DDTC Garners an International Tax Award in the Asia Pacific Level

JAKARTA, DDTCNews - DDTC has won the Asia-Pacific tax award. The award refers to Pro bono Firm of the Year from the International Tax Review (ITR) at the 2022 Asia-Pacific Tax Awards.

On account of Pro bono Firm of the Year award, the Indonesian-based tax firm has gained international recognition for its active role in encouraging inclusive tax education and a more advanced tax system for all elements of society.

Announcing the award virtually, an ITR representative Siqalane Taho remarked that the title Pro bono Firm of the Year was grounded in the company’s continuous endeavours to maximise the role of the profession for the tax community.

“By contributing to an ideal tax system and eliminating information asymmetry in the tax community," he stated.

DDTC’s Managing Partner Darussalam elaborates that all company activities are grounded in the reality of the non-existence of tax society, relatively low tax compliance and awareness, the limited range of tax basis and the lack of tax experts.

In light of consistency with this background, most of the profits from clients for professional services are returned to the public and stakeholders in the tax sector, in particular, Indonesia.

"We are firm believers that only a never-ending cycle at the commercial aspect will, in turn, establish a better tax ecosystem as the tax consultant profession is noble or honourable (officium nobile),” he claimed, Thursday (25/8/2022).

The concept of officium nobile, he continues, is centered around the assumption that in essence not only should a profession be profit-oriented, but also should focus on how to contribute or dedicate its expertise for taxation purposes.

Darussalam remarks that all external parties of DDTC constitute clients. Therefore, DDTC assumes professional responsibilities to the tax community. A vast array of products, services or activities give prominence to fulfilling these responsibilities.

Darussalam reiterates that there is more to pro bono than mere Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities or free-of-charge provision of professional services. For DDTC, pro bono is the tangible embodiment of the adherence to the company's vision and pursuit of its mission.

“Without taking into account the profits and losses of these various activities,” adds Darussalam.

DDTC upholds a vision as a research, technology and knowledge-based tax institution that sets the standards and beyond. To consistently live out this vision, DDTC has incorporated a number of units that support one another and cater to the needs of stakeholders.

DDTC’s Activities

Darussalam remarks that at least three groups of DDTC’s activities are significantly correlated to pro bono, including tax knowledge sharing, scholarships and sponsorships and fostering positive relationships with the educational (academic) environment. All of these are concentrated on establishing a more advanced tax system

“It is virtually unfeasible for tax authorities to go solo in the effort to establish an ideal tax system," Darussalam claims.

Tax knowledge-sharing activities are grounded in the commitment to consistently improving tax literacy, strengthening tax education, establishing a tax society and encouraging tax compliance. Publication is the means used by DDTC.

In the fifteen years since DDTC’s incorporation, Darussalam continues, 16 books have been published. Moreover, DDTC contributes to various national and international publications. In addition, DDTC has publishes Inside Tax magazine, Indonesia Taxation Quarterly Report publication, newsletters and working paper.

Endowed with a research culture, adds Darussalam, DDTC is highly active in responding to tax issues by writing opinions and serving as speakers in various mass media. Additionally, DDTC actively collaborates in research, public lectures, training and seminars on taxation.

DDTC also has a tax library containing nearly 4,000 collections of books, journals and other publications. Darussalam claims 90% of the DDTC Library’s collection is an international publication. In addition, DDTC provides a news portal that may be accessed by the public for free

Further, the provision of scholarships and sponsorships is prompted by the need for high-quality Human Resources (HR) in the field of taxation. The availability of skilled human resources, according to him, is a prerequisite for a balanced tax system. Moreover, the tax landscape is evolving rapidly.

“DDTC’s professionals are, thus, advocated to be constantly engaged in continuous learning and without a doubt share their newly acquired knowledge with the community,” elaborates Darussalam.

DDTC strives to consistently grant scholarships to DDTC’s professionals through the Human Resources Development Programme (HRDP). In addition to formal education overseas, DDTC’s professionals also have access to free training and certification.

For external parties, DDTC continues to consistently provide scholarships to students and lecturers. In addition, DDTC is also an active sponsor in various taxation activities that aim to educate and share knowledge.

The provision of scholarships and sponsorships, adds Darussalam, constitutes part of DDTC's involvement in the educational environment. He remarks that to date, DDTC has entered into educational cooperation with 32 universities in Indonesia.

DDTC and universities seek to conduct joint research, formulate tax education curriculum designs and increase the teachers’ capacity. DDTC also organises internships to render first-hand experience with practitioners for students.

“We also view the victory for this award at the Asia-Pacific level to encourage us to continue to contribute. We would like to thank all parties that have collaborated for the common goal of inclusive tax education,” states Darussalam.

As a point of interest, ITR is a global news and analysis service provider that delivers practical information on three main areas, including direct tax, indirect tax and transfer pricing.

This award is the result of the ranking conducted by ITR. On account of independent research and coverage of the world’s leading tax firms and practitioners, ITR seeks to accurately compare tax firms and practitioners with their peers.

In addition to winning the Pro bono Firm of the Year, DDTC is also a nominee in 5 other categories at the 2022 Asia-Pacific Tax Awards. The five categories include the Tax Policy Firm of the Year, Tax Technology Firm of the Year, Indonesia Tax Firm of the Year, Indonesia Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year and Indonesia Tax Disputes Firm of the Year.  (kaw)