Said Iqbal Usul Batas JHT Kena Pajak Dinaikkan Jadi Rp400 Juta

Special Advisor to the President for Employment and Labor Welfare Said Iqbal. (Photo: ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Special Advisor to the President for Employment and Labor Welfare Said Iqbal proposed that the government increase the tax-based Old Age Security (JHT) benefit limit to around Rp. 400 million.

According to him, the tax-free limit of IDR 50 million that is currently in effect is no longer in accordance with economic conditions because it still refers to Government Regulation (PP) Number 68 of 2009.

The proposal was conveyed by Said when he met with Minister of Finance Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa at the Ministry of Finance Office, Wednesday, July 8.

During the meeting, he asked the government to evaluate the provisions of the JHT tax, especially regarding the limit of the benefit value that is taxed.

"The limit that is taxed now is based on PP Number 68 of 2009, it is Rp0-Rp50 million JHT-it is not taxed 0 percent, Rp50 million onwards the tax is 5 percent, we say it is 2009, it has been 17 years ago, the price of gold is Rp50 million," he told the media, Wednesday, July 8.

According to him, the value of Rp50 million at the time of the regulation's issuance has a much higher purchasing power than it does now, so the threshold for imposing the JHT tax is considered to need to be adjusted to reflect the current economic conditions.

Said used the price of gold as one of the references, namely in 2009 the value of Rp50 million is equivalent to about 152 grams of gold so that with the current gold price, the value is estimated to be equivalent to around Rp400 million.

"If we compare 2009 152 grams of gold, so if we use 2006 152 grams of gold it is Rp400 million. So it will be fairer if people who are subject to JHT tax start at Rp400 million and above, our benchmark is gold," he said.

Apart from the price of gold, Said assessed that the adjustment of the threshold could also take into account the development of inflation.

He revealed that the Minister of Finance gave a positive response to the proposal.

Although there is no decision yet, the government is said to be studying the possibility of adjusting the limit value of JHT subject to tax.

"Regarding the limit value where the JHT tax is imposed, he said it is more fair if we use the gold price, in 2009 152 grams of gold Rp50 million, which means that if 152 grams of gold today is Rp400 million with the gold price has increased or he said the consideration is inflation," he said.

Said added that the government would also calculate the impact of the policy change on state revenues before making a decision.

"So the point is there will be a review but by showing the impact on tax revenue with the 0 percent JHT," he explained.

He also said that if the government decided to change the provisions, PP Number 68 of 2009 must be revised as the legal basis for adjusting the JHT tax rules.

"Later we will focus on the JHT tax alone and on government regulation number 68 of 2009 if this is the JHT tax and other taxes are changed, then the government regulation must be changed," he said.

In addition to proposing changes to the tax imposition limit, Said questioned the data which stated that around 95 percent of JHT participants cashed out benefits below Rp50 million so that they were not subject to tax.

According to him, this figure is likely to be dominated by contract workers and informal workers who have a relatively short working life so that the JHT balance that is disbursed is also smaller.

Said argued that if all participants in the BPJS Employment withdraw the JHT balance simultaneously, the majority is estimated to have a balance above Rp50 million.

"If today everyone takes JHT, it will definitely turn 90 percent above Rp50 million, like all of us today if we take JHT, it will definitely be above Rp50 million, that's counting it, maybe the accumulation of people who have taken JHT who have taken more JHT, right? informal workers because he doesn't work long, or contract employee workers, it looks like 95 percent, who have Rp50 million are only 5 percent, but if we turn today, all layoffs, for example, or take JHT, it will definitely be above Rp50 million," he explained.

He also plans to ask for clarification from BPJS Ketenagakerjaan regarding the basis for calculating the data, and the number of participants who have JHT balances above Rp. 50 million is likely to be much larger than the figures that have been conveyed so far.

"So in fact, BPJS Naker or BPJS Jamsostek participants who are above Rp. 50 million are more than 80 percent, but I will confirm this data in the next 2 days with BPJS Naker, so giving the data seems to be wrong," he said.