Hi everyone.
I couldn’t find anything similar to me, so posting the question.
I’m 36, male, married with 2 cats, no human kids 🙂
I’ve been an accountant for 13 years, a consultant for 10 of those and a company CEO for 2 of those. I don’t have a masters but do have a degree and accounting qualification. I work for companies I own in part or totally.
I’m considering a move to Japan for a couple of years. I’ve always wanted to but career and life didn’t allow when I was younger. Now I’ve got a lot more freedom and money. My firm is totally remote and my board positions are also remote post- Covid. When I need to be at annual meetings, I can fly back.
My question is, I don’t want a job in Japan, I just want to live there. I want to enjoy the culture, the cities and countryside and potentially build a network for business but this is secondary. Can I do this?
I did this in Bangkok and then Chiang Mai a few years back, and also Melbourne before that but now I’m a cat dad, over 30, married and wife doesn’t earn much, and can’t live in share houses (although I totally would if on my own). I’ve read up on the pet immigration rules and while complex, isn’t un-achievable.
But I won’t be earning anything “in” Japan, unlikely to contribute to the economy in taxes, but will do in rent and spending. We don’t expect to need the state for anything except maybe emergency healthcare. Regular healthcare can be done privately. And we are British so if it doesn’t work out or I feel we are taking more than giving, we can go back or I can look at expanding the business to Japan.
So, basically, am I allowed to do this and what are your thoughts?
10 comments
This is a copy of your post for archive/search purposes.
—
**Consultant move to Tokyo**
Hi everyone.
I couldn’t find anything similar to me, so posting the question.
I’m 36, male, married with 2 cats, no human kids 🙂
I’ve been an accountant for 13 years, a consultant for 10 of those and a company CEO for 2 of those. I don’t have a masters but do have a degree and accounting qualification. I work for companies I own in part or totally.
I’m considering a move to Japan for a couple of years. I’ve always wanted to but career and life didn’t allow when I was younger. Now I’ve got a lot more freedom and money. My firm is totally remote and my board positions are also remote post- Covid. When I need to be at annual meetings, I can fly back.
My question is, I don’t want a job in Japan, I just want to live there. I want to enjoy the culture, the cities and countryside and potentially build a network for business but this is secondary. Can I do this?
I did this in Bangkok and then Chiang Mai a few years back, and also Melbourne before that but now I’m a cat dad, over 30, married and wife doesn’t earn much, and can’t live in share houses (although I totally would if on my own). I’ve read up on the pet immigration rules and while complex, isn’t un-achievable.
But I won’t be earning anything “in” Japan, unlikely to contribute to the economy in taxes, but will do in rent and spending. We don’t expect to need the state for anything except maybe emergency healthcare. Regular healthcare can be done privately. And we are British so if it doesn’t work out or I feel we are taking more than giving, we can go back or I can look at expanding the business to Japan.
So, basically, am I allowed to do this and what are your thoughts?
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/movingtojapan) if you have any questions or concerns.*
A working visa in Japan unfortunately requires a domestic sponsor.
Japanese immigration requires that foreigners who apply to live in Japan have a primary purpose which requires that they are in Japan. This primary purpose can be something general, such as to live with a legal spouse or to reconnect with documented Japanese heritage. This primary purpose can be specific, such as to work for a specific employer or in a specific industry.
You can certainly come for a holiday, and if you’re wealthy enough you can extend that holiday out to up to one year. But if you’re here on a holiday you’re not legally allowed to work (unless you’re participating in the working holiday program).
>My question is, I don’t want a job in Japan, I just want to live there.
This does not satisfy the requirement of having a primary purpose that requires you to be here.
>But I won’t be earning anything “in” Japan, unlikely to contribute to the economy in taxes
If you are physically present in Japan while performing activities which generate income, then that income is domestically sourced and you owe Japan taxes on it. Japan has tax treaties with a number of countries around the world which should protect you from double taxation, but Japan would get first dibs. It should go without saying that you would need to be on a status of residence that legally allows you to work.
>Regular healthcare can be done privately.
Outside of specific statuses of residence, enrollment in the national health insurance and pension plans is mandatory for all residents.
>I can look at expanding the business to Japan.
By all means explore this option, but it would require domestic business. A status of residence to operate a business in Japan requires submitting a formal business plan to immigration that includes a detailed explanation of what the business will be doing in Japan. They are unlikely to approve a business manager visa for someone to remotely operate a foreign business.
I was just reading the great visa wiki provided by this community and business visa’s require 5 million yen in capital. Thats circa £28k, thats doable, but seems light. Am I converting that right? For Australian business visas I need £500k in assets.
I would start with the process for the cats if you are aiming for the near future. That is what I am doing even though I don’t know when I will go next year as it takes about 6 months from scratch.
> We don’t expect to need the state for anything except maybe emergency healthcare.
This is an overly reductive view when the streets you walk on, the sewage pipes you make use of, etc. are all subsidized by taxes. The fees owed by a Japanese resident is pretty clearly delineated between income, resident, consumption, and health/social security taxes, so you “not needing anything” besides healthcare doesn’t exempt you from owing taxes any more than a shut-in can refuse to pay part of their taxes because they don’t use the roads.
If you’re actually not going to be working (remotely or otherwise) then you can probably qualify for the 1 year rich folk tourist visa. You need to show a bank balance with 30mil JPY, and as I mentioned, you can’t work.
Apart from that your options are slim. There’s no “I’m rich and I want to work remotely from Japan but not pay taxes” visa.
If we could all just choose a country and decide to live there because “I want to”, I’m sure the majority of the entire world would be happy. Unfortunately does not and will never work that way lol.
How the hell did you marry 2 cats?!
Just want to be clear about something that a few people are holding onto for relevance in this conversation.
When working for yourself, tax is very different to when you work for a company. Paying tax is not hard or unfair or a burden. You earn, you pay. However when you are self employed, earnings and expenses are what create profit. You only pay tax on profit. That and national insurance and potentially pension but these can often be claimed back when you leave or aren’t really an issue.
Profit made in a foreign country is subject to tax. When you are self employed, you declare your profit, not your income. When you work for someone else, you are usually taxed at source and therefore taxed on income.
When you are taxed on profit, for a company you control, you have flexibility over this number. If I wanted to, every single yen I spend in Japan would be an expense, I can also chose to pay myself no more than this amount, therefore declaring no profit and incurring no tax. But I won’t do that because I just don’t need to.
However, when someone says they aren’t likely to contribute much in tax, this is an honest insight into whats possible on the global economy. Global Tax Reform hadn’t been looked at for 50 years until 90’s and even then, most “progressive” countries only formalised it in the mid 2000’s. Japan still hasn’t signed up to all of the regulations that many other countries adopted. Why? I don’t know. But I’ll go read up on it.
What I was asking here is what is possible regards living in Japan. And most of you have been really very helpful. But others have stuck to the idea that I am trying to avoid tax. I don’t really care about tax, I get a bill and I pay it. The reality however is that working while travelling can, whether you like it or not, fly under the radar. It’s just a fact. Some people here don’t seem to want to accept it or discuss it like adults but just down vote something in a huff as if that is any different to throwing your toys out the pram and then sticking your head in the sand. Stating something happens doesn’t mean anyone is condoning it. Thats for the person paying the tax to decide if they want to break the law. Also, rich folk know the loopholes because they pay for the knowledge and guidance and follow it. What do you think the likes of PWC and KMPG do?
What I was more interested in how could I live in Japan, being a company exec, where I do not get paychecks, where I don’t really quantify what I am paid until its time for self assessment, without breaking the law on a visa, without pissing anyone off and paying for things like private healthcare rather than leaning on a state system that others need more. If thats not possible then thats ok. But I’m still going to explore every angle.
I’m still not sure of the approach but thanks for the advice from almost everyone.