Job Discussion Forums

beefer · Joined: 10 Feb 2006 Posts: 238 Location: java

when we leave the country do we still have to pay the fiscal??.... i remember people before saying that they were getting rid of it ....sudah or belum?

Fishy · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 138

I was informed this week by my HR dept that I will no longer have to pay fiscal when my tax number has been processed; they're doing that at the moment.

rayman · Joined: 24 May 2003 Posts: 427

I believe the fiscal will be waived for tax file number (NPWP) holders from January 1st, 2009.

By that stage, you better hope you have a NPWP.

As we go from the sublime to the ridiculous...

Fiscal Tax will triple to Rp3 million

�Fiscal exit tax will triple,� Kontan reports in its main story headline. In a bid to increase tax base, the government plans to triple the fiscal exit for each resident who travel overseas. However Indonesian residents who possess an official tax number (NPWP) are exonerated from paying the tax. With the new regulation, residents departing on a foreign trip using air transport will have to pay Rp 3 million from Rp1 million previously, while those travelling on sea transport will have to pay Rp 1.5 million from Rp 500,000 previously. The plan is currently being discussed at the Directorate General of Taxation. The government wants to increase tax revenue from Rp 580 trillion this year to Rp 697 trillion next year. The Directorate General of Taxation also wants to make use of the remaining period to boost income before the Fiscal exit tax is scrapped definitely on December 31, 2010. Starting from 2011 there will be no more exit fiscal tax.

malu · Joined: 22 Apr 2007 Posts: 1344 Location: Sunny Java

I went to KL the other day and paid up as per usual. I hope the bit about no fiskal for NPWP holders is true - I got my shiny new NPWP plastic card just a couple of months ago.

The Rp3m fiskal proposal, if it ever happens, will impact on many of our number. Have you ever heard of a McEF registering FTs for tax? Might be worth asking if employers intend doing so before accepting jobs in future.

aku_tonpa · Joined: 03 May 2004 Posts: 63

I know you pay fiscal if you leave the country for a holiday, but how about if you are leaving permanently and have an EPO?

tanyakenapa · Joined: 06 Feb 2007 Posts: 180 Location: Batavia

The school who employs you should pay for the fiskal, if its an end of contract agreement...

Fishy · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 138

[quote=
As we go from the sublime to the ridiculous...

[/quote]

Why is it ridiculous? Only those who are not paying tax on their income will have to pay the fiscal. IMO the government are right to charge people where they can if those people are choosing not to pay tax.

malu · Joined: 22 Apr 2007 Posts: 1344 Location: Sunny Java

Problem is, oh piscine one, that many FTs who don't have a tax number are under the impression that the employer is paying taxes on their behalf. The FTs are not choosing to evade tax.

I used to work at a national-plus school whose 'vision and mission' blurb was all about honesty and integrity but who didn't register any of the FTs for tax. I only found out when I moved to a better employer and they asked me for my NPWP number. "Wots that?", I asked...

rayman · Joined: 24 May 2003 Posts: 427

Fishy · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 138

taponwood · Joined: 08 Nov 2006 Posts: 11 Location: Indonesia

My understanding is that, when a teacher's contract is completed, an Exit Permit Only (EPO) is arranged (often by the employer) and they then leave the country without paying fiscal tax

malu · Joined: 22 Apr 2007 Posts: 1344 Location: Sunny Java

That is the case, taponwood. The EPO is the employer's responsibility. There is no Fiskal to pay on exit at the end of the contract.

It is leisure trips abroad mid-contract on an ERP/MERP that will be still subject to Fiskal for non NPWP holders.

I hope - but doubt - that the McEFs that currently advertise '[city] is just a short flight away from neighbouring countries such as Malaysia and Singapore' will also mention that it will cost a month's McEF salary to pop over for the weekend.

wannaBguru · Joined: 07 Dec 2005 Posts: 110

actually kitas holders in batam are issued a special kitas which exempts them from having to pay fiscal.

my school claims that they NPWP program will start on Jan. 1 2009. they didnt say anything about fiskal tripling. but always seems to be plenty of rumors this time of year.

Fishy: what govt services do we use? apart from pothole-filled roads. i pay to use the toll road. usually my encounters with police and other public officials is them trying to extort money from me. considering that i am in the 30% tax bracket, my school pays about 10 million a month for my income taxes. i definately dont feel that i have received my moneys worth. Also, i would guess that less than 10% of indonesia travel abroad, so how does this help them collect income taxes? unless they are just targeting the rich and bules. and they already get the bule tax of 100/month paid upfront. never been to another country where i had to pay to leave.

but i like living here, so i can live with paying a million once and a while to come and go. but i dont think u can justify it.

Fishy · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 138

wannaBguru · Joined: 07 Dec 2005 Posts: 110

Actually i do get your point. but u dont need a tax payer id number to leave the country. so that doesnt force people to register or pay their taxes. in my case, if i was paying my own taxes, would i rather pay 120 million in income taxes or just pay the 1 million to leave once a year? again not motivating people to register. another factor, even if i was properly registered, i would have to file to get the money back. this would leave me wide open to be audited and hit with all sorts of made-up charges. did u know that the tax dept has the right to hold u indefinately in jail on supposed tax evasion charges and u dont have the right to a speedy trial? finally, how much of that money do u believe actually makes it to the tax dept and isnt just shared amongst the immigration boys?

if u really want to collect taxes, implement a tax withholding system. in the states, our taxes are deducted before we receive our wages. once a year we settle up with the government, getting a refund if we overpaid or writing them a check if we didnt pay enough. not saying that it is the perfect system, just pointing out that a departure tax is indefensible as a means of collecting income tax.

having said that, if they do change their procedures and allow people with NPWP cards to be exempt from the fiskal this would be nice. However this still wouldnt motivate me to register as i would still rather pay the 1 million to leave than the 120 million in income taxes.