Taxation
Embassy staff are not qualified to advise on tax matters. Australian citizens and residents in Japan are strongly advised to ensure they make appropriate taxation arrangements. Australia and Japan have a Dual Taxation Agreement.
Do I Need to Pay Australian Tax?
In general terms, if you are paying tax in Japan you are not liable to pay Australian tax on the same income. For advice about individual circumstances you should contact a tax accountant or the Taxation Department in your home state in Australia.
In the 2009 - 10 Federal Budget, the government announced changes to the exemption rules for foreign employment income derived by Australian residents who are engaged in foreign service for a continuous period of 91 days or more. Please contact the Australian Taxation Office for more information.
Contacting the Australian Tax Offices
The ATO has a large amount of information in their website.
Australian Taxation Office website
International callers can contact the Australian Tax Office by phoning +61 2 6216 1111 between the hours of 8.00am to 5.00pm (Australian Eastern Standard Time or daylight-saving time) and ask for your call to be transferred to the appropriate area within the Tax Office. Alternatively, you can fax the ATO on +61 2 6216 2830.
If you wish to write to the ATO please go to the following address:
http://www.ato.gov.au/corporate/content.asp?doc=/content/49441.htm&mnu=36385&mfp=001
TaxPack Publication Supplies
The Australian Taxation Office is no longer providing bulk printed stocks of TaxPack publications to the Australian Embassy Tokyo (and all other overseas missions).
The Tax Office advised that the decision had been reached as a result of careful analysis of the trends in paper tax return lodgement and printed publication usage, which showed a rapidly increasing uptake of electronic tax return lodgement, and electronic access of associated publications. As a result, it was determined as ineffective and undesirable to supply these publications in bulk and in advance of a specific, individual taxpayer's request.
The Tax Office advised that taxpayers who need access to the publications could first attempt to lodge their tax return via e-tax, the Tax Office's electronic tax return lodgement software.
The Tax Office also advised that if e-tax was not a suitable option, then taxpayers could download or order their required printed publications through the Tax Office's website.
You can also order printed publications from the Tax Office through calling +61 2 6216 1111 and asking to be put through to the Publications Distribution Services.
Lodge online with e-tax
E-tax is free from the Australian Taxation Office website at http://www.ato.gov.au
E-tax makes preparing and lodging your tax return easy from anywhere in the world. All you need is your computer and the internet.
- Go to the Australian Taxation Office website
- Download and install the e-tax application
- Complete your tax return
- Verify your identity and lodge your return online
Most tax returns lodged using e-tax are processed within 14 days.
Japanese Taxes
Your Regional Taxation Office handles taxes. English Language information is available.
If you have any general question on Japanese national tax, please call the Tax Counsel office.
Tel: 03-3821-9070
Monday - Friday (except National Holidays)
9:00 - 12:00
13:00 - 17:00