Army: Babinsa Not Authorised to Collect Taxes
The Indonesian Army (TNI AD) has issued a firm clarification regarding the involvement of its soldiers in taxation matters. Head of the Army Information Service (Kadispenad) Brigadier General Donny Pramono stated that the TNI AD has no duty to collect taxes or take action against citizens who fail to meet their tax obligations.
The statement responded to issues surrounding cooperation between the Directorate General of Taxes (DJP) of the Ministry of Finance and the TNI AD. Donny stressed that no legal authority in the fiscal domain has been granted to village supervisory non-commissioned officers (Babinsa).
According to Donny, the mention of the military in the context of taxation originated from the issuance of Director General of Taxes Circular Letter Number SE-8/PJ/2026. In this regulation, Babinsa and community security and order supervisors (Bhabinkamtibmas) are mentioned in the context of data collection and building information networks. “In that context, the mention of Babinsa and Bhabinkamtibmas is within the aspect of building territorial information networks,” Donny said in an official statement in Jakarta, Wednesday (22/7/2026).
He also confirmed that Army Headquarters has not issued any specific orders to soldiers in the field to handle community tax affairs. The duties of Babinsa remain firmly within the corridors of existing laws and regulations.
In line with the Army, Director General of Taxes Bimo Wijayanto clarified that the involvement of territorial elements is not for carrying out technical tax functions. In a press conference for the KiTa State Budget Edition July 2026 on Tuesday (21/7), Bimo stressed that Babinsa and community police officers are only mentioned in the context of supporting information coordination, not as executors in the field. “They are not being narrated as executors of tax audits or tax collection, absolutely not,” Bimo asserted.
Director of Counselling, Services, and Public Relations at DJP, Inge Diana Rismawanti, stated that the role of the two security elements is purely to provide assistance when required by tax officers in the field. She emphasised that the authority to supervise taxpayer compliance remains fully under the control of DJP officials. “They (Babinsa and Bhabinkamtibmas) are not executors of the supervision or examination conducted by the Directorate General of Taxes, but rather provide assistance when we need it,” Inge said when met in Jakarta, Monday (22/7/2026).
Inge further explained that assistance by Babinsa and Bhabinkamtibmas is only provided in specific situations requiring special handling, particularly concerning security and territorial accessibility. This aims to ensure the safety of tax officers when carrying out duties in high-risk locations or areas with transportation constraints.