Living in Japan brings Japanese filings — and for a foreign resident they are rarely just domestic. Overseas dividends and rent, a home sold abroad, the Report of Foreign Assets, the year you arrive and the year you leave: each has its own treatment. We prepare the returns, watch the cross-border points, and answer the questions in plain language.
What we do
- Annual income tax returns for residents — including overseas income and the foreign tax credit, the remittance rule for non-permanent residents, and the Report of Foreign Assets where it applies.
- Owners of a company in Japan. Year-round advisory for owner-managed companies: the corporate tax, consumption tax and local tax returns, year-end closing and financial statements, payroll withholding and year-end adjustment, directors’ compensation planning at the start of each fiscal year, and advice on transactions as they arise.
- Sole proprietors and freelancers. The standard engagement: start-up notifications, bookkeeping kept to filing standard, year-round advice as questions arise, and the annual income tax and consumption tax returns — with estimated prepayments and the invoice-system position kept under review.
- Arrival and departure years. The part-year treatments when you move to Japan or leave it — including the tax agent appointment and the filings that fall due after departure.
- Tax examinations. Preparation and representation if the tax office calls. Representing a taxpayer before the tax office is work Japanese law reserves to a certified tax accountant (zeirishi) — it is part of the engagement, not an extra to find elsewhere.
Typical situations
- You have salary in Japan and dividends, rent or a pension abroad, and you are not sure what Japan actually taxes.
- You freelance for clients in and outside Japan, and the invoice-system decision is still open.
- You run a company you own, and want the compensation, payroll and corporate filings handled together.
- You arrived or are leaving this year, and want the part-year filings done right.
How the engagement works
- Tell us your situation by email or the enquiry form — residence status and years in Japan, income in and outside Japan, business if any.
- There is no charge for the first exchange. We confirm scope and quote a fee before any work begins — one-off return or year-round engagement.
- We prepare and file, and stay available through the year for the questions in between.
Frequently asked questions
Does Japan tax my overseas income?
It depends on your residency category. Broadly: a permanent resident for tax purposes is taxed on worldwide income; a non-permanent resident on Japan-source income plus what is paid into or remitted to Japan. The starting point is our guide: Are You a Tax Resident of Japan?
I already paid tax abroad on the same income.
Double taxation is adjusted through the foreign tax credit and the treaties — that adjustment is part of the return we prepare.
Do you only work with clients near Sapporo?
No — the work is nationwide and remote.
Living or doing business in Japan?
Tell us the outline — we will tell you which filings apply and what they would involve.
Every enquiry is read and answered personally by the principal — first reply within 3 business days.
Get in touch