In Reply to: Fiskal posted by begitu on Thursday, 15. October 2009 at 08:36 Bali Time:
This is out of date - not that it has changed for wives, but foreign men married to Indonesians can now also get a spouse visa "ikut istri" (which they couldn't get before). The legal status is not 'totally different' as it once was.
The NPWP is a bit of a grey area. I would be reluctant to register as a tax payer in Indonesia just to get fiscal exemption, because technically I would then have to do a tax return that included my Australian income. I would be taxed at Indonesian rates, and any tax I paid in Australia deducted. Indonesia tax rates are higher than Australias in some cases.
If foreign wives are currently exempt under their husband's exemption, I bet that loophole will be closed up at some point. Personally I don't want to test it.