MUI: Youtubers, Influencers Obligated to Pay Zakat
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31 May 2024 19:42 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) in the Indonesian Fatwa Commission Forum or Ijtima Ulama VIII has determined that muslim YouTubers and social media influencers, also known as celebgrams, are required to pay zakat maal or zakat on wealth.
“The forum has decided that YouTubers, celebgrams, and other actors in the digital creative economy are required to pay zakat,” MUI Head of Fatwa Division Prof. Asrorun Niam Sholeh said in a statement received in Jakarta on Thursday, May 30.
According to him, the forum assessed that digital technology has the potential to be further developed to bring social and economic benefits to society. The decision is the ulema’s response to digital developments, including digital activities that can generate profits.
The obligation to zakat for YouTubers and celebgrams is specified in various provisions, including the business object or type of content that does not conflict with sharia law. “[Zakat is mandatory if] the income has reached the Nisab, which is worth 85 grams of gold, and has reached the Hawalan al haul or one year's ownership,” he said.
Zakat amount is 2.5 percent of their accumulated wealth within a year if the Hijri year is used, or 2.75 percent if the regular calendar is used.
“However, the obligation of zakat is specifically for digital activities that do not conflict with sharia. If the content contains gossip, namimah (inciting conflict), indecency, gambling, and other prohibited things, then it is forbidden,” Niam remarked.
The Ijtima Ulama was attended by 654 participants who are leaders of various Islamic organizations, the MUI Fatwa Commission throughout Indonesia, Islamic boarding schools, the sharia faculty of Islamic universities, representatives of fatwa institutions from ASEAN and Middle Eastern countries, such as Malaysia and Qatar, individual Muslim scholars, Islamic law experts, and researchers as reviewers.
How much do YouTubers earn?
According to Social Blade, a social media statistics site, the top Indonesian YouTubers in 2022 include Ria Ricis and Atta Halilintar. Ricis has 30.7 million subscribers, 2,270 uploaded videos, and 5.5 million views. Her estimated income was around Rp 74 million to Rp 9.18 billion per month. Meanwhile, Atta, the king of YouTube, earned about Rp271 million to Rp4.34 billion per month.
As previously reported, the government has set a policy that online workers, such as influencers, celebrities, and YouTubers who have an income of at least Rp67,500,000 are required to register for an NPWP (Taxpayer Identification Number) and pay income tax (PPh) using a self-assessment system or independent calculation.
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