Below is a list with tagged columns and company profiles.

Today's Headlines Tax

  • What is Indonesia's Progressive Tax on Idle Land Ownership?

    Sofyan Djalil, Indonesian Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning, says the progressive tax on land that is deemed idle will not disturb the investment climate of Indonesia because industrial estates and land that has a clear development purpose are exempted from this tax (this includes land destined for property development projects). Through the progressive land tax the government wants to combat speculative land buying, something that has become a problematic phenomenon in Indonesia.

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  • Tax Revenue Target Indonesia 2017: Government Eyes 16.8% Growth

    The government of Indonesia is confident that it will collect IDR 1,498.9 trillion (approx. USD $112.7 billion) in tax revenue in 2017, up 16.8 percent from tax revenue realization of IDR 1,283.6 trillion in 2016. Meanwhile, in its latest Indonesia Economic Quarterly, released earlier this week, the World Bank stated that the 2017 State Budget of Indonesia is a more realistic one (compared to tax revenue targets in recent years). However, it emphasized further tax administration and policy reforms are required to meet the new target and to further improve fiscal policy credibility.

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  • Google & Indonesia Fail to Reach Tax Agreement in 2016

    US multinational technology company Google failed to reach a tax settlement with Indonesia's Tax Office in 2016 and therefore directors of Google Indonesia could risk a prison visit. In September 2016 Muhammad Hanif, Head of the Tax Office's Special Cases Department, said Google could face claims for five years of back taxes, including a bill of more than USD $418 million for full-year 2015 as the company is estimated to have paid less than 0.1 percent of the total income and value-added taxes it owed Indonesia in 2015. In Indonesia, Google generates income from online advertisement.

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  • 2nd Phase Indonesia's Tax Amnesty Program Ended, What's the Score?

    The second phase of Indonesia's tax amnesty program ended on 31 December 2016 and therefore it is interesting to take a look at the results during this phase. In short, results are mixed. We had already reported that in terms of asset declarations, the initial target of the program was already achieved a couple of weeks ago. However, in terms of asset repatriations (into Indonesia), the program has disappointed so far, and, unless the government will introduce new policies or incentives, will not achieve the target.

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  • Tax Amnesty Program of Indonesia is Constitutional, Says Court

    Indonesia's Constitutional Court declared the government's tax amnesty program as "constitutional". In July 2016 a group of legal activists had filed for a judicial review of the central government's tax amnesty program on claims that the program would turn money laundering into a legal practice, would protect criminals, would teach Indonesian citizens not to pay taxes, and would generally constitute an unfair program from a social point of view. The court rejected these arguments.

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  • Tax Revenue Indonesia 2017: Another Shortfall Expected

    The last time Indonesia's tax revenue realization achieved the government's target was in 2008. In the following 8 years, a widening tax shortfall occurred as the government's tax revenue target rose more rapidly compared to tax revenue realization. In the 2017 State Budget Indonesia targets to collect IDR 1,498.9 trillion (approx. USD $111 billion) in tax revenue, while - based on the historic trend - tax revenue realization may only reach IDR 1,200 - 1,300 trillion, implying another big shortfall.

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  • Geothermal Exploration in Indonesia: Land Tax Removed

    In an attempt to attract investment in geothermal exploration in Indonesia, the central government decided to remove a land tax for companies that explore geothermal energy resources through a new decree. In 2017 this land tax will be scrapped for all companies that hold a geothermal business permit and are still in the exploration stage. According to information released on the website of Indonesia's Finance Ministry companies are entitled to a 100 percent tax reduction in land tax each year, for up to seven years.

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  • Alphabet's Google & Indonesia to Reach Tax Settlement Soon

    People familiar to the matter claim that US multinational technology firm Google will reach a tax settlement with the Indonesian government. Authorities in Indonesia have become increasingly uncomfortable with multinational companies that generate profit from an Indonesian online audience but lack a permanent presence in Indonesia in the form of a foreign investment company. This applies to various social media platforms as well as Google that only has a representative office in Indonesia, while transactions and revenue (generated in Indonesia) are booked at Google Inc's Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore.

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  • Update Tax Amnesty Program Indonesia: Disappointing 2nd Phase

    The first phase of Indonesia's tax amnesty program was a success in terms of tax declarations and state revenue (penalties). Fund repatriations, on the other hand, were disappointing as - apparently - Indonesian tax payers find it not attractive enough to transfer these funds into Indonesian investment instruments or lack confidence in Indonesia's political and financial stability (perhaps still haunted by traumas from the Asian Financial Crisis in the late 1990s). However, Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati remains optimistic that repatriations will rise soon now the winner of the US presidential election is known.

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  • Packaging Industry of Indonesia Still Under Pressure

    Turnover in the packaging industry of Indonesia stood at around IDR 50 trillion (approx. USD $3.8 billion) in the first three quarters of 2016, flat from turnover generated in the same period one year earlier. Ariana Susanti, Director of Business Development at the Indonesian Packaging Federation (FPI), said turnover in the industry grew in Q1-2016 but was under pressure in the following two quarters. Overall, the situation is still better in 2016 compared to 2015 when - amid sliding economic growth and bleak purchasing power - turnover fell.

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Latest Columns Tax

  • Indonesia Does Not Revise 2016 Tax Revenue Target, Realistic or Not?

    Indonesia's Finance Ministry said it will not revise the tax revenue target set in the 2016 State Budget. The Indonesian government targets to collect IDR 1,360.2 trillion (approx. USD $100 billion) worth of tax revenue in 2016, a 28.9 percent rise from tax revenue realization in 2015. However, although it is good to aim high - hence setting an ambitious target - it is also important to be realistic (to avoid budgetary turmoil and gain fiscal credibility, important for Indonesia to be eligible for a credit rating upgrade). How realistic is Indonesia's 2016 tax revenue target?

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  • Infrastructure Development Indonesia: Gaining Momentum in 2016

    After having grown rapidly in the years 2010-2013, infrastructure development in Indonesia lost its momentum in 2014. This was due to limited available government funds, uncertainty caused by the legislative and presidential elections, and the nation's slowing economic growth. After Joko Widodo became Indonesia's seventh president in October 2014, it was expected that infrastructure development would revive. However, it didn't. But Widodo made one important move by seriously reducing energy subsidies, hence making more funds available for infrastructure development.

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  • Government of Indonesia to Cut Personal & Corporate Income Tax

    Good news for taxpayers in Indonesia. The Indonesian government plans to lower personal income tax, which currently ranges between 5 and 30 percent, in early 2016. Indonesian Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro said lower personal income tax will make it easier for taxpayers to comply with the tax law, while giving a boost to Indonesians' purchasing power. However, he declined to inform to what extent personal income tax will be cut as this is still being studied.

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  • What is the Problem with Tax Collection in Indonesia?

    A tax amnesty bill, which protects corruptors from prosecution and penalties when bringing overseas funds back to Indonesia and fulfill tax obligations, will soon be discussed among Indonesia's government and the House of Representatives (DPR). A tax pardon is expected to result in enhanced tax collection next year. According to the latest data from Indonesia's Finance Ministry's Tax Directorate General, the country only managed to collect IDR 686 trillion (approx. USD $51 billion), or 53 percent of its 2015 tax revenue target, in the period 1 January - 5 October 2015.

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  • Indonesian Government Revises Luxury Goods Tax to Boost Consumption

    In an attempt to boost the sluggish domestic economy by persuading Indonesian consumers to spend more, the central government of Indonesia will exempt several products from the luxury goods sales tax. By law, Indonesia has a tax (ranging between 10 and 50 percent) on goods that are categorized as luxury goods. These products include household items such as televisions, electronics, furniture, refrigerators, washing machines, water heaters as well as cars, motorcycles and property.

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  • Tax in Indonesia: Boosting Tax Collection through New Policies

    A high positioned government official said that the government of Indonesia plans to cut corporate tax gradually from 25 percent currently to below 18 percent in a bid to make Indonesia a more lucrative place to conduct business. Luhut Panjaitan, President Joko Widodo’s Chief of Staff, confirmed that Widodo has already ordered this latest tax move. Over the past few weeks we have seen the announcement of a number of new tax policies as the government aims to boost tax collection by 30 percent in 2015.

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  • Palm Oil Update Indonesia: Indonesian CPO Reserves and Biodiesel

    Reserves of crude palm oil (CPO) in Indonesia may have declined for a second straight month in October on the back of drought and an increase in exports from Southeast Asia’s largest economy. The delayed impact of drought (which even managed to dry up several rivers in West Kalimantan in October) limited production of CPO in recent weeks. Meanwhile, exports have increased after Indonesia and Malaysia - the world’s two top palm oil producers - scrapped export taxes to boost demand for this commodity.

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  • Joko Widodo’s Mission to Enhance Tax Collection in Indonesia

    One strategy of Indonesian President Joko Widodo to generate more state revenues in order to enhance investments in social and economic development of Indonesia is by improving the country’s tax collection system. As the middle class as well as number of companies that are active in Indonesia has risen rapidly in recent years, it is disappointing that tax collection targets are rarely met in Southeast Asia’s largest economy: tax compliance is low, while corruption among civil servants (tax collectors) remains a structural problem.

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  • Government and Parliament Agree on Indonesian Revised 2014 State Budget

    In a plenary session of Indonesia’s House of Representatives (DPR) on Wednesday evening (18/06), the parliament approved the government’s proposed revised state budget of 2014 (RAPBN-P 2014). Prior to this approval, the revision had already been discussed for a month between the House of Representatives’ Budget Committee (Banggar) and the government. Almost all components of the 2014 State Budget have been revised from the government’s earlier assumptions.

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  • No Severe Impact Latest Indonesian Tax Scandal on Bank Central Asia

    The tax crime case which involves Bank Central Asia (BCA), Indonesia's largest lender by market value and the second-largest bank by assets, is not expected to have a significant impact on the performance of the shares of BCA. Earlier this week, Hadi Poernomo (Director General of taxation from 2002 to 2004) was questioned by Indonesia's Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on allegations of accepting bribes in exchange for tax exemptions - worth of IDR 375 billion (USD $32.8 million) - granted to BCA.

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