Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has called for asset forfeiture provisions for tax crimes to uphold the principle of fairness. He said such provisions must be carefully regulated under the Draft Law (RUU) on Asset Forfeiture.
Purbaya said not all tax violations or instances of non-compliance are committed intentionally. Some taxpayers may make mistakes due to negligence or simply forget to fulfill their tax obligations.
For this reason, Purbaya said the seizure or forfeiture of assets should not be applied automatically to every violation. Such measures would be more appropriate for taxpayers proven to have committed intentional and repeated violations.
“It could be applied, but someone should not have everything seized after just one violation. There must be a principle of fairness. If the violation has been repeated or the taxpayer has deliberately sought to evade taxes, then it could be applied. Otherwise, it could create problems,” Purbaya said at a media briefing in Jakarta on Tuesday (Sept. 8, 2026).
He stressed the importance of establishing clear thresholds and procedures if asset forfeiture provisions are applied to tax crimes. The rules must distinguish between deliberate violations and mistakes resulting from negligence.
According to Purbaya, clear regulations are necessary to ensure that asset forfeiture policies do not expose taxpayers who commit administrative errors or act negligently to undue risks.
“Even if it is implemented, there must be clear safeguards. We should not make things difficult for ordinary people who may sometimes simply forget or be negligent,” he said.
Earlier, House of Representatives Commission III Chairman Habiburokhman said tax crimes were among 13 offenses proposed to be subject to asset forfeiture provisions under the Asset Forfeiture Bill.
In addition to tax crimes, the list includes corruption, narcotics and psychotropic offenses, terrorism, human smuggling, the smuggling of weapons, ammunition and hazardous materials, as well as crimes in the forestry, environmental, banking, insurance, mining, marine and fisheries sectors, and human trafficking.
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