Intrinsic Motivation and Local Tax Compliance: An Exploratory Study in the Hospitality Sector

Authors

  • Aviandi Okta Maulana Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
  • Blasius Erik Sibarani Universitas Media Nusantara Citra, Jakarta, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12928/jreksa.v13i1.14747

Keywords:

Tax compliance, intrinsic motivation, cognitive evaluation theory, hospitality, mixed method

Abstract

This study identifies the intrinsic drivers of local tax compliance in the Indonesian hospitality sector, especially in Yogyakarta, and explores how business actors’ perceptions and experiences influence the optimization of regional tax revenue. Using a convergent mixed-methods design, the research employed a five-point Likert-scale survey with open-ended items administered to 31 personnel responsible for tax matters through purposive snowball sampling. The quantitative data were analyzed descriptively, while the qualitative responses were examined thematically. The study reports a consistently high level of intrinsic motivation among hospitality taxpayers, with item means ranging from 4.39 to 4.45. It suggests that the respondents perceived tax compliance as a meaningful contribution to social welfare and regional development. The qualitative findings indicate that intrinsic motivation grounded in ethical responsibility is a key predictor of timely tax payments and accurate reporting. Perceived regulatory fairness, constructive responses from tax authorities, adequate taxpayer knowledge, and clear government communication all enhance both capacity and willingness to comply. Incentives and penalties also play a role in reinforcing compliant behavior. This study provides a valuable reference point for understanding intrinsic motivation in local tax compliance. The study contributes to the literature by applying CET to Indonesia’s self-assessment system. It offers new insights into the psychological drivers of compliance in local tax environments. The research highlights how intrinsic motivation contributes to tax compliance through constructive interaction between taxpayers and the government.

References

Adedoyin, F. F., Seetaram, N., Disegna, M., & Filis, G. (2021). The effect of tourism taxation on international arrivals to a small tourism-dependent economy. Journal of Travel Research, 62(1), 135–153. https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875211053658

Ahmad, S., & Putra, R. N. A. (2023). Analysis of the effectiveness and contribution of hotel tax, restaurant tax and local tax to local revenue in the Special Region of Yogyakarta. Journal of Accounting Inquiry, 1(1), 15–32. https://doi.org/10.14421/jai.2023.2.1.011-026 Analysis

Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T

Akita, T., Riadi, A. A., & Rizal, A. (2021). Fiscal disparities in Indonesia in the decentralization era: Does general allocation fund equalize fiscal revenues? Regional Science Policy & Practice, 13(6), 1842–1866. https://doi.org/10.1111/rsp3.12326

Allingham, M. G., & Sandmo, A. (1972). Income tax evasion: a theoretical analysis. Journal of Public Economics, 1(3), 323–338. https://doi.org/10.1016/0047-2727(72)90010-2

Alm, J., & McClellan, C. (2012). Tax morale and tax compliance from the firm’s perspective. Kyklos, 65(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6435.2011.00524.x

Alm, J., & Torgler, B. (2011). Do ethics matter? Tax compliance and morality. Journal of Business Ethics, 101(4), 635–651. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-011-0761-9

André, C. I., & Fernández, M. F. (2015). Tourism and income distribution: Evidence from a developed regional economy. Tourism Management, 48, 11–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2014.10.016

Anjarwi, A. W., T, S., Baridwan, Z., & Iqbal, S. (2024). Determinants of tax evasion in the perspective of enforcement, psychology, trust, and services. Deviant Behavior, 45(12), 1787–1819. https://doi.org/10.1080/01639625.2024.2371586

Apeti, A. E., Bambe, B. W. W., & Combes, J.-L. (2025). On the macroeconomic effects of fiscal reforms: fiscal rules and public expenditure efficiency. Public Choice, 205(1), 19–47. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11127-025-01275-4

Appiah, T., Domeher, D., & Agana, J. A. (2024). Tax knowledge, trust in government, and voluntary tax compliance: Insights from an emerging economy. Sage Open, 14(2), 21582440241234756. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440241234757

Badavi, A. A., & Molchanov, V. M. (2020). Current trends in the small hotels’ social and functional structure organization. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 913(3), 32034. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/913/3/032034

Bastamy, T. H. (2024). The hotel market continues to recover following the increase in tourism and MICE activity. In savills. https://www.savills.co.id/research_articles/179587/214479-0

Belahouaoui, R., & Attak, E. H. (2024). Digital taxation, artificial intelligence and Tax Administration 3.0: improving tax compliance behavior – a systematic literature review using textometry (2016–2023). Accounting Research Journal, 37(2), 172–191. https://doi.org/10.1108/ARJ-12-2023-0372

Bhalla, N., Sharma, R. K., & Kaur, I. (2022). Effect of tax knowledge and technological shift in tax system on business performance: A PLS-SEM analysis. Sustainability (Switzerland), 14(16), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.3390/su141610217

Bloomquist, K. M., Hamilton, S., & Pope, J. (2014). Estimating corporation income tax under-reporting using extreme values from operational audit data. Fiscal Studies, 35(4), 401–419. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-5890.2014.12036.x

Bornman, M., & Lilla, S. (2015). Rewarding tax compliance : taxpayers’ attitudes and beliefs. Journal of Economic and Financial Sciences, 8(3), 791–807. https://doi.org/10.10520/EJC181222

BPS DIY. (2024). Perkembangan pariwisata Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta, Juli 2024. Berita Resmi Statistik, 13(14), 1576–1580.

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Canales, H. B. G., Challco, J. M., Cubas, W. E. V., & Flores, F. R. F. (2024). Financing of municipal current expenditure through local taxes: a systematic review. Qubahan Academic Journal, 4(4), 26–38. https://doi.org/10.48161/qaj.v4n4a985

Carrillo, P. E., Castro, E., & Scartascini, C. (2021). Public good provision and property tax compliance: Evidence from a natural experiment. Journal of Public Economics, 198, 104422. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2021.104422

Clark, V. L. P., & Creswell, J. W. (2008). The mixed methods reader. SAGE Publications.

Cowell, F. A. (1992). Tax evasion and inequity. Journal of Economic Psychology, 13(4), 521–543. https://doi.org/10.1016/0167-4870(92)90010-5

Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. SAGE Publications.

De Neve, J.-E., Imbert, C., Spinnewijn, J., Tsankova, T., & Luts, M. (2020). How to improve tax compliance? Evidence from population-wide experiments in Belgium. Journal of Political Economy, 129(5), 1425–1463. https://doi.org/10.1086/713096

Deci, E. L. (1971). Effects of externally mediated rewards on intrinsic motivation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 18(1), 105–115. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0030644

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. Springer US.

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227–268. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327965PLI1104_01

Demin, A. V. (2023). Psychological factors of tax compliance. Psychology and Law, 13(1), 170–178. https://doi.org/doi:10.17759/psylaw.2023130112

Dharmawan, H. (2022). Ius constituendum pengaturan terhadap oknum wajib pajak yang tidak melakukan kewajiban membayar pajak di Kota Depok. Jurnal Suara Hukum, 4(2), 330–339. https://doi.org/10.26740/jsh.v4n2.p330-339

DIY, D. P. (2024). Statistik Kepariwisataan DIY (Vol. 32, Issue 3).

Doyle, E. M., McCarthy, B., Tuck, P., & Barry, F. (2025). The evolution of the Irish 12.5 percent corporate tax rate: An oral history. Enterprise & Society, 26(4), 1385–1409. https://doi.org/DOI: 10.1017/eso.2025.5

Durbarry, R. (2008). Tourism taxes: Implications for tourism demand in the UK. Review of Development Economics, 12(1), 21–36. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9361.2008.00432.x

Dwenger, N., Kleven, H., Rasul, I., & Rincke, J. (2016). Extrinsic and intrinsic motivations for tax compliance: Evidence from a field experiment in Germany. American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 8(3), 203–232. https://doi.org/10.1257/pol.20150083

Gadenne, L. (2017). Tax me, but spend wisely? Sources of public finance and government accountability. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 9(1), 274–314. https://doi.org/10.1257/app.20150509

Gagné, M., & Deci, E. L. (2005). Self-determination theory and work motivation. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 26(4), 331–362. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.322

Gago, A., Labandeira, X., Picos, F., & Rodríguez, M. (2009). Specific and general taxation of tourism activities. Evidence from Spain. Tourism Management, 30(3), 381–392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2008.08.004

Gobena, L. B., & Van Dijke, M. (2016). Power, justice, and trust: A moderated mediation analysis of tax compliance among Ethiopian business owners. Journal of Economic Psychology, 52, 24–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joep.2015.11.004

Gooroochurn, N., & Thea Sinclair, M. (2005). Economics of tourism taxation: Evidence from Mauritius. Annals of Tourism Research, 32(2), 478–498. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2004.10.003

Hendijani, R., Bischak, D. P., Arvai, J., & Dugar, S. (2016). Intrinsic motivation, external reward, and their effect on overall motivation and performance. Human Performance, 29(4), 251–274. https://doi.org/10.1080/08959285.2016.1157595

Hertikasari, A., Khanifa, F., & Salsabil, A. N. (2025). Analysis of the contribution of hotel tax and restaurant tax to the original revenue of Yogyakarta City in 2017-2021. Primanomics : Jurnal Ekonomi Dan Bisnis, 23(1), 1–9.

Hong, N. T. P. (2022). Factors affecting enforced tax compliance of businesses in Vietnam. WSEAS Transactions on Environment and Development, 18, 1174–1197. https://doi.org/10.37394/232015.2022.18.111

Inasius, F. (2019). Factors influencing SME tax compliance: Evidence from Indonesia. International Journal of Public Administration, 42(5), 367–379. https://doi.org/10.1080/01900692.2018.1464578

Kim, Y., & Wan, H. (2022). The effect of fairness on tax morale in South Korea: a framed question approach. International Review of Economics, 69(1), 103–123. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12232-022-00387-3

Kirchler, E. (1999). Reactance to taxation: Employers’ attitudes towards taxes. The Journal of Socio-Economics, 28(2), 131–138. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1053-5357(99)00003-7

Kunz, J., & Quitmann, A. (2011). Der einfluss von anreizsystemen auf die intrinsische motivation. German Journal of Human Resource Management, 25(1), 55–76. https://doi.org/10.1177/239700221102500109

Lamb, M., Lymer, A., Freedman, J., & James, S. (Eds.). (2004). Taxation: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Research. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780199242931.001.0001

Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic Inquiry. SAGE Publications.

Lisi, G. (2022). Can rewards foster honest tax behaviors? International Public Management Journal, 25(6), 900–915. https://doi.org/10.1080/10967494.2021.1948469

Mahangila, D., & Anderson, W. (2017). Tax administrative burdens in the tourism sector in Zanzibar: Stakeholders’ perspectives. Sage Open, 7(4), 2158244017736800. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244017736800

Mahyuliza, M., Rahmadana, M. F., & Nugrahadi, E. W. (2021). Analysis of factors affecting taxpayer compliance paying hotel tax, restaurant tax, and entertainment tax in Medan City. Budapest International Research and Critics Institute (BIRCI-Journal): Humanities and Social Sciences, 4(1), 563–574. https://doi.org/10.33258/birci.v4i1.1639

Mas’ud, A., Manaf, N. A. A., & Saad, N. (2015). Testing assumptions of the “slippery slope framework” using cross-country data: Evidence from sub-Saharan Africa. International Journal of Business and Society, 16(3), 408–421. https://doi.org/10.33736/ijbs.576.2015

Murwanto, H., & Purwoarminta, A. (2019). The ancient Borobudur lake, its history, and its evidence to develop geo-archeotourism in Indonesia. Indonesian Journal on Geoscience, 6(1), 103–113. https://doi.org/10.17014/ijog.6.1.103-113

Oats, L. (2012). Taxation: A Fieldwork Research Handbook (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203122594

Occhiali, G., & Kalyango, F. (2023). Can tax agents support tax compliance in low-income countries? Evidence from Uganda. Public Administration and Development, 43(4), 269–279. https://doi.org/10.1002/pad.2022

Panayi, C., Haslehner, W., & Traversa, E. (2020). Research Handbook on European Union Taxation Law. Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781788110846

Pepinsky, T. B., & Wihardja, M. M. (2011). Decentralization and economic performance in Indonesia. Journal of East Asian Studies, 11(3), 337–371. https://doi.org/DOI: 10.1017/S1598240800007372

Pui Yee, C., Moorthy, K., & Choo Keng Soon, W. (2017). Taxpayers’ perceptions on tax evasion behaviour: an empirical study in Malaysia. International Journal of Law and Management, 59(3), 413–429. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLMA-02-2016-0022

Safitri, D., Istiqomah, N., Wicaksono, G., & Kusumaningrum, N. D. (2022). Level of effectiveness and contribution of hotel tax to the original income of the Yogyakarta City. Educoretax, 2(4), 321–328. https://doi.org/10.54957/educoretax.v2i4.328

Saptono, P. B., & Khozen, I. (2023). What determines the tax compliance intention of individual taxpayers receiving COVID-19-related benefits? Insights from Indonesia. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 43(11–12), 1190–1217. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSSP-02-2023-0045

Sekaran, U., & Bougie, R. (2016). Research Methods For Business: A Skill Building Approach. Wiley.

Suhud, U., Dewi, M. A., & Allan, M. (2022). Revisiting royal tourism: Tourists’ intention to revisit the Yogyakarta palace in Indonesia. Academica Turistica, 15(3), 307–321. https://doi.org/10.26493/2335-4194.15.307-321

Sumantri, E., Samudra, A. A., & Suradika, A. (2024). Global tax avoidance and evasion: A landscape through insights from a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis. Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development, 8(9), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.24294/jipd.v8i9.8073

Sun, Y., Xu, C., Li, H., & Cao, Y. (2022). What drives the innovation in corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosures? An integrated reporting perspective from China. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 7(4), 100267. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2022.100267

Tans, R. (2020). Business and local taxation in the Philippines. Journal of East Asian Studies, 20(3), 375–402. https://doi.org/DOI: 10.1017/jea.2020.15

The Jakarta Post. (2020). Yogyakarta welcomes 1.7 million tourists in five months amid pandemic. The Jakarta Post. https://www.thejakartapost.com/travel/2020/11/29/yogyakarta-welcomes-1-7-million-tourists-in-five-months-amid-pandemic.html

Tsikas, S. A. (2020). Enforce taxes, but cautiously: societal implications of the slippery slope framework. European Journal of Law and Economics, 50(1), 149–170. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10657-020-09660-8

van der Rijt, P., Hasseldine, J., & Holland, K. (2019). Sharing corporate tax knowledge with external advisers. Accounting and Business Research, 49(4), 454–473. https://doi.org/10.1080/00014788.2018.1526058

Von Haldenwang, C. (2017). The political cost of local revenue mobilization: Decentralization of the property tax in Indonesia. Public Finance and Management, 17(2), 124–151. https://doi.org/10.1177/152397211701700202

Wardiwiyono, S., & Sumaryanto, S. (2022). What determines students’ performance in introductory accounting classes? A mixed method. Jurnal REKSA: Rekayasa Keuangan, Syariah Dan Audit, 9(1), 26–36. https://doi.org/10.12928/jreksa.v9i1.5819

Wenzel, M. (2005). Misperceptions of social norms about tax compliance: From theory to intervention. Journal of Economic Psychology, 26(6), 862–883. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joep.2005.02.002

Wibbeke, L.-M., & Lachmann, M. (2020). Psychology in management accounting and control research: an overview of the recent literature. Journal of Management Control, 31(3), 275–328. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00187-020-00302-3

Williams, C. (2020). Evaluating public administration approaches towards tax non-compliance in Europe. In Administrative Sciences (Vol. 10, Issue 3, p. 43). https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci10030043

Wiryawan, B. A., & Otchia, C. (2022). The legacy of the reformasi: the role of local government spending on industrial development in a decentralized Indonesia. Journal of Economic Structures, 11(1), 3. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40008-022-00262-y

Zhu, J., & Yang, Z. (2024). How does flexible tax enforcement affect TFP? China’s exceptional approach. Journal of Asian Economics, 94, 101795. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asieco.2024.101795

Downloads

Published

2026-03-29

How to Cite

Maulana, A. O., & Sibarani, B. E. (2026). Intrinsic Motivation and Local Tax Compliance: An Exploratory Study in the Hospitality Sector. Jurnal REKSA: Rekayasa Keuangan, Syariah Dan Audit, 13(1), 22–40. https://doi.org/10.12928/jreksa.v13i1.14747

Issue

Section

Articles