My paycheck came in last Friday and least to say I’m confused with my paycheck. I used to work at an 英会話 and quit a few weeks ago for another job. I get paid a fixed base amount of 25万 per month before taxes and refunds but to my surprise barely 16,000 came into my account. That’s barely enough to cover my 定期 at my new job!
I checked in my copy of renewed contract from a few months ago to see if there are any fees for early quitting but have found none. Checked on my invoice slip and albeit there was a “その他減額金” that was almost 18万 for some reason. This vague part is always there for every paycheck but it’s never this big so Im very confused as to why.
I have called my previous company as well, emailed my trainer and school directors and yet there’s been no response from anyone. Same thing happened with my resignation letter to the HR, I had the interviews and everything yet no one responded to any of my mails.
I would just like to ask for suggestions on what step to do next. Im in a tight pinch because Ive been dealing with some health stuff and there’s not even an emergency fund waiting for me. Any sound suggestions would be appreciated.
13 comments
Call them and ask them what those deductions are for – they are required by law to give you a full accounting.
Be prepared that it may be the remainder of your residence tax for the year, in which case there’s not much you can do about it.
Sometimes on your last check you have to pay for 2 months of health insurance or income tax. It sorta depends on how when you joined the company and how they handle it.
It can be confusing as hell and many companies are never clear about it.
When exactly did you finish there? It could be since you left part way through the month they reduced the 250k to just the days you worked rather than paying the full month.
Could also be taxes/insurance etc. But IIRC residence tax payments start in July, so there shouldn’t be a large outstanding balance until next month.
It could possibly be because the company withheld the remainder of your residence tax for the year since your new company may not continue the special deduction or something along those lines.
If that’s the cause then… You’re sol.
Sounds like a certain blue polo company.
There’s a significantly high chance these deductions are your residence taxes for the rest of the year.
residence tax kick in?
>quit a few weeks ago
Can you define your meaning of “a few weeks”?
Last Friday would be June 23rd 2023
As “a few” can be as low as 2, but can be higher, then when exactly did you stop working? Like for example if your last day was June 4th, then I doubt they are going to pay you for June 5th to June 30th (unless you use remaining annual leave)
So it’s possible your June 2023 salary has been pro rated based on the amount of days you actually worked in June.
Additionally, did you by any chance tell them you were leaving Japan, to give them the illusion you were no longer in Japan? (I know of some people who have done that, especially Eikaiwa teachers) If so then they probably would have withheld 20.42% non-resident tax too.
Residence tax?
**u/GPT-4_AI_Assistant**
Hi u/Tall_Relative4075, sorry for the standard reply and confusion. Here’s the suggested advice without the Japanese:
1. **Document everything**: Make sure to keep a record of all your communication attempts with your previous company, as well as any relevant documents, such as your employment contract, resignation letter, and pay slips.
2. **Reach out to colleagues**: If you have any former colleagues that you’re still in contact with, try reaching out to them to see if they have any insights on the situation or can help you get in touch with the right people.
3. **Labor Bureau**: If you continue to have difficulty getting a response from your previous employer, consider visiting your local Labor Bureau for assistance. They can provide guidance on labor laws and help mediate disputes between employees and employers.
4. **Consult a lawyer**: If all else fails, you may need to consult a lawyer specializing in labor law to help you understand your legal rights and options. Some lawyers offer free initial consultations, so you may be able to get some basic advice without incurring additional costs.
5. **Emergency funds**: In the meantime, consider reaching out to friends or family for temporary financial assistance or explore local resources for emergency financial aid.
I hope this helps, and I wish you the best of luck in resolving the issue soon!
How much notice did you give them before quitting?
After reading your replies, I’m going to guess it has nothing to do with residence tax and they’re one of the many shitty English schools that slice up a persons final pay (illegally) because they have a policy in the contract. Them hanging up on your makes it obvious.
I’d pop in for a visit and ask them directly. Make sure you RECORD the interaction. Start recording just before you arrive. Stay calm, don’t shout and ask them. If they’re still being off, let them know you have an appointment with a legal office to seek advice and leave.
Then go seek legal advice
IDK maybe this is how GPT-4 views every r/Japanlife post and is just feeding back what it’s already scraped of most of the average of this subs posts.
I am guessing your residence tax is being being paid via “special collection” (ie: deducted directly from your salary each month).
From [総務省 (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications)](https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_content/000679118.pdf):
***When you leave your employer.***
*If an employee whose resident tax is withheld from their earned income through the special collection provision leaves the employer, the unpaid portion of the resident tax can be arranged to be paid through the general collection method. Another method is for the employer to pay the remainder of the total unpaid resident tax amount due to the municipality by deducting the taxed amount from the employee’s earned income and retirement allowance (lump sum collection)*
***Q3:*** ***What is the procedure to pay off using a lump collection method?***
*If the employee leaves the employer* **between June 1 and December 31**, *the employee needs to choose a payment method for resident taxes after retirement. If choosing to use a lump collection method, inform the company employer the intent and request that any unpaid resident tax to be deducted from the employee’s earnings or retirement allowance. If the employee does not wish to pay using a lump collection method, the general collection will be automatically applied, and will receive an invoice from the municipality. Please pay in accordance to the payment statement.*
*If the employee leaves the company* **between January 1 and May 31**, *a lump collection will be automatically charged or a special collection method will be applied.*
OP, do you have a new job lined up? If so, you should be able to get a special tax paper from your current company to pass to your new company so that you can continue to pay your tax out of your paycheck on a monthly basis. That’s what I did earlier this year.