Tax lawyer's practice

Tax lawyer's practice

There has since long ago been a regulation stipulating that
state enterprises (BUMN) wishing to settle their tax problems
with the Tax Services Office (KPP) are forbidden to use tax
consultant services. The goal is to minimize those enterprises'
expenditures. In addition, the prohibition also prevents
squandering money such as paying "success fees" amounting to some
20 percent for getting tax refunds.

Normally the "success fee" is disbursed and divided among the
tax officer, the BUMN official and the tax consultant. But I have
heard for a long time that many BUMNs have a clever trick of
delegating authority to tax lawyers for settlement of their tax
problems including tax refunds.

I wonder why they are accepted by the KPP tax officers. How is
it that they are willing to serve the tax lawyers? Is this a new
method to divide money? How easy and convenient! Even a tax
consultant must do an exam and holds tax certification A, B and
C. What about the tax lawyers?

Stranger still, when the BUMN accounting system is audited by
the Development and Financial Control Board (BPKP), the fee
payment or the deduction from the tax refund to the tax lawyer
"is not checked" by the BPKP examiner. There seems to a dividing
of money, too, with the BPKP officer.

Is that kind of problem already known by the Directorate
General of Taxes and the Head of BPKP? Please exert better
supervision so as not to cause jealousy to ordinary tax
consultants.

SUHARSONO HADIKUSUMO

Jakarta