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Guide · Tax

Four ways to hold it, and what each one pays.

The villa is the same and the rent is the same. What changes is whose name it sits in and where the money flows. That decides the tax. We are not tax advisers: this is so you reach yours knowing what you are talking about.

20%
What Indonesia always withholds
25%
Total through a Spanish company
45-50%
How high personal income tax can reach
4
Possible structures

The one figure common to all four

Indonesia withholds 20% of profits from anyone who is not a tax resident there, whether a person or a company. You will see it on every quarterly report, already deducted. Everything else depends on the structure you choose.

The four options at a glance

Own nameYour companyIndonesian PT PMAMoney kept in Indonesia
Tax in Indonesia20%20%0.5%20%
Tax at homeIncome tax, up to 45-50%5% more, up to 25%Depends how you take it outDepends on your tax residence
On paying a dividendN/AN/A20%N/A
Cost to set upNoneLow~€2,000 + capitalNone
Annual costNoneYour company's~€2,900None
Who it suitsStarting out, smaller profitsSimplest and most efficientReinvesting inside IndonesiaLiving or spending in Indonesia
Indicative. Your real bracket depends on your other income and your jurisdiction. Always confirm with your own adviser.

The simplest: your own name

You buy as an individual. No company, no accountants, no extra paperwork. In exchange the profit enters your personal income tax, which is progressive and can reach 45-50%. The 20% already paid in Indonesia is credited under the double taxation treaty, so you do not pay twice: you pay up to your bracket.

€110,000 villa, €13,200 profit30% bracket45% bracket
Profit before tax€13,200€13,200
Indonesia withholds 20%−€2,640−€2,640
At home, up to your bracket−€1,320−€3,300
What you keep€9,240 (70%)€7,260 (55%)

The one to look at first: through your company

Your company buys the villa. The profit pays 20% in Indonesia and then your company pays only the difference up to corporation tax at home, roughly 5% more. 20% + 5% = 25% in total. Against personal income tax reaching 45-50%, the difference is obvious.

€110,000 villa, €13,200 profitThrough your company
Profit before tax€13,200
Indonesia withholds 20%−€2,640
At home, 5% more up to 25%−€660
What stays in the company€9,900 (75%)
At company level. If you then pay dividends out to yourself, the usual dividend taxes apply.

The PT PMA: cheap inside, expensive to keep

A PT PMA is an Indonesian company with foreign capital and no local partner. Inside Indonesia it pays very little, 0.5% on profit in the early years, but the tax arrives when you take the money out: another 20% on paying a dividend. And it has to be maintained: around €2,000 to set up, around €2,900 a year, plus paid-in capital of 2.5 billion rupiah, roughly €123,000, separate from the villa. It does come with an investor visa.

Be careful with anyone offering a legal 0% by not repatriating the money. If the company pays almost nothing in Indonesia, your own tax authority can attribute that income to you even without a dividend, under controlled foreign company rules. And splitting companies to dodge a threshold is tax fraud.
Questions

What people ask us most.

What is the total tax in practice?

Through a Spanish company, 25%: 20% in Indonesia plus 5% at home. In your own name, from that 20% up to your personal bracket, which can reach 45-50%.

Do I pay twice on the same income?

No. There is a double taxation treaty between Spain and Indonesia: the 20% paid there is credited against what you owe at home.

Do I need an Indonesian company?

No. You can buy as an individual or through your existing company. A PT PMA makes sense if you plan to reinvest inside Indonesia or want the investor visa.

Are you tax advisers?

No, and we do not pretend to be. This is so you understand the options before sitting down with yours.

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