Atisha Kudesia

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The Farmer’s Dilemma: Building Trust in Digital Taxation

As Indonesia introduced stricter tax regulations, Jiva Agriservices set out to help smallholder farmers navigate digital taxation. However, low financial literacy and distrust in digital tools made adoption challenging.

The Turning Point

How might we transform taxation from a source of anxiety into an empowering financial tool?

Understanding the Problem

Through field visits, usability tests, and in-depth interviews, farmers repeatedly voiced three significant challenges.

- Confusion about how taxes were calculated, the legal jargon was overwhelming.

- Skepticism toward digital financial tools, they feared hidden costs.

- Struggles with navigating the UI, important tax information was overlooked.

Through field visits, usability tests, and in-depth interviews, farmers repeatedly voiced three significant challenges.

Confusion about how taxes were calculated, the legal jargon was overwhelming.
Skepticism toward digital financial tools, they feared hidden costs.
Struggles with navigating the UI, important tax information was overlooked.

What We Discovered Along The Way

Farmers lacked a clear understanding of tax calculations.

They ignored legal jargon but responded well to simple, visual breakdowns of tax deductions.
Many were unaware that an inactive NPWP incurs higher tax rates (0.5%) compared to an active NPWP (0.25%).

They ignored legal jargon but responded well to simple, visual breakdowns of tax deductions.
Many were unaware that an inactive NPWP incurs higher tax rates (0.5%) compared to an active NPWP (0.25%).

They ignored legal jargon but responded well to simple, visual breakdowns of tax deductions.
Many were unaware that an inactive NPWP incurs higher tax rates (0.5%) compared to an active NPWP (0.25%).

Trust in digital financial tools was low.

Farmers were hesitant to engage with tax-related information on the app. They feared hidden costs.
Direct interactions with trusted community members (such as other farmers) influenced credibility more than corporate messaging.

Farmers were hesitant to engage with tax-related information on the app. They feared hidden costs.
Direct interactions with trusted community members (such as other farmers) influenced credibility more than corporate messaging.

Farmers were hesitant to engage with tax-related information on the app. They feared hidden costs.
Direct interactions with trusted community members (such as other farmers) influenced credibility more than corporate messaging.

Poor UI placement hindered tax awareness.

Important tax-related banners were missed on long transactional screens.
Farmers overlooked crucial information when it wasn’t visibly linked to their actions (such as tax deduction breakdowns were ignored if not placed near payment confirmations).

Important tax-related banners were missed on long transactional screens.
Farmers overlooked crucial information when it wasn’t visibly linked to their actions (such as tax deduction breakdowns were ignored if not placed near payment confirmations).

Important tax-related banners were missed on long transactional screens.
Farmers overlooked crucial information when it wasn’t visibly linked to their actions (such as tax deduction breakdowns were ignored if not placed near payment confirmations).

Prototype realism affected usability testing outcomes.

Initial prototypes used dummy tax amounts, leading to confusion and rejection.
When revised with accurate, contextually relevant tax figures, engagement and comprehension improved.

Initial prototypes used dummy tax amounts, leading to confusion and rejection.
When revised with accurate, contextually relevant tax figures, engagement and comprehension improved.

Initial prototypes used dummy tax amounts, leading to confusion and rejection.
When revised with accurate, contextually relevant tax figures, engagement and comprehension improved.