I left japan in a hurry in March 2020 bc of covid and moved back to the states. I haven’t gone back since, and I received a couple notices of I think a municipal tax (I lived in shibuya ward) that I didn’t pay correctly later in the year. I couldn’t figure out how to finalize that payment— now I’m thinking of visiting japan again and want to make sure I don’t have any complications when I arrive. Any advice for who I should contact to check on my tax status? The shibuya ward office?
4 comments
Yes you do. You were a resident of Japan on January 1, 2020, so you were supposed to pay your municipal (resident) tax for 2019, but you didn’t do so.
As to whether or not that will cause trouble for a visit as a tourist, I couldn’t say.
Yea if not already paid (like via your employer or via bills sent to you from municipality) you owe what remains of your 2018 resident tax (billed June 2019 to May 2020) to the place you were residing in as of January 1st 2019.
And then because you were a resident as of January 1st 2020 you owe 2019 resident tax (billed June 2020 to May 2021) to the municipality you were residing in as of January 1st 2020.
Basically you need to speak to the municipality you were residing in January 1st 2019 and January 1st 2020.
Then depending on your 2019 employment circumstances (I.e did you have any reason to file an income tax return for 2019? That would have needed to be done by March/April 2020)
Additionally, you might be required to file an income tax return for 2020 too (depending how much you earned January 2020 to March 2020).
So essentially you probably need:
1) a resident tax representative, and
2) an income tax representative
Should contact an accountant in Japan that speaks English, to settle it all for you.
May even want to contact the Japanese embassy and ask