPT from individual taxpayers and 333,710 corporate taxpayers.
In the same period last year, the DJP received 11.65 million tax returns, comprising 11.35 million from individual taxpayers and 295,951 corporate taxpayers. Thus, there was an increase in the mandatory submission of SPT this year.
Tax returns from individual taxpayers increased by 2.88 percent and from corporate taxpayers by 12.76 percent, unlike the figures reported by the Post.
Based on the data, the information the Post conveyed to the public as written in the news report is inaccurate and runs counter to the facts.
Given the increase in the number of tax returns submitted to the DJP, the clause in the first sentence of the article, which reads “which experts suggest may be due to a decline in public trust following widespread reporting about the wealth-flexing son of a high-level tax officer” is irrelevant. It suggests the Post used the insinuative sentence to indirectly level an accusation without accurate data, which can potentially lead to negative public opinion and misperceptions.
In accordance with the 1999 Press Law and the Journalist Code of Ethics, and to uphold correct, accurate, factual news reporting, we exercise our right to reply and ask the Post to correct both the title and content of the article.
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Director of Guidance, Services and Public Relations, Directorate General of Taxation
