Do you need city tax receipts when you renew your visa these days?

[Cassidy]

.................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ............?

[let`s talk]

They will ask the freshest tax certificate issued by a city/ward hall.It is usually for a previous year.

[renkachan71]

Yes, you need to show proof that you paid your city tax now when you renew your visa. If you are a 'full-time' worker and it's deducted at source then it will be shown on the little white tax slip you receive at the end of the year and you don't need anything extra. If you are a 'part-time worker' and pay independently then you now need to show copies of your residence tax bill and payment receipts along with your income tax slip.

Hope this helps.

[let`s talk]

From what you wrote it would seem that FT workers get income tax AND city tax automatically deducted. Is that true?
I think many full timers only get income tax deducted, they are responsible for paying their own city tax.
Anyone heard of people being "swiped" at entry points to Japan to see if they paid city tax before they enter.
Sounds totally ludicrous if you ask me.

It depends on your employer. Techinically they are supposed to deduct local taxes monthly from full-timers`salaries. In reality many employers do not bother to do that and tell workers to take care of their local taxes themselves. You should ask your employer if he did or did not deduct your local taxes from your salary. If he did, you would have noticed that. Local taxes are about 10%. You wouldn`t have missed it if they were deducted.

[renkachan71]

I'm not really sure about 'everybody' but when I was a full-time worker I got my residents' tax deducted at source and didn't really think too much about it. When I switched to 'part-time' I suddenly got a huge residents' tax bill in the post for the previous year to be paid at the post office/ conbini etc. I paid it in a lump sum and it was the proof of that I had to show when I renewed my visa. As far as I can tell you only need the previous year's income tax and residents' tax proof of payment. From April next year you'll also have to show proof of health insurance it seems.

[let`s talk]

I've always been under the impression that it's mandatory to have NHI

Not yet, but it will be mandatory from next year.Now you don`t need to show your insurance for visa renewal.

[kotoha]

If you're on a spouse visa you only need to show you OR your spouse's proof of tax payment, whoever makes more money is what the website said. And you can ALWAYS get a certificate of tax payment at city hall, so even if you lost the white slip you get at the end of the year, or the little receipts they stamp at the bank or convenience store, just go to the tax section of your local city office and give them your name and address, you can get the proof of residence tax payment for 200 yen.

It's required that all residents (yep, that includes foreigners) have either NHI or Shakai Hoken. They just haven't been ENFORCING that by making you show proof at visa renewal time.

I'm personally all for those requirements, too. I know that probably won't make me Ms. Popular.... but gaijin have a horrible reputation in this country in part BECAUSE there are so many people here who don't bother to pay taxes and insurance. You don't have to like the law, but it's nice to follow it.

[let`s talk]

but gaijin have a horrible reputation in this country in part BECAUSE there are so many people here who don't bother to pay taxes and insurance.

Neither do some Japanese.But they will stay with that.Unlike gaijins in the nearest future.