A Taxing Issue

Charles Guinot is ushering in the digital era’s solution to taking care of taxes easily with one site that’s free for all

Foto: Dok. by Tatler Indonesia

Helping Indonesia achieve the common goal of a prosperous, functional, and orderly society, Charles Guinot, a 2019 Generation T Indonesia honouree, is the founder and CEO of OnlinePajak, which allows taxpayers to prepare, file, and pay their taxes conveniently online.

Can you tell us the challenges you faced in the tax industry?
In a professional network, the major challenges that face the tax industry are the complexity of tax requirements and processes, and low public awareness. Taxpayers spend some time preparing, paying, and filing their tax reports— around 207.5 hours per year according to an Ease Of Doing Business report in 2018. Here, to foster economic growth and development governments, we want to cooperate with the Indonesian government to simplify tax processes and increase tax compliance.

Based on your experiences, what drove you to develop OnlinePajak?
When I set foot in Indonesia in 2010, I was working on several projects with a tight schedule when I faced many difficulties in filing tax returns with my previous company. At that moment, everything was done manually and there was no free online system that helped me simplify the tax reporting process. After thinking about it for a few days, a lightbulb went off in my head, and I knew that I needed to help those who were in my shoes. I believe that every taxpayer will be helped if the tax process can be simplified with an online system. As such, I started to create OnlinePajak in 2014.

How do you encourage society to report and pay taxes through OnlinePajak?
I believe that what society needs is a quick and straightforward program to pay and file their own taxes. OnlinePajak has a seamless tax payment system in one application to help taxpayers prepare, pay, and file with just one click of a button. Our basic services are free, but we also provide several premium features that are suitable for businesses. We also provide important news and information about recent tax issues that are beneficial for society through our blog, website, and community events.

Source: Kevin, Hesikios, “A Tax Issue”, Tatler Indonesia, October Issue, 2019