Purbaya Explains Reasons for Not Yet Wanting to Increase Marketplace Taxes

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has assured that the government will not hastily implement additional taxes on transactions in marketplaces or digital trade.

The government is said to consider such a policy only if Indonesia’s economic growth can sustain above 6 per cent for two consecutive quarters.

“If economic growth is stable above 6 per cent for two consecutive quarters, then we will consider other taxes, including on online marketplaces,” Purbaya said during a media briefing in Jakarta on Monday (11/5/2026).

The government still wants to create a more equal business competition between online traders and conventional business actors.

According to Purbaya, many offline or field-based business actors have voiced complaints about competition deemed unbalanced with traders on digital platforms.

“They want an equal level playing field to compete more competitively,” he said.

Nevertheless, Purbaya assured that the policy will not be automatically implemented even if economic growth increases.

The government will continue to evaluate the public’s purchasing power conditions and their impact on consumption and business activities before making a decision.

“We will look at the conditions first, analyse them first. If stable approaching 6 per cent, then it will be implemented,” he said.

Currently, the economic growth target in the 2026 State Budget is set at 5.4 per cent. However, the government is optimistic that national economic growth can still approach 6 per cent by the end of the year.

Previously, the government had issued Minister of Finance Regulation Number 37 of 2025, designating marketplaces as collectors of Article 22 Income Tax (PPh) at 0.5 per cent of online traders’ turnover.

However, the regulation does not apply to all online traders. The collection is only imposed on domestic traders selling through electronic trading platforms designated by the Directorate General of Taxes.

Meanwhile, individual traders with a maximum annual turnover of Rp500 million remain exempt from tax collection, provided they submit a turnover declaration letter to the marketplace.