Tax Refund and Tax Deduction When Attending Furusato nozei

Furusato nozei is not basically a type of tax to pay, instead, it’s a regime in which the residents can distribute their effort in building and developing local regions in Japan through personal monetary donations. In addition, they will also get back the local specialties, like fruits, food, and others, from that locality as a thank-you gift.

However, when engaging in the Furusato nozei, have you ever wondered about the amount of reduced income tax or whether you can get a residence tax refund in Japan?

As a result, in this blog, we will take a further look at the regulations for a tax deduction and refund for Furusato nozei’s participants.

What can you receive when taking part in Furusato nozei?

Besides the thank-you gifts which the local regions give you, you can also get a residence tax deduction according to the amount of money you donated which will be subtracted from 2000 yen.

In addition, you may also be eligible for a refund of a portion of the individual income tax you have paid.

Types of tax deduction and tax refund in Japan in Furusato nozei

In general, there are two types of tax deduction and tax refund in Japan when a taxpayer decides to join the Furusato nozei regime.

• Contribution to up to 5 localities: If you attend Furusato nozei in more than 5 local regions, you will receive a residence tax deduction and individual income tax refund in Japan.
• Contribution to less than 5 localities: In contrast, if you make a contribution to no more than 5 localities, you will only get a residence tax deduction.

Normally, to get a residence tax deduction and income tax refund in Japan, Furusato nozei’s participants must file a tax declaration.

Individual income tax refund in Japan

As mentioned above, you can only get an individual income tax refund in Japan if you engage in Furusato nozei in up to 5 localities. Still, to get a tax refund in Japan, tax declaration procedures are required.

After filing a tax declaration, the refund money will be transferred to your bank account in around one month or one month and a half.

For instance, if you make the declaration procedures on February 15th, then the estimated time you will get your cashback will be at the beginning of March.

Residence tax deduction

First and foremost, you should make clear that individual income tax can be refunded; on the other hand, the residence tax cannot. Instead, it will only be deducted. 

In addition, the maximum amount of money deducted is basically based on your monthly income; hence, it will vary for different residents. At the limit, the tax deducted is calculated as the amount of monetary contribution minus 2000 yen. 

Besides, the deducted residence tax will be valid for the next year after you attend Furusato nozei. 

For instance, you register for Furusato nozei in 2017 and file for tax declaration procedures in February 2018. Then, the tax department will send your tax information to the locality. It also means you will get your residence tax deducted from June 2018 to May 2019.

Finally, when starting the residence tax collection in June, the local tax department will send you a notification form, where you can check the amount of tax deduction. Otherwise, you can check it out in the monthly salary form.

Final thoughts

In general, when attending the Furusato nozei regime, there are several benefits, as you can receive plenty of local gifts, a residence tax deduction, and an income tax refund in Japan.

We hope that all of the information above can help resolve some of your inquiries regarding tax deductions and a tax refund in Japan.

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