If you own a condominium, chalet or other property in Japan while living abroad, Japan taxes the rent you earn and the gain when you sell — and expects returns to be filed through a tax agent appointed in Japan. We provide the whole sequence as one service: the filings, the tax agent role, and the settlement of the withholding that Japanese law applies along the way.
What we do
- Annual rental income returns. We compute your Japanese rental profit — rent received, less management fees, fixed asset tax, depreciation and other deductible costs — and file the return each March. Depreciation is set up correctly from the purchase documents, including the land–building split and the shorter useful lives available for second-hand buildings.
- Sale of the property. The capital gains return, and the final settlement of the 10.21% withholding the buyer takes from the sale price — which may end in a refund or in a balance to pay. We advise on the holding-period rate (long-term vs short-term) before you commit to a sale date.
- Tax agent (nōzei kanrinin). We receive tax office documents, explain what they mean, remit tax on your behalf from funds you place with us, and receive refunds — the standing representative Japanese law expects a non-resident to appoint. Details on the dedicated page.
- At purchase. Before you buy: the consumption tax position of licensed lodging vs residential leasing, whether a taxable-person election pays for itself, and the records to keep from day one.
Typical situations
- You own a Niseko or city property let through a management company, and Japan-side filings have never been set up properly.
- You are preparing to sell — you want to know the tax before signing, and to have the withholding settlement handled from abroad.
- You have just bought — depreciation, the first return and the tax agent appointment all need setting up at once.
- A letter has arrived from a Japanese tax office and you are not sure what it requires of you.
How the engagement works
- Tell us about the property by email or the enquiry form — location, how it is used (long-term lease, licensed lodging, own use), and whether a sale is in view.
- 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 take over the Japan side — the tax agent notification, the filings, payments from funds placed with us, and refunds — with one point of contact throughout.
Frequently asked questions
My management company already withholds tax. Is a return still needed?
Usually yes. Withholding is a prepayment, not a final tax. A return computes the actual liability on your rental profit for the year — depending on your income and expenses, the final position may be a refund or a balance of tax to pay.
Can you act for me while I stay abroad the whole time?
Yes — that is the point of the tax agent system. Documents, filings, payments and refunds are all handled in Japan on your behalf; you correspond with us by email.
Which areas do you cover?
The office is in Sapporo, but returns are filed electronically with the tax office that has jurisdiction over the property’s location — so we act for owners of property anywhere in Japan.
Own — or buying — property in Japan?
Tell us the outline and we will map out the filings, the deadlines and the fee — there is no charge for the first exchange.
Every enquiry is read and answered personally by the principal — first reply within 3 business days.
Get in touch