Indonesia's tax agency involves village military officers; TNI denies new duties

The Directorate General of Taxes (DJP) issued Circular Letter No. SE‑8/PJ/2026 outlining a coordination framework that includes Village Supervisory Non‑Commissioned Officers (Babinsa) of the Indonesian Army and Village Security Officers (Bhabinkamtibmas) of the police. The agencies state that these officials are only to assist in building a regional information network for tax compliance monitoring and have no authority to conduct inspections, collections, or enforcement.

The Indonesian Army, through Brigadier General Donny Pramono, affirmed that Babinsa have not been assigned new tasks and that their core duties remain unchanged, emphasizing that any reference to them in the circular is solely for inter‑agency coordination.

Civil groups, including the Koalisi Sipil for Reform and the SETARA Institute, criticised the policy, arguing it blurs the line between civil and military functions and could infringe on taxpayer privacy. DJP Director Bimo Wijayanto reiterated that all enforcement powers stay with tax officials and highlighted the agency's reliance on technology such as compliance‑risk management systems and geotagging for oversight.

Overall, the coordination aims to enhance data collection at the village level while maintaining the legal separation of tax authority and military duties.