The Taxation Laboratory of the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) held a Public Lecture on Taxation entitled Tax and Finance in the Digital Era: Challenges and Opportunities on Friday, 13 June 2025, at the Konimex Hall, Bachtiar Effendi Building, FEB UNS. The event, attended by faculty members and students, featured Jafar Shodiq, S.Akt., M.Ak., Managing Partner of MNCo Juara, as the keynote speaker.

At the beginning of his presentation, Jafar explained that a career in the field of taxation is considered prestigious and attractive, offering broad career prospects, competitive remuneration, diverse professional pathways, and opportunities for international careers. Positions available in taxation include tax staff or manager, tax accountant, lecturer or instructor or taxation speaker, tax officer at the Directorate General of Taxes, taxation writer (books, magazines, newspapers), tax planner, tax consultant, and tax attorney (taxpayer legal counsel).

Furthermore, Jafar elaborated that in an increasingly dynamic economy, more individuals are choosing to pursue careers as tax consultants. With high demand for tax professionals, competitive salaries, and engaging challenges, this field offers significant opportunities for those aspiring to build a successful career.

Tax consultants play a crucial role in assisting businesses and individuals in understanding and complying with complex tax regulations. Equipped with the appropriate skills, they can provide effective and strategic solutions while contributing to economic growth.

“A career in taxation is not only promising in terms of financial rewards but also provides continuous opportunities to learn and grow. Each tax case is unique, and this makes our work perpetually engaging,” he stated.

With the growing number of opportunities in this sector, individuals interested in pursuing a career in taxation are encouraged to explore relevant education and training. Preparing for a career in taxation offers various opportunities and challenges that must be understood. A SWOT analysis indicates that the strengths of taxation as a profession include the high demand for tax experts and competitive salaries. However, the weaknesses or constraints to consider are the intense competition and the necessity for continuous knowledge updates. The prospects of economic growth and the increasing need for taxation services are balanced by its challenges, mainly dynamic changes in taxation regulatory and negative public perceptions of the profession.

He further explained the benefits of taxation literacy for entrepreneurs. In this context, taxation understanding provides indirect yet significant advantages for business owners. Through in-depth financial analysis, entrepreneurs can identify opportunities and challenges and make more strategic business decisions. Moreover, compliance with tax regulations enhances the company’s credibility in the eyes of investors, creating further opportunities for growth.

Through this occasion, FEB UNS supports SDG 4 (Quality Education) by providing students with access to contextual learning and practical skills to prepare them to enter the employment. Discussion on taxation also closely relates to SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), as it promotes students understanding on the importance of tax compliance in economic development and opens up broad career opportunities within the field of taxation.

The taxation laboratory, as part of educational innovation at FEB UNS, also contributes to SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) by developing talents with adaptive skills, particularly in the face of technological developments and digital financial regulations. Furthermore, collaboration with professional tax practitioners like Jafar Shodiq reflects the spirit of SDG 17 (Partnerships to Achieve the Goals), where synergy between education and industry is key to producing quality and globally competitive graduates.