Be a Hero of Independence at Home

The moment of August 17 will always be special, even though this time we have to celebrate it in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. All Indonesian people wherever they are, whether in the capital city to remote areas, whether at home, in hospitals, or in isolation places, simultaneously stop their activities for a moment to accompany the raising of the Red and White flag when the anthem Indonesia Raya is played.

A great nation will surely appreciate the services of its heroes. How noble the struggle and sacrifice of the heroes of independence who gave their best contribution is immeasurable, even at the cost of their lives.

Whereas in the past heroes were those who wielded spears and swords to fight for independence, today heroes are those who contribute and work for this country. One of the contributions that the community can make is to be aware of and care about taxes.

On the 76th anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia, the challenges faced are increasing and Indonesia still has dreams that have not been realized. The ideal itself is not a destination, but a journey. Freedom, unity, sovereignty, justice and prosperity are conditions that are aspired to accompany the journey of the Indonesian nation from generation to generation.

Tax is one of the mandates of the founding fathers of the nation and is stated in Article 23A of the 1945 Constitution which reads “Taxes and other levies that are coercive for the purposes of the state are regulated by law”. The state and taxes are two things that cannot be separated.

The state needs taxes to run its programs for the benefit of society. Until now, taxes are still the largest contributor to state revenue with a target that always increases from year to year. In addition to depending on economic growth factors, tax revenue is also very dependent on public awareness in fulfilling their obligations as citizens.

The state does not charge its citizens with a heavy burden of responsibility. The obligations and responsibilities of the people are measured by parameters that are in accordance with their capabilities and capacities. The state must maintain national security. The seeds of national resilience that reside in the souls of all Indonesian people must be manifested.

The state demands the soul and spirit of nationalism of its citizens so that this Republic remains intact and strong. The country needs patriots, even though they are no longer patriots who take up arms and compete on the battlefield. Patriotism is actually in the mind, in the soul, and manifested in attitudes and behavior.

Since elementary school, we always hear the slogan “filling independence”. Then, what is our contribution in filling independence? Advances in information technology make the flow of communication and information penetrate to the most private space. In today’s era, building nationalism and the spirit of patriotism doesn’t really need to go anywhere. To fill independence, just stay at home.

Children’s education is a long-term investment, both for the family and the state, so children need to be introduced to taxes from an early age. Children are the hope of the nation who will become leaders and determinants of the country’s progress in the future. Ironically, parents often give a bad impression about taxes.

Even though the delivery of information about taxes has been and continues to be carried out in various media, and the implementation of intensive public relations activities, sometimes there are still misperceptions that should not have happened.

There is a term that the first madrasa for children is the family and the mother is the first teacher. It is the nature of a mother as the first and foremost teacher for her child. It is not a taboo to teach about taxes to children from an early age. Because our country cannot run without taxes.

In simple terms, parents can explain to their children about services and facilities financed by the government, such as the construction of schools, roads, bridges, hospitals, city parks, airports, and others.

Tax education from an early age can also utilize media such as picture story books about taxes, royal fairy tales, inspirational fables such as the story of the bee king and a spoonful of honey, the story of the rabbit, the ant, the mouse deer, and others.

Parents are heroes for children who accompany children’s learning process to understand moral values ​​such as honesty, example, discipline, responsibility, justice, and sincerity. So many values ​​that can be taken from tax collection. There are at least three main values ​​that can be taught to children, namely:

Independence. If all people are aware of paying taxes, Indonesia will have enough income to meet state spending without having to go into debt. Taxes are very important to make Indonesia independent and strong.

Mutual cooperation. Gotong royong is a culture of the Indonesian nation, as the proverb says “heavy is the same, it is light to carry”. Taxes teach us the beauty of sharing because people who are more capable will pay more taxes to the state to be distributed to those who need it more. By paying taxes, we have worked together in creating social justice for all Indonesian people.

Honesty. The tax system in Indonesia adheres to a self-assessment system that entrusts the public to calculate, pay, and report their own taxes. People don’t need to worry or be afraid that the money they deposit doesn’t actually go into the state treasury. Because tax deposits cannot be made at the Tax Office, but through a bank or post office which will go directly to the state treasury.

Each mother not only shapes the character of her child to be aware of taxes, but also the family as a small sphere of society. Thus, building a tax-aware golden generation is not only a burden and obligation of the Directorate General of Taxes, but also requires community support.

Once again, Indonesia is our shared responsibility. It’s time for parents to become heroes who serve in their respective families to change the paradigm from paying taxes because of coercion to being proud because they have obeyed taxes. People must be aware that obeying taxes means that people have become heroes in this country.

Let’s work together to fulfill independence through active participation in taxation to realize state independence. In accordance with the big theme of the 76th Anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia, namely “Resilient Indonesia, Growing Indonesia”, let us together strengthen each other, lend a hand to each other in taking a challenging path with an unyielding spirit for a better future. Independent!