Online sales to Japan and consumption tax

Hi everyone,
We're considering setting up an online store for Japan that would have a .co.jp URL and trade in JPY. We're based in Australia and won't have any physical presence in Japan nor register a Japan corporate entity.

Will we need to add the Japan consumption tax to the purchase price? Or given we're o/s are we exempt?

You cannot buy a domain name with co.jp if you have no real shop in Japan, no company registered. It is very difficult to a co.jp and even those who have a small business in Japan have problems getting one.

"You cannot buy a domain name with co.jp if you have no real shop in Japan, no company registered. It is very difficult to a co.jp and even those who have a small business in Japan have problems getting one."


I'm afraid this is simply not true and suggest that you provide a source to back up your claim.

OP, you'll find the info you want here:
http://jprs.co.jp/en/jpdomain.html

You can register as a foreign company ("Gaikoku Kaisha") to secure a co.jp domain but the simplest method might be to just use a companyname.jp url, which anyone can register as long as you have (or can use) a permanent postal address in Japan.

I'm afraid this is simply not true and suggest that you provide a source to back up your claim.

A japanese register company provides this:
http://www.jp-domains.com/

.CO.JP Domains are now $ per year!
.CO.JP domains require Japanese business presence and documentation from the Japanese government is required.

If you do not have a registered company in Japan, but plan to enter the Japanese market within the next 6 months, we offer a 6-month .co.jp protection service.

And also from a Tokyo-based correspondent for Techcrunch:
http://www.quora.com/Where-can-I-buy-CO-JP-domain-names

Where can I buy .CO.JP domain names?
I am assuming you don't have a business set up in Japan? If that's the case, you can't buy co.jp domains.

Japan is pretty strict about giving out these domains. If you don't have a company over here and if you can't hand in official documentation that you do, there is no chance.

However, you can still buy as many .jp domains as you want (also as a foreigner) and run businesses or whatever you want under these addresses.

@domain
If you read my first answer again you see I am talking about co.jp not about .jp.
.jp even movies about being released can get it. I can also buy a .jp with my girlfriend name.

standing corrected I am.

Basically a foreign company shall be a consumption tax payer as long as products / services it sells are to be consumed in Japan, unless the company is recognized as a newly-setup company.
: If taxable sales have reached over 10 million yen during the first 6 months of the business year 2013, the company shall pay consumption tax of the tax year 2014.
: If taxable sales have reached over 10 million yen during the tax year 2013 / during the first 6 months of the business year 2014, the company shall pay consumption tax of the tax year 2015.
I am not sure which is the best way for you to contact a Japanese tax office, but anyway you had better consult an expert on this matter.
- http://www.nta.go.jp/foreign_language/index.htm