personal finance in japan

Last year I crossed the 5 year mark and became a (unlimited) permanent tax resident. My question is, what are the tax liabilities for non-Japan sourced income/gains during the year you achieve permanent tax residency? For example, I arrive to Japan in June, and I become a permanent tax...

Given PFIC rules, it's not generally advisable to buy funds as a US person, but I've heard of US people still using NISA accounts to buy individual Japanese stocks. I was wondering how the US taxes on this works out and if the tax liability could be offset by your other taxable passive income. I...

I already have a Bic Camera Suica card, but having to find some way to use the Bic points is a hassle. Are there any recommendations for low maintenance cards with good cash back rates? To me, low maintenance specifically means: Points can be redeemed for statement credit, or even better...

Disclaimer and sources The information in this post is provided solely for discussion and entertainment purposes. It is no substitute for professional advice and should not be relied upon. The post is based on a wide range of sources, but the sources I found most useful were: NTA’s explanation...

(NB: I've already reached out to tax professionals, just curious what knowledgeable folks here think in the meantime.) My partner and I are studying on a student visa for 2 years in Tokyo. Our budget is $40,000 the first year, and $40,000 * 1.03 (3% inflation factor) the second year. We have...

I am retired US Expat living in Japan on a Spousal Visa which will expire after 5 years this fall. Every year I have been filing a US Tax return as required of US citizens living overseas. During this 5 year period I was told that any overseas income was not reportable to the J-tax authorities...

Hi, I’ll see if I can keep this simple but I need some pointers of what to keep in mind. Here’s some context to my situation. You can skip to the end for my questions: I am a dual citizen, US and Japan. I was born and raised in Japan but currently living in the US. (let’s avoid talking about...

Hi, moron here trying to close or stop the ideco withdrawal I just spent months setting up. I did it all through Rakuten before realizing the PFIC implications as an American. I am currently two contributions in, so I don't even care so much about a few Man En sitting in savings until I am 60, I...

My question is if Wise accounts are FBAR reportable, and if so, how to report them. Here is a brief list of points that I think contribute to my conclusion: Wise Japan is "Wise Payments Japan KK, which is registered as a Type 2 Funds Transfer Service Provider" A Wise JPY account does not have...

Hi All! As the title says, I'm an Aussie living in Japan, and I'm working remotely for my Aussie company. I've been here in Japan almost 2 years - on a working holiday visa initially (until March this year) and on a spouse visa since then. I've been working remotely for my Aussie company the...

Note; I’m not looking for advice, I am just wondering what it is that people do. Or do they really just keep swathes of cash in their current account. With the world where it is, I appreciate there will never be an ultimate solution to this - and I must lean on the trust I have placed in mega...

Hey all, was looking for a Japan real estate sub but I think this is the closest (*also posted on /movingtojapan) I’m gonna get so let me ask - Currently living in the US with solid plans to move to Japan. Want to buy a house ahead of time in my favorite little town in Saitama (😆) Questions...

I am doing some research on what happens to a NISA account when you leave Japan. Any tax or finance ninjas out there who can help? I have found out some things, but other things are unclear. What is clear: - To open a NISA account you need to reside in Japan, i.e. your domicile or legal...

I am filing my taxes and I can not understand the calculation of tax resulting from my miscellaneous income. https://www.keisan.nta.go.jp/kyoutu/ky/sm/top#bsctrl - This is the site I use. I would like to at least confirm that roughly it looks correct. My salary income: 9 M ~ 15 M My misc...

I am considering buying a house in Tokyo. The area where I live has monthly rents of 175,000 yen for 70-75 sq. mt. apartments including parking, close to station. The houses I am looking at are in the range of 50-70 million, depending on how far from station and how old the construction is...

On January 19th, 2024, the MHLW released details of the pension benefit amounts for 2024. You can see the press release here. For reference, you can see the previous year’s release here. For people aged under 68, pension benefits move in line with average wages (minus the macroeconomic slide)...

As the title says Additional context: Non-us citizen, but as a japan resident.

Is there much difference between all the banks that offer iDeCo or are they pretty much the same? Any recommendations? Looking here they all have similar 0 fees etc: https://diamond.jp/category/z-ideco But I presume the funds actually offered are specific to each bank?

As my last post about 7-Eleven was so liked, I decided to post my part 2 on this thread. In part 2 of my "The Kings of Convenience series" I explore FamilyMart's history, if its a company worth buying and what the future holds for (link to post HERE) TLDR: FamilyMart is the world's second...

I am a PR holder planning to leave Japan for 5+ years. I prefer to keep my existing wealth in Japan because: The plan is to come back to retire here My home country's government has a history of making sweeping changes in finance laws. e.g. recently they instituted a tax of 20% on outgoing...