Hi, as mentioned in the title I did buy a hoodie tax-free although I am a resident. I didn’t know that its not for people with a resident card and for some reason the person at the counter didn’t care. I will now leave Japan in two weeks and was wondering if I have to do something about it or if they even keep a record of this.
16 comments
No, nobody will care. The amount is likely not worth worrying over for you or the tax man.
How do they even do that without scanning your passport + stamp?
You shouldn’t be carrying your passport with you once you have your zairyu card. Keep that safely locked up at home.
Let me guess? Takeshita-dori? They told you it was tax free? Did they also try the 20% sales tax scam?
No one will really give a shit if you’re leaving soon
Man, I have been so tempted to do this. I bought a luxury watch and was like… I wonder. But no, best not too. Anyway, the amount for the hoodie probably doesn’t matter and I don’t think they will care.
Although this does read like cause and effect; bought hoodie, will leave Japan. HA!
They will have a SWAT team waiting to board the plane and drag you away.
Tax-free hoodie? Believe it or not, straight to jail.
People really love over sharing online.
The store will get in trouble, not you. They audit the stores VERY meticulously. During audits they will pull information from 10 years ago if the cashier entered the birthdate wrong and question it.
Not sure how strict they are when not actively auditing but I think they can still check records at any time.
Take yourself straight to jail. You do not pass go and you do not get to $200. When in Jail, you may pay $50 for an early release or you may roll the dice. On the dice roll if you roll a double then you are free to leave and continue with your life.
In all seriousness, I think you’ll be fine.
I’ve heard there’s a dedicated task force in the SDF who go about taking out people who violate this rule.
That’s a no-no, but for the price it’s not worth troubling yourself over. Just don’t do it again, and don’t tell anybody in a position to do something about it, certainly.
The correct thing to do is to wait until a friend or relative comes to visit, then give them the money to purchase a big-ticket item you’ve had your eye on tax-free. You get it cheaper, and they don’t get caught out by the duty-free limits because they didn’t take it home with them (the evidence stays with you).
Stop Right There, Criminal Scum – STOP! You violated the law. Pay the court a fine or serve your sentence. Your stolen goods are now forfeit.
How did you manage to buy tax free? I’ve accompanied friends who have been visiting me to the Tax Free counters before, and it looked like they scanned the QR code of the landing permission/entry stamp (in their passport) as part of the process. I always assumed that did some kind of residency check, but perhaps it’s not linked and you just got lucky they did not see your visa page? (you had to show your passport right?)
Quick mods, ban him! He’s leaving the country!!!