Education and Narrative Key to Successful Tax Policies

JAKARTA, DDTCNews - DDTC Founder, Darussalam, has urged the Directorate General of Taxes (DGT) to prioritise education and narrative in the implementation of tax policies.

According to Darussalam, education and narrative are needed for a tax policy to be well received by the public and mitigate the emergence of tax disputes in the future.

"The principles of education and narrative are what I practise at DDTC. Every policy must be given meaning and narrative. That is far more important, so that public acceptance will also be good," said Darussalam at the 2026 Tax Networking and Dialogue Forum organised by the DGT on Monday (13/7/2026).

To date, there are still policies that are difficult for the public to accept due to a lack of education and narrative. For example, the public tends to reject the surcharge in the VAT rate from 11% to 12% owing to insufficient education and narrative on the matter.

At the same time, many members of the public are not yet aware of the facilities provided in the form of tax expenditure.

"This information has not effectively reached the public, including educated and middle-class segments of society. That is why tax education is so important. Beyond education, we also need to build a shared narrative. Both of these efforts have yet to be pursued optimally," said Darussalam.

Education and narrative are crucial given that Indonesia cannot simply implement tax policies in the same manner as developed countries. The implementation of tax policies needs to begin with building public understanding through education and narrative.

"Taxation is not easy in a developing country like Indonesia. We cannot compare ourselves with developed countries because the characteristics of their societies are different. They can impose virtually any tax, and people accept it because they can see and experience the benefits of what they pay for," said Darussalam.

In addition to education and narrative, Darussalam also urged the DGT to strengthen coordination and cooperation with other agencies, given that tax collection cannot be carried out by the DGT alone.

"The DGT cannot do this alone. That is why today marks an opportunity for everyone to join in and take part. Taxation is built on the spirit of mutual cooperation, and taxes should not be seen merely as an obligation. They are a shared responsibility and a common necessity," said Darussalam. (dik)