RetireJapan

I’m an Australian who is planning on living in Japan long term. I have some assets in Australia, including some ETFs and property. As a general rule, does it make sense to relocate assets to Japan for tax purposes? If I sell my ETFs now I might still be able to capitalize on lower tax rates whilst I am still an “Australian resident for tax purposes”, and put that into a tax free NISA account. And as I transition into a foreign resident of Australia for tax purposes it means I will have to pay into a higher income tax bracket for rental income. So it doesn’t really make much sense for me to hold onto these assets.

Would love to hear your general thoughts and experience about moving assets into japan.

This is a tough question with lots of moving parts, and I wouldn't want to give advice here. A lot will depend on your personal circumstances.

My personal take on this is that if you are planning to stay in Japan for the long term, all things being equal, it is easier to have your investments here. You can take advantage of tax-exempt accounts and your tax reporting will be much simpler.