Help with taxes

[onyourmark2021]

I am looking for someone who would be willing to spend a few hours online with me to help me fill out my taxes for the last 3 years. I will pay your hourly rate for this.
I work at a company which files my taxes but I own an apartment that is rented out and my workplace does not deal with that. I haven't correctly filed my taxes therefore since 2019. I bought a mynumber IC card reader and so I think I will be able to create an online account with the tax office. Actually, I think I already had an online account but don't know the password etc. I have a few deductions for repairs I have done on the property. Can anyone help me out?
Thanks!

[RetireJapan]

The tax office will do this for you for free. If you go in with your My Number card and all your documents, they will help you input it. Best to go before things get busy during tax season, and it is always polite to give them a ring in advance so they are ready for you.

[Tkydon]

You should get an Accountant to help you with the accounting for your rented property, as it is a little complicated, and the documentation requirements are a little stringent.

If the rental property is in Japan, and you elect to take a Rental Loss due to Depreciation Expense against other Income from other properties or earned income, then that too can be a little complicated.

Once you have worked that out, you then need to find out if you can qualify to do the Blue Return, maybe not in Year 1, but in subsequent years...

Only qualified accountants, Kaikeishi or Zeirishi, or the people at the Tax Office can help you fill out your returns.

[onyourmark2021]

Thanks for both replies! Do you have anyone you can recommend as an accountant? The property is in Fukuoka actually.

[Wales4rugbyWC23]

Thanks for both replies! Do you have anyone you can recommend as an accountant? The property is in Fukuoka actually.

I am in Fukuoka, and I use an accountant for my buy to lets in the UK and school accounts. Japanese tax returns are a lot more complicated for rentals than for HMRC tax returns.

[onyourmark2021]

Thanks. I wrote to about 15 accountants in Japan asking if they could help me fill them out together online but they all said they don't use the online system.

[zeroshiki]

Is there a reason you HAVE to use the online system?

How I see it, you have 2 options:
- File the kakutei shinkoku (and the correction forms) through an accountant; or
- Go to the tax office and let them help you fill it out (they actually use the online system inside the office)

I am unsure how it will go if its an complicated issue (I don't know how rental properties are handled) but they should be able to assist you at the very least and if you're lucky you can do all of that without having to pay an accountant. Worst case they tell you they can't help and you're back to where you started but at they very least they can point you towards a solution.

[onyourmark2021]

Thanks. Well honestly I don't speak the language well enough to go to the tax office so I thought that if I could do it online, I could use auto-translate. I contacted some Tax accountants but they are quoting 80,000 yen or more. It would seem better to learn how to do it online but they don't want to show me it seems. I wonder if there isn't someone who could go through it with me. I don't mind a normal payment especially if I feel I could repeat it on my own next year. Maybe 80,000 is normal, I don't know.

[zeroshiki]

I don't know if you have a friend who could do it during business hours (I don't think the tax office operates outside business hours) but if you can swing that, just offer to buy them lunch or something. Its a massive hassle to the friend (and they'll know your financial details) so only ask it for really good friends. Barring that you should probably have to suck it up and pay an accountant.

Although I just googled it now and apparently the Tokyo NTA has an English consultation service: https://www.tax.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/english/contact.html
If you're not in Tokyo, this site has some other info: https://www.eu-japan.eu/taxes-accountin ... ax-offices

[RetireJapan]

the Tokyo NTA has an English consultation service

The one time I went into the tax office in Sendai to do my return, the guy helping me was incredibly relieved that I spoke Japanese, as he had been helping a number of people who did not.

As long as you have all the documents, and you call them beforehand to let them know you will be coming, the tax office will do their best to help you in English.