Columns
Our columns provide practical information on accounting and tax in Japan for foreign business owners, entrepreneurs, and individuals living or doing business in Japan.
Based on our experience as a Japanese CPA and tax accounting firm working with international clients, we cover accounting in Japan, corporate and individual taxation, international tax, tax planning, tax returns (kakutei shinkoku / 確定申告), and the Japanese tax system. We also discuss cross-border issues such as U.S. LLCs, Traditional and Roth IRAs, remittance-based taxation, foreign tax credits, and the taxation of U.S. non-permanent residents in Japan.
Our aim is to explain these topics in practical English, with particular attention to issues that foreign entrepreneurs and small business owners actually encounter when living, investing, or running a business in Japan.
Useful Guides for International Clients
If you are new to the Japanese tax system, you may also find these guides useful:
- Moving to Japan? How Your U.S. Income Is Taxed in Japan
- How to Prepare a Japanese Tax Return for U.S. Non-Permanent Residents: Remittances, IRA, and Foreign Tax Credits
- U.S. LLC Taxation in Japan: PE Risk, Foreign Tax Credits, and Remittance Rules
- Starting a Company in Japan: 3 Essential Tax Steps for Foreign Entrepreneurs
Frequently Asked Question
Do I need an accountant who understands international tax if I live or run a business in Japan?
However, additional issues can arise if you own a foreign company, receive income from overseas, hold foreign investments, remit money to Japan, or pay tax in another country. In these cases, it is important to consider how the foreign transaction is treated under Japanese tax law rather than assuming that its treatment in the other country will also apply in Japan.
In our experience, identifying these cross-border issues early is often more useful than trying to correct the tax treatment after a return has already been filed.
Accounting and Tax Support in Japan
Japanese accounting and taxation can become considerably more complicated when a business or individual has income, assets, companies, or investments outside Japan. The appropriate treatment may depend not only on Japanese tax law, but also on tax residency, the source of income, remittances to Japan, foreign tax paid, and the legal structure through which the business or investment is held.
Our firm provides accounting and tax services in Japan with English support, including support for foreign entrepreneurs, small businesses, and individuals with cross-border tax issues. Rather than looking at one transaction in isolation, we try to understand the client's overall situation and identify the accounting, filing, and tax issues that need to be considered in Japan.
If you are starting or operating a business in Japan, preparing a Japanese tax return, or dealing with income or assets in both Japan and another country, please feel free to contact us.