Tax system of Indonesia

There is a wide variety of taxes in Indonesia that companies, investors, and individuals need to comply with. This includes corporate income tax, individual income tax, withholding taxes, international tax agreements, value-added tax (VAT), luxury-goods sales tax, customs & excise, tax concessions, and land & building tax. Our tax section aims to provide detailed information about taxes that are in effect and should be considered when investing in Indonesia.

Corporate Income Tax

A company is subject to the tax obligations set by the Indonesian government if the company’s domicile is in Indonesia. Similarly, a foreign company that has a (permanent) establishment in Indonesia – and carries out business activities through this local entity – falls under the Indonesian tax regime. If the foreign company does not have a permanent establishment in Indonesia but does generate income through business activities in Indonesia, then it needs to settle its tax liabilities through withholding of the tax by the Indonesian party paying the income.

In general, a corporate income tax rate of 25 percent applies in Indonesia. However, there are several exemptions:

• Companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) that offer at least 40 percent of their total share capital to the public obtain a 5 percent tax cut (hence a tax rate of 20 percent applies for these public companies).
• Small and medium-enterprises with an annual turnover below IDR 50 billion (approx. USD $3.8 million) obtain a 50 percent tax discount (imposed proportionally on taxable income of the part of gross turnover up to IDR 4.8 billion). In 2013, Indonesia’s Finance Ministry issued a regulation that set a one percent income tax tariff on individual and institutional taxpayers with an annual gross turnover below IDR 4.8 billion (approx. USD $363,636).

Individual Income Tax

If an individual fulfills any of the following conditions, then he/she is regarded a tax resident in Indonesia (except if a tax treaty overrides these rules):

• the individual lives in Indonesia;
• the individual is in Indonesia for more than 183 days within a 12-month period;
• the individual is in Indonesia during a fiscal year and intends to reside in Indonesia.

Meanwhile, non-resident individuals are subject to a 20 percent withholding tax on Indonesia-sourced income.

Nearly all income earned by individual taxpayers in Indonesia is subject to income tax. The following progressive rates are charged to taxable annual income:

A large part of individual income tax is collected through withholding by employers. Employers withhold income tax on a monthly basis from the salaries and other compensation paid to the employees. In case the employee is a resident taxpayer (living in Indonesia), the above-mentioned tax rates apply. If the individual is a non-resident taxpayer, the withholding tax is 20 percent of the gross amount (in case of a tax treaty the amount may vary).

Annual non-taxable income was originally set at IDR 36 million (approx. USD $2,727) in 2016. However, in April 2016 Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro said the government plans to raise non-taxable income by 50 percent to IDR 54 million (approx. USD $4,090) in a bid to strengthen people’s purchasing power and encourage household consumption.