FAQ: Japanese Tax Services for Non-Residents

You may need a tax representative if you live outside Japan and still need to file a Japanese tax return or receive Japanese tax notices. Whether an appointment is required depends on your tax status, the tax type, and the facts of your case.

A tax representative is a person or corporation in Japan who handles agreed tax procedures for a taxpayer without a Japanese address or residence. Appointing one does not make them the taxpayer: you remain responsible for filing, paying tax, and providing complete and accurate information. Our standard annual service handles agreed tax notices by receiving them, recording key details, and sharing those details with you.

Having a property manager does not, by itself, satisfy any tax representative appointment requirement. Check whether you need a representative, whether one has been formally appointed, and whether the contract includes the tax work you need. The same provider may hold more than one role, but rental management, tax representation and tax return preparation should each be confirmed. See how the roles differ.

You may still need local tax support even if the property is not rented. Fixed asset tax and city planning tax notices may be issued by the local government, and a local tax representative may be needed if you cannot receive or respond to those notices in Japan.

No. A matter with a deadline within 45 days may be declined or require a separate quotation, and a deadline within 10 business days may be especially difficult to accept. See our Scope and Limitations for details.

We confirm the required steps, documents, and timing in writing before an agreed service ends or a tax representative changes. National and local tax procedures are separate and may require different filings.

Yes. A non-resident may need to file a Japanese income tax return if they have certain Japanese-source income, such as rental income from real estate in Japan or capital gains from the sale of Japanese real estate.

Foreign or non-resident owners may be subject to Japanese tax on rental income from real estate in Japan. Depending on the facts, withholding tax may apply to rent payments and may then be settled through the annual Japanese income tax return.

For a fuller overview, see Japanese Rental Income Tax Return for Non-Resident Property Owners.

Yes, where we agree the filing scope in writing. The notice-handling-only service excludes return preparation and calculations. Our rental, sale and departure packages include the filing and national tax representative work stated in their scope; we do not charge again for that included work.

The documents depend on the agreed service and your circumstances. Once an engagement begins, we may request documents such as property records, purchase and sale agreements, lease agreements, rental statements, fixed asset tax notices, and prior-year Japanese tax returns.

A non-resident seller may need to file a Japanese income tax return for capital gains. Withholding tax may also apply to sale proceeds in certain cases.

You may need a tax representative when filing a Japanese tax return or handling Japanese tax correspondence after a sale. The need depends on the filing obligation, timing, and facts of the transaction.

Missing purchase documents can make a capital gains calculation more complex. We may need to review alternative records, ownership information, settlement statements, renovation records, or other evidence before confirming the filing approach.

No. Withholding tax on sale proceeds is not automatically the final Japanese tax; a Japanese tax return may still be required or useful, and a refund may be available depending on the final filing result.

The Free Eligibility Check includes a free scope check and quote based on basic, non-sensitive information. A paid written review is not required for a standard quote. Tax advice, detailed calculations, and document review are separate paid work agreed in advance.

A paid written review is optional and is not required for a standard quote. The fee applies only if we propose a review and you accept its scope, fee, and payment terms. An optional Initial Written Case Review is JPY 80,850 (JPY 73,500 plus consumption tax where applicable). A Complex Written Case Review starts from JPY 115,500 (JPY 105,000 plus consumption tax where applicable).

If you engage us for an eligible annual service within 90 days after the written review is completed, we credit the full Initial Written Case Review or Complex Written Case Review fee actually paid against the first-year fee. Eligible annual services are national tax representative and notice handling, local fixed asset tax notice support, combined national and local tax notice handling, and annual rental income tax return filing, including the rental filing and national tax representative package. This credit does not apply to one-time property sale tax filing, even when that package includes tax representative work.

For a standard national-tax case, the first-year fee is JPY 115,500 (JPY 105,000 plus consumption tax where applicable), including setup and one year of agreed notice handling. Annual renewal is JPY 69,300 (JPY 63,000 plus consumption tax where applicable). Rental filing with national tax management is JPY 231,000 in the first year and JPY 173,250 on annual renewal. Standard sale filing with necessary national tax management is JPY 346,500. Local tax notices and additional work are separately quoted. See our Fees page for the tax treatment, conditions and total scope.

We first complete a free scope check and quote using basic, non-sensitive facts. We may ask limited clarification questions, provide a quote for a standard engagement, offer an optional paid written review, or decline the matter. Submitting the form does not create a client relationship or start paid work.

You should receive an automatic confirmation email shortly after submitting the form. A member of our team will reply within 3 business days; Japanese weekends, public holidays, missing facts, and complex inquiries may affect the timing.

Yes. We may decline a matter because of scope, timing, conflicts of interest, missing information, ownership or payment arrangements, required expertise, capacity, risk, or an inability to communicate directly with the taxpayer. See our Scope and Limitations for details.

The Initial Written Case Review provides a written outline of the facts provided, possible Japan-side procedures, required documents, scope, exclusions, estimated fees, key risks, and next steps. It may also identify matters that need further support or a separate agreement.

No. The review does not include tax return preparation, detailed tax calculations, communication with tax authorities, tax representative notification filings, or unlimited follow-up questions.

No. Please do not send passports, My Number information, tax notices, contracts, bank details, passwords, or other sensitive documents through the initial website form. If your matter may fit our services, we will provide secure document-sharing instructions after engagement review.

For more details, see Can I Send Tax Documents by Email to a Japanese Tax Accountant?.

Yes. We support English communication for non-resident and foreign property owner tax matters.

No. Email and secure online tools are our standard communication channels, and video meetings and phone calls are not included in the standard service.

No. You remain responsible for paying Japanese taxes, and we do not advance tax payments, penalties, interest, government fees, bank charges, or remittance fees. See our Scope and Limitations for details.

Receipt of a tax refund and onward transfer to your own bank account are not included in standard fees. Availability, bank requirements, scope, timing, and any separate fee must be confirmed in writing before we agree to handle a refund. Do not assume this service is available until those arrangements are confirmed. See our Scope and Limitations for details.

No. We receive only specified Japanese tax notices under an approved service and do not provide general mail handling or an address-lending service. See our Scope and Limitations for details.