Tax information

1. Tax information)

Everyone who works, lives or buys goods in Japan pays taxes.
In Fukuoka City, the taxes that are collected are used to support residents' daily lives, such as repairing roads and disposing of garbage.

2. Paying taxes

You must pay your taxes by their due date.
You may have to pay late fees if you do not pay your taxes by their due date.
If you do not pay your taxes, you cannot get a tax payment certificate, which you need to renew your status of residence.

⚠ When you cannot pay your taxes, call the Ward Office Multilingual Helpline.

Multilingual support line for all ward offices
Telephone: 092-753-6113
Supported languages: English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Nepali and more
Opening hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00–17:00　(closed on public and New Year holidays)

You must check the contents of any envelopes sent by city hall or a ward office.

How to pay your municipal & prefectural residence taxes

Municipal and prefectural residence tax payment notification
⚠ If you are sent this envelope, open it immediately and check the contents. A tax notification is a piece of paper that tells you how much tax you pay.



A tax payment slip is a piece of paper that you use when paying taxes.
Take the payment slip to a convenience store, bank or post office, and pay your taxes by their due date.

How to pay light vehicle taxes

Light vehicle tax payment notification
If you are sent this envelope, open it immediately and check the contents.



Take the payment slip to a convenience store, bank or post office, and pay your taxes by the end of May.

Pay by automatic bank transfer

If you have a bank account you can pay by automatic bank transfer. You can set up automatic bank transfers at your bank, a post office or the Tax Payment Section of your local ward office.

Pay by credit card

You can pay your taxes by credit card on the Fukuoka City government website. You will be charged a handling fee.
If you pay by credit card, it will take around 1 month to issue a tax payment certificate.

Fukuoka City taxes: credit card payment website

Other ways to pay

You can pay by scanning the barcode on your tax payment slip.

3. Types of taxes

(1) Municipal and prefectural residence taxes

If your income is over 1 million yen in the year between January 1 and December 31, you may have to pay residence taxes.
Residence taxes are paid to the municipality where you live on January 1 of the year following the year you earned the income.
You will receive a tax notice around June 20.

Municipal and prefectural residence tax return

If you live in Fukuoka City on January 1, you must submit a tax return to the Tax Payment Section of your local ward office by March 15 of the same year. The tax retrun must report your previous year's income.
You do not need to file a tax return if your employer reports your income to the city.

(2) Light vehicle taxes (by type)

You must pay light vehicle tax if you own a moped or other light vehicle on April 1.
You will be sent a tax payment notification around May 10.
If you give your vehicle to someone else or throw it away, you must complete the necessary procedures.

4. Tax administrators

(1) What is a tax administrator?

If you do not have a residence or office in Fukuoka City but need to pay taxes to the city, you must choose someone to act as your tax administrator to receive your tax notifications and pay your taxes.
(If the city has recognized that you are fully able to pay your taxes without a tax administrator, you do not need to choose someone.)

Information on tax administrators <leaflet>

(2) Declaration form/application form for tax administrators

5. Renewing your status of residence

When renewing your status of residence, you may need to submit an "individual municipal and prefectural residence taxation certificate" or a "tax payment certificate" to the Immigration Services Bureau. If you have not declared your previous year's income, you cannot receive a "taxation certificate". You must submit a tax return for the previous year to get a "taxation certificate". Take a proof of income document from the previous year (e.g. a withholding tax slip etc.) to your local ward office and report your income. Once your tax amount has been determined and you have paid your taxes, you will receive a "tax payment certificate".

(For postal requests) Application for tax certificate for visa applications

6. Tax procedures before leaving the country

You must pay all outstanding taxes or assign someone to pay your taxes for you (or your tax administrator) and tell your local ward office before leaving Japan.

If you need to pay any taxes, follow the procedure below.

Reference

Information on Fukuoka City Taxes

Information on Fukuoka City Taxes in Simple Japanese

 Inquiries

For inquiries to ward offices

Multilingual support line for all ward offices
Telephone: 092-753-6113
Supported languages: English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Nepali and more
Opening hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00–17:00　(closed on public and New Year holidays)

For general inquiries and advice

Fukuoka City Consultation Support Center for Foreign Residents
Telephone: 0120-66-1799 (free)
*You can also call on 092-262-1799 (charges apply).
Supported languages: English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Nepali and more
Opening hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00–18:00 (closed on public and New Year holidays)