# Still need to pay my ward tax if my family stay?



## helloworld232

Hi,

I know I dont need to pay my ward tax for previous year if I'm physically not in Japan. But few question regarding this.

1. What happen if I leave japan before Jan 1 but my wife and child still here? do I still need to pay for the ward tax?

2. If I resign from my job in Japan before Jan 1 but physically still in Japan, do I still need to pay for the ward tax?


----------



## larabell

If you made enough money in 2016 that you had to pay National Tax for that year (which is due on 15 March 2017), then you will likely have to pay Inhabitant's Tax in 2017 (I believe the bill comes around May sometime). Legally, it doesn't really matter whether you or your family are still in Japan on the 1st of January or when the bill arrives. However, if none of you are physically here, it's harder for them to come find you.
The Inhabitant's Tax bill you receive in any given year is based on the National Tax you paid for income in the prior year. That's why, in most cases, the amount is zero for the first year you're living in Japan. It has nothing to do with when you arrived or when you leave.


----------



## helloworld232

larabell said:


> If you made enough money in 2016 that you had to pay National Tax for that year (which is due on 15 March 2017), then you will likely have to pay Inhabitant's Tax in 2017 (I believe the bill comes around May sometime). Legally, it doesn't really matter whether you or your family are still in Japan on the 1st of January or when the bill arrives. However, if none of you are physically here, it's harder for them to come find you.
> The Inhabitant's Tax bill you receive in any given year is based on the National Tax you paid for income in the prior year. That's why, in most cases, the amount is zero for the first year you're living in Japan. It has nothing to do with when you arrived or when you leave.


THank you for the reply, hm.. I might had been misinformed as I was told that we don't need to pay(legally) if we not physically in Japan on Jan 1. Do you have any gov website reference stating that we still need to pay even if we leave Japan before Jan 1?

Not sure this makes any difference but they already deducting every month from my paychecks for both National and Inhabitant taxes


----------



## myrrh

helloworld232 said:


> THank you for the reply, hm.. I might had been misinformed as I was told that we don't need to pay(legally) if we not physically in Japan on Jan 1. Do you have any gov website reference stating that we still need to pay even if we leave Japan before Jan 1?
> 
> Not sure this makes any difference but they already deducting every month from my paychecks for both National and Inhabitant taxes


You've posted these exact questions as both "showmenshow" and now as "teeel2" on Dave's ESL Cafe--the wording for your questions on both sites has been almost exactly the same--and have been told the exact same thing each and every time. 

Here's another example of you doing this:

Dave's version:



> Hi everyone,
> I'm trying to cancel my service for my WiMax+, last time I called them I told to not to auto-renew my 2 years contract after the end date of March 2016. I logged in to and I see i'm sign up for another 2 years! (Ending March 2018).
> I need to call them and sort this out but they said they only speak Japanese. Anyone experience similar issue with WiMax and know any service that provide phone translate (3-ways or something)?
> Thanks


Job Discussion Forums :: View topic - phone translator?

ExpatForum version:


> Hi everyone,
> I'm trying to cancel my service for my WiMax+, last time I called them I told to not to auto-renew my 2 years contract after the end date of March 2016. I logged in to and I see i'm sign up for another 2 years! (Ending March 2018).
> I need to call them and sort this out but they said they only speak Japanese. Anyone experience similar issue with WiMax and know any service that provide phone translate (3-ways or something)?
> Thanks


http://www.expatforum.com/expats/japan-expat-forum-expats-living-japan/1072794-phone-translator.html

Almost every time, you ask the exact same questions--usually somewhat time-consuming queries about thorny visa or tax issues--with the exact same wording. Why would you go from site to site asking the same questions repeatedly, _getting the same answers_, then either waiting several months and asking _the same questions again under your current name_ or starting a thread with another name (but with the exact same wording in your questions)? It just seems strange to me....


----------



## myrrh

Here's you posting these questions as helloworld232 here:
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/ja...-japan/931594-leaving-japan-resident-tax.html
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/japan-expat-forum-expats-living-japan/947802-pension-refund.html
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/ja...rgot-about-spouse-tax-deduction-too-late.html

Here's you posting as "showmenshow" on Dave's ESL Cafe:
Job Discussion Forums :: View topic - Resident tax
Job Discussion Forums :: View topic - Pension refund and ward tax
Job Discussion Forums :: View topic - missed spouse income tax deduction

Here's you posting these questions as "teeel2" on Dave's ESL Cafe:


> 1. If I leave Japan before Jan 1, 2017, do I need to pay 2016 residential tax?
> 2. and if I come back as a visitor with a tourist visa (Canadian password) later in 2017 to visit my family, will I still need pay for 2016 residential tax?
> 3. If I leave Japan and surrender my resident card at the airport, what will happens to my wife&son dependent visa ? as my wife&son will stay in Japan for another month or two after I leave.
> Many thanks guys.


Job Discussion Forums :: View topic - visa and residential tax questions

A lot of people--including myself both repeatedly here and in another now deleted thread posted to Dave's--have dedicated a lot of time and energy to responding to you. Is that the purpose?


----------



## larabell

I did some research (the same as you could have easily done) and discovered that we're both partially right. In order to make the explanation more concrete, let's talk about leaving at the end of 2016, which is apparently the case.

The Inhabitant's Tax which you are currently paying is based on your income from 2015. It's actually computed based on the tax return you filed in March 2016 (even if your employer made the year-end adjustment and you didn't actually have to file a return). Since you were a resident in your local city/ward on 1 January 2016, you're on the hook for the tax on your 2015 income. The tax would be withdrawn from June 2016 to May 2017. If you leave Japan in December of 2016, technically you still owe the tax that would have been withdrawn for the first 5 months of 2017 and if you're no longer earning money here for those months, they *will* send you a bill. Of course, whether you actually receive the bill or pay it is up to you but, legally, you owe the remainder of the tax which hasn't yet been paid.

However, the Inhabitant's Tax for the income you received in 2016 isn't payable until June of 2017. Whether or not you owe that tax does depend on where you live on 1 January 2017 (the year *after* you earned the income). If you leave Japan (and turn in your resident's card) before the end of 2016, you shouldn't be billed for Inhabitant's Tax on your 2016 income. This is true even if you return on a tourist visa (although you might be questioned as to whether you're still actually working here when you try to enter Japan).

As for your family... I doubt it makes any difference where they stay. Your tax is based on your income and there's no concept of "joint income" or "join tax returns" in Japan. It's possible the authorities may get suspicious and, obviously, if your family continues to live here and you keep coming back, someone could try to make a case that you're actually living in Japan and working in violation of your tourist visa (which might be worse than paying the tax). However, if the plan is that your family would leave Japan as well but just not before the end of 2016, I don't see how they could impute your income tax to them. Of course, Japanese law isn't always clear and isn't always well-documented (especially in English) so if you're concerned, you should pop down to your local tax office and ask.

Do keep in mind, though, that income remitted into Japan can be considered Japanese income even if you're not living or working here so leave enough money behind for your family to live on until they leave Japan so you don't have to send money back here in 2017. That might get messy...


----------

