"It applies to all, not just large taxpayers. It covers small taxpayers as well," Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro said.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Tax amnesty policy applies to all taxpayers, large as well as small, Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro has stated.

"It applies to all, not just large taxpayers. It covers small taxpayers as well," he said at a press conference here on Wednesday.

He noted any tax scheme that is confusing may result in taxpayers forgetting to report their tax obligations properly.

For its part, he asked resident and non-resident taxpayers to recheck their assets and to make sure they deserve the tax amnesty scheme.

It will help them in fulfilling their tax obligations properly, he said.

"Tax system is so complicated that taxpayers are very likely to make administrative mistakes. It is likely that taxpayers have no bad intention but they simply forget to report all of their assets. If the taxpayers join the tax amnesty program, their tax records will be clean," he explained.

Only three things that denied taxpayers access to the tax amnesty program were, first, if they are being investigated; second, if they are standing trial; and third, in case they are serving a jail term, all issues related to tax crimes, he added.

The minister clarified that the tax amnesty scheme is aimed at repatriating taxpayers assets stashed abroad. Such repatriation of assets will help enhance domestic liquidity funds and boost the national economy.

In addition, the tax amnesty scheme will also help expand taxation data, adding to its validity. It will also lead to an increase in the state revenues from tax receipts, he argued.

"We want Indonesian citizens abroad to bring back their assets voluntarily because if they are forced to do so, this will be considered as excessive capital control. Thus, to ensure that they do so willingly, they need tax amnesty incentives," he stated.

To join the tax amnesty scheme, taxpayers must disclose their entire net assets that they had never reported in annual tax returns, and pay certain tariffs, he elaborated.

The House of Representatives (DPR) has passed the tax amnesty bill into law at a recent plenary deliberation session.

The passage of the tax amnesty bill is expected to help repatriate around Rp 11 quadrillion in assets owned by Indonesians.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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