As part of its commitment to the Tri Dharma of Higher Education in the area of community service, the Department of Fiscal Administration (DIAF) at the Faculty of Administrative Sciences, Universitas Indonesia (FIA UI) successfully carried out a community engagement program in Kuningan Regency, West Java, from 21 to 23 July 2025.

The program was a collaboration among three research clusters within DIAF FIA UI: POLTAX (Politics of Taxation, Welfare, and National Resilience), GAP (Governance and Accountability in Taxation), and DTA (Digitalization of Tax Administration). Working in partnership with the FIA UI Tax Centre team, the three clusters jointly designed and delivered tax literacy materials packaged in an educational and contextual format for the younger generation.

On 21 July 2025, during the program, the DIAF FIA UI delegation met with the Regent of Kuningan, Dr. H. Dian Rachmat Yanuar, M.Si., who was accompanied by heads of related regional offices, including the Regional Revenue Agency (Bapenda), the Regional Financial and Asset Management Agency (BPKAD), the Education and Culture Office, the Investment and One-Stop Integrated Services Office (DPMPTSP), and representatives from the Kuningan Primary Tax Office (KPP Pratama).

The Regent expressed hope that DIAF FIA UI could help address regional challenges. This proposal was warmly welcomed by the Head of DIAF FIA UI, Dr. Inayati, M.Si., as it aligns with the faculty’s vision, mission, and academic expertise. Dr. Inayati added that cooperation could include tax policy assistance or research, as well as opportunities for Kuningan Regency Government staff to pursue undergraduate, master’s, or doctoral studies at DIAF FIA UI, including the Regional Tax Administration and Regional Retribution specialization at the master’s level.

The highlight of the program took place on 22 July 2025 at the Husnul Khatimah Islamic Boarding School in Kuningan Regency. Under the theme “Tax Literacy for the Future Taxpayer”, the event targeted junior high school students studying in the boarding school environment, aiming to instill early tax awareness among them as future taxpayers.

Tax literacy is expected to serve as essential knowledge for young people to understand the strategic role of taxes in national development and to foster a sense of responsibility as citizens. By introducing tax concepts in language appropriate to the age and background of participants, the program also sought to build the narrative that taxes are not merely a state obligation, but also a form of social worship that strengthens social solidarity and fiscal justice.

A team of lecturers and researchers from DIAF FIA UI, including Prof. Dr. Haula Rosdiana, M.Si., Prof. Dr. Milla Sepliana Setyowati, S.Sos., M.Ak., and several other faculty members, attended and delivered educational sessions. The team was warmly welcomed by the Chairman of the Husnul Khatimah Foundation, KH. Mu’tamad, Lc., M.Pd. Al Hafidz, who expressed high appreciation for the initiative, noting that the foundation nurtures around 4,200 students at the junior and senior high school levels.

In the opening session, FIA UI Professor of Fiscal Administration, Prof. Dr. Haula Rosdiana, M.Si., emphasized the importance of viewing taxes as a form of social worship. “Taxes are part of social worship manifested through contributions to development and equitable welfare. Young people need to understand that being a law-abiding taxpayer is also an expression of care for others,” she said.

The program continued with engaging and interactive tax education sessions using games, simple case studies, and light discussions on the benefits of taxes in everyday life. The students participated enthusiastically, actively engaging in every session.

This initiative is expected to serve as a starting point for building a culture of tax awareness among students while strengthening cooperation between academia and Islamic boarding school-based educational institutions to expand the reach of fiscal education across Indonesia.