UPDATE: I went to the tax office and they helped me through it. They didn’t bat an eye at the fact I hadn’t reported this before, nor that it’s past the deadline. They helped me complete the procedure. Now it’s being analyzed and the refund might still be denied, but at least they took it.
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I know I’m probably late for this one anyway, but I’d like to ask about this specific situation, in case someone has experience.
My spouse and I got married in our country before moving to Japan together some years ago. Due to life’s circumstances, I now still live in Japan while my spouse moved back early last year. I’ve been sending money every month as family support since the situation there has got worse.
The thing is, while we were in Japan, **we never reported to Japan that we were married**. We both got our own work visas at the time and we just didn’t do it. Mistake or no mistake, that’s just the way it happened. At the year-end tax adjustment at company jobs, you get asked if you have a spouse or other family and if you’re supporting them, but I just kind of glossed over that as well. Again, mistake or not, it happened.
But last year I also started a little side hustle as a *kojin jigyo* (with all the right permissions in place), and I figured out that I could maybe report all these support payments in my *kakutei shinkoku*. Again, I know I’m over the March 15th deadline for this, so I plan to go directly to the tax office and check if they allow me to file a bit later. In the event that they do, I just want to have everything ready – including all the documents to prove the support payments I’ve made to my spouse.
I know I have to provide all the payment receipts and a proof of our marriage (our marriage certificate should do, right?). However, will it be a problem at all that I’ve never before reported that I’m married? If so, what could exactly happen?
Thank you!
by Kangy1989