E-commerce Taxation and Fiscal Policy Perspective: The Case of Indonesia

The Indonesian government is now seriously exploring in depth the proposed tax imposition for e-commerce. In this context, this paper will discuss the following issues: the first, if Indonesian government should impose the tax on e-commerce; the second, how much the potential tax revenue from e-commerce is; and the third, how Indonesian fiscal policy perspective views e-commerce taxation. The study in this paper adopts a descriptive analytical research method. The study concludes several points. Indonesia should tax its e-commerce. The total potential tax revenue on e-commerce from VAT and income tax in 2018 ranges from almost Rp11.75 trillion to Rp16.64 trillion, with VAT dominates the contribution up to more than 90% of the total tax revenue. By not levying the tax in the year means Indonesian government will lose a partial or the most of tax revenue. The revenue loss is potentially getting bigger in the coming years if the government still fails to collect the tax. E-commerce taxation should not be strictly enforced in the beginning, yet more is emphasized on socialization and education actions. It is also intended to help the online platform to be compliant. Tax policy in e-commerce can be used for the purpose of regulating the economy, such as to control excessive online import purchasing