Filing Your Tax Return
Each year between February 16 and March 15, you must report your previous year's income (January–December) to the tax office. Filing online via e-Tax is the easiest method, and any refund will be deposited to your bank account within 1–2 months of filing.
🔗 Related procedures
Medical Expense Deduction
From the medical expenses you paid during the calendar year for yourself and a spouse or relative in the same household, subtract any insurance reimbursements and 100,000 yen (or 5 percent of your total income if that comes to less than 2 million yen for the year). The remainder, up to 2 million yen, is deductible from your taxable income. You claim it with your tax return.
Housing Loan Tax Deduction (First-Year Tax Return)
If you took out a housing loan to buy or build your home, 0.7% of your outstanding loan balance at year-end can be deducted from your income tax. The first year requires a tax return. From year 2, salaried employees hand the certificates sent by the tax office and their lender to their employer and claim it through the year-end adjustment. Freelancers, the self-employed, and those with rental income must keep filing a tax return.