BAZNAS : Zakat For Tax Deduction

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, YOGYAKARTA - The National Chairman of Amil Zakat (Baznas) KH Didier Hafidhuddin hope the government and Parliament can adopt the idea that the payment of zakat could be a reduction of tax to be paid citizens. It deals with the revision of Law No. 38/1999 on Management of Zakat.

According to Didier, by adopting this thinking in Indonesian legislation, the government by itself can have its own convenience, because sesesorang tax liability will be more transparent.

''I believe that by adopting this thinking, government tax revenues will increase, because ultimately how much tax liability a person would be detected by looking at the first he has paid zakat,''said Didier KH, Thursday (30 / 9), on the sidelines of the implementation of the World Zakat Forum at the Hotel Inna Garuda, Yogyakarta.
Didier said the Muslim zakat liability is 2.5 percent of its wealth. ''Well if people were to pay zakat as Rp 10 million, will be known at least that person has a wealth of 40 times the amount of zakat money,''he said.

According to Didier, Baznas already have the concepts and a number of technical instructions if necessary, if this rule can be realized. One example, he said, could have a revenue officer will also be collecting Zakat. ''We will put forward new technical concepts, when the House have said they would approve of this idea,''he explained.

Didier said, on 10 October Baznas and management institutions of zakat in Indonesia scheduled to meet President Yudhoyono. Insyaallah'', we will convey this idea in the meeting,''said Didier.

According to him, the actual tax reduction with the payment of zakat has been successfully done in Malaysia. ''In a country that has been proven there was no reduction in state tax opinion with the applicable rules,''said Didier.

Didier said, what happens is the opposite, in Malaysia can be seen a correlation increased tax payments of citizens, with the increase of zakat paid citizens.

Didier disclosed, further, the government also will be helped because of zakat funds can be used for poverty alleviation programs. ''If it is not necessarily tax funds for poverty reduction, can be used for infrastructure and other development,''he said.
Source : Republika Online, 30 September 2010