Reclaim Money Through a Tax Return (For Foreign Workers)
Just because you didn't know — doesn't mean the money is gone
"I had been throwing away ¥70,000. But it wasn't my fault."
Dewi (25) from Jakarta, Indonesia had never even heard the words "tax return (kakutei shinkoku)" until two years after returning home, when a senior colleague sent her a LINE message.
From 2022 to 2024, she worked at an auto parts factory in Aichi. Every month, some money was deducted from her salary as "income tax." She assumed that was just how taxes worked. She never questioned it.
Then the LINE message arrived. "Did you file a tax return?"
"What's a tax return?" she replied.
"It's the procedure for getting back taxes you overpaid. Given your income, you should get a fair amount back. The deadline is—"
The deadline for Dewi's filing had passed three months before that conversation. The ¥70,000+ that should have come back to her was gone forever.
Dewi is not at fault. Nobody told her.
A tax return (kakutei shinkoku) — in fact, even many Japanese people don't fully understand this system. Most Japanese salaried workers have year-end tax adjustment (nenmatsu chosei) automatically handled by their company every December, so they've never filed a return themselves. This creates the impression that "tax returns are only for freelancers."
But that's not accurate.
People who left their job mid-year, those with high medical expenses, or those who worked at multiple places — they may be able to get some tax back by filing a return. Foreign workers with income in Japan can also file.
And today, it can all be done online from home via e-Tax. No need to visit a tax office. Just follow the on-screen prompts and your return is complete. The difficulty isn't the procedure — it's just a matter of knowing it exists.
Check the list below — if any item applies to you, there's a chance you have money coming back.