Since 29 October, headlines like "Bank Transfers Subject to Digital Tax" have been circulating: from 9 November, bank transfers and other financial transactions will be taxed. If you run a shop or a café, it is natural to ask whether QRIS payments and e-wallet top ups are included. Trace it back to the source, though, and the claim was never stated that clearly.

Our view: 9 November is a statement, not yet a rule. What you should prepare this week is something that has been running since 1 October, and it is about turnover, not transfers.

What was actually said

Hashim Djojohadikusumo, Chair of the Advisory Council of Kadin Indonesia, spoke at the Kadin national leadership meeting on 29 October 2026. According to Bisnis.com, he said that on 9 November all banks, state-owned and private, and all fintechs including Shopee, Lazada, and GoTo must take part in collecting and remitting taxes that have so far gone uncollected. He did not name the tax, the transactions covered, or the rate.

On 2 November the tax office (DJP) responded through Inge Diana Rismawanti, its Director of Outreach, Services, and Public Relations. According to CNN Indonesia, Hashim was referring to SPP-TDLN, a system for collecting VAT on foreign digital transactions. Appointed banks and payment institutions help identify transactions that meet the VAT criteria. DJP stressed that this is not a new tax and does not change the VAT rate. Fund transfers and remittances are not automatically a VAT object, and the system is not meant to tax personal transfers. Six institutions were appointed as issuers on 25 September 2026.

One gap remains: Hashim said 9 November, while DJP says the system has applied since 25 September. As Inilah.com reports, DJP's explanation does not confirm the 9 November date.

Timeline of the digital tax news from 25 September to 9 November 2026, with 9 November marked as Hashim's date that DJP has not confirmed

What is settled and what is not

In writing and checkable with DJP: the income tax withholding at four marketplaces, its rate, its turnover threshold, and the statement that personal transfers are not meant to attract VAT. The next section covers those.

Still unclear as of 2 November: whether 9 November is really a start date, which tax banks and fintechs would collect, at what rate, whether e-wallet top ups and QRIS payments are included, and what domestic merchants outside marketplaces must do. We could not find technical rules for any of it.

Two cards side by side: what is already in writing at the tax office and what is still unclear, closing with the stance to act on what is written and not pass on raw rumours

So on the unclear parts, do not change your prices and do not stop accepting QRIS because of this news. Wait for an official announcement on pajak.go.id.

What is already running: marketplace withholding

According to DJP's 1 October 2026 release, Article 22 income tax withholding through marketplaces started on 1 October 2026, under a Director General decision dated 24 September. Four marketplaces were designated: Shopee, Blibli, Tokopedia, and Lazada. The rate is 0.5% of seller turnover, excluding VAT and luxury goods sales tax. Individuals with turnover up to Rp500 million a year are not withheld from if they submit a statement. DJP calls it a collection mechanism for an obligation that already exists, not a new tax.

The schedule was confusing. An earlier DJP announcement postponed collection to 31 October and said it would apply from 1 November. The 1 October release then brought the start forward to 1 October, after DJP evaluated system and operator readiness.

Four number cards: the 0.5 percent rate, the Rp500 million turnover threshold, four marketplaces designated, and six SPP-TDLN issuers

The part most people miss: the Rp500 million threshold is counted on all your turnover, not just marketplace sales. An article on pajak.go.id says it covers both online and physical shops. A café owner who also sells on marketplaces, with the till in one place, a spreadsheet in another, and QRIS summaries in a third, needs one combined number before signing a stamped statement. A business without that number cannot make an honest statement.

The withholding is also not an extra burden. According to the same source, it can be counted as a tax credit for the current year or as part of the final income tax payment for small businesses. The annual return is still filed, and if the final tax owed exceeds what was withheld, you pay the difference yourself.

The first step this week

Four things you can do before 9 November, whatever happens on that date:

  1. Check the tax data on your marketplace accounts. Your tax ID must be correct. DJP asks sellers to confirm that the data on their accounts matches.
  2. Total your turnover for the year so far. Put the till, the physical shop, and every marketplace in one table.
  3. Prepare the statement if turnover is under Rp500 million. One statement under the same tax ID can cover all accounts and marketplaces. If you cross the threshold mid-year, a new statement is due by the end of that month and withholding starts the following month.
  4. Keep the withholding invoices. The invoice serves as proof of withholding and can be viewed in your Coretax account.
Four sequential steps: check tax data on accounts, total the year's turnover, prepare the statement, keep withholding invoices

If you only sell offline and accept QRIS or transfers, we have found no new rule in writing as of 2 November that burdens you. Step two is still worth doing: tidy turnover figures keep you calm whatever is issued next.

A note: we are not tax consultants. For the tax calculation of your own business, ask a tax consultant or your local tax office.

Start from your sales records

Step two is usually the hardest when sales records are scattered across several places. If that sounds like your business, message us on WhatsApp at +62 823 1499 5005 and first tell us how your sales records look today. From there we can tell you honestly whether you need a system, or whether tidying what you have is enough.