Teaching Tax Returns

Hi, Searched and could not find any posts. Where do I go to submit my first tax return? And also, I've heard you can claim on your expenses. If so what do I need to show for these.

Many thanks

P

The city or ward tax office is where you go. They have all the forms, and tax return guide (with all the explanations) in English available as well.

To claim your expenses, you need the original receipts.

I assume you are self-employed, if you are going to claim expenses? If you are a salaried-worker, unless you had income other than the salaries which went over a certain amount, you don't even file your taxes (your employer does that).

You go to your local zeimusho (税務署), the tax office. You will need to ask at your ward/city office to find out exactly which tax office you should visit as there may be more than one in your ward/city.

Also, you will most likely be sent out tax forms in a big envelope some time in the next month or so, wait until you have received these and the official tax filing season starts (in February). If you don't receive them inquire at the tax office.

For expenses you need to have kept all the receipts, although they may not ask to see them.

Total up the amount of expenses you are claiming- it looks better if you categorise the expenses on a spreadsheet and include the grand total, and then print that out to submit to the office.

You will also need to take your tax certificate(s) from your employer(s) to the tax office.

I don't think you'll receive the blank formats by mail unless you've filed your taxes in Japan the previous year.

But if you go to the tax office, all the formats are there. There also will be tax accountants ready to give advise to any person who has questions on taxes. In my first year, I practically had everything done by one of them, and since then I've just been copying it. However, I'm not sure how much English they speak.

What you need to wait for, if you're self-employed, is all the 支払調書, in other words tiny pieces of paper which is the official payment record that would be mailed to you from your clients some time in January or February.

But there are various reasons for a resident to file taxes. Depending on your reason you might need to keep other things in mind.

Ah, I see, I couldn't remember if I had received papers before I first filed my tax return or not- it seems like I wouldn't have. Thanks for clearing that up, Uco.