KAERUREFUNDOperated by EAST TAXApply for a refund
For people who worked in Japan

Claim back the tax
you left in Japan

When you receive your Employees' Pension lump-sum, 20.42% is taken out as income tax. File for it and you can get that money back. A tax accountant in Japan does the filing for you.

Apply for a refundSee how much

Consultation, application and retainer are all zero. We settle the ¥25,000 fee (tax included) only after your refund arrives, and if no refund is obtained the tax accountant's fee is not charged.

For example
On a ¥1,000,000 lump-sum
204,200 yen

is what was already taken as income tax.
You actually received ¥795,800.

Most of that 20.42% can be recovered by filing under the retirement income taxation election. The amount varies with your enrolment period and any other retirement income in the same year, and a full refund is not guaranteed.

ZeroConsultation · application · retainer
ZeroFee if no refund
LicensedJapanese tax accountant files for you
OverseasAccounts accepted for the refund

Nothing to pay upfront

We settle up after the money comes back.

01

No refund, no fee

Consultation, application and retainer are all zero. If no refund is obtained, the tax accountant's fee is not charged either.

02

One fee: ¥25,000

Whatever the size of your refund, the tax accountant's fee is ¥25,000 (tax included). There is no extra fee scaled to the amount.

※ Out-of-pocket costs such as international postage and overseas remittance charges are borne by you, and we tell you before they arise.

03

Support in your language

A licensed Japanese tax accountant becomes your tax agent and files directly with the tax office. We work in Japanese, English, Korean, Chinese and Vietnamese.

How it works

How the 20.42%
comes back to you

When you receive the lump-sum after leaving Japan, 20.42% is withheld automatically.

Filing the retirement income taxation election recalculates the tax using the same retirement income deduction a Japanese resident would get. Whatever you overpaid comes back.

The tax withheld, as shown on your payment decision notice, is the amount at stake.

The tax withheld, as shown on your payment decision notice, is the amount at stake.

In most cases nearly all of it is refunded, but the actual figure depends on your Employees' Pension enrolment period, any other retirement income received in the same year, and the tax office's review. A full refund is not guaranteed.

Do these four apply to you?

  • You received an Employees' Pension lump-sum, not a National Pension one
  • Your payment decision notice shows 20.42% withheld
  • It is within 5 years of receiving the lump-sum
  • You currently live outside Japan
There are two deadlines.
· Claiming the lump-sum — within 2 years of leaving Japan
· Refund of income tax — within 5 years of receiving the lump-sum
If you have not received the lump-sum yet, the 2-year deadline comes first, so please hurry.
Free calculator

See how much
was taken out

yen
¥0Drag to change the amount¥5M
Income tax withheld (20.42%)204,200 yen
Tax accountant's fee (paid after a successful refund)−¥25,000
Estimated amount if fully refundedassumes the tax office refunds the full amount
179,200 yen

The figures above are an estimate that assumes the full amount withheld is refunded. The actual refund depends on your Employees' Pension enrolment period, any other retirement income received in the same year, and the tax office's review.

Apply for a refund
Documents

Four things to prepare

You do not need to send originals at the start. A photo is enough for us to check first.

Payment decision notice
01

Payment decision notice

The paper document posted to you when the pension was paid (it shows the tax withheld)

We can still help if you lost it

Passport copy
02

Passport copy

Photo page, and the page with your departure stamp

Photocopy or scan

Residence card copy
03

Residence card copy

Front and back of the residence card punched when you left

Photocopy or scan

Bank account details
04

Account in your name

The account that will receive the refund

Overseas or Japanese accounts both work
Tell us after the initial review, not now

The process

Four steps and you're done

STEP 1

Apply online

Fill in the form below and send it. Three minutes is enough.

STEP 2

Initial review

Our tax accountant checks eligibility and the likely refund free of charge, and emails you within 1–2 days.

STEP 3

Send originals

Once it is confirmed, post the original documents to the Tokyo office address we give you.

STEP 4

File and refund

We file with the tax office and settle the fee after the refund is confirmed as received.

Fee

¥25,000 if refunded,
nothing if not

Tax accountant's fee
25,000 yen

Tax included · settled after the refund is confirmed

ZeroConsultation
ZeroApplication
ZeroRetainer
ZeroIf no refund

International postage, document reissuance fees, translation costs and overseas remittance charges on the refund are borne by you, and we explain what they are and roughly how much before they arise.

Apply

Apply now

Our tax accountant checks your eligibility free of charge.

STEP 1 / 2
Just three things to start
We check whether you qualify first.
STEP 2 / 2
Details needed for the filing
Used to prepare the documents submitted to the tax office.
1. Personal data we collect

Name in Roman letters as shown in your passport, name in furigana, date of birth, email address, phone number, nationality, country of current residence, date of departure from Japan, and whether you hold the payment decision notice.

2. Purpose of collection and use

To assess eligibility for an income tax refund on an Employees' Pension lump-sum withdrawal payment, to prepare the documents filed with the tax office and act as your agent in that filing, and to keep you informed of progress.

3. Retention period

If the service proceeds — destroyed after the record-keeping period required by Japanese tax law.
If you are not eligible or the service does not proceed — destroyed within six months of our notifying you of the outcome.

4. Transfer outside your country

This service is provided by a tax accountant's office in Tokyo, Japan, and the data collected is stored and processed on servers located in Japan. The recipient is EAST TAX (2-3-4 Shinkawa, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Shinkawa Tadokoro Bldg 3F, info@east-tax.com); the purpose and items transferred are as set out in 1 and 2 above.

5. Your right to refuse

You may decline to consent. However, the items above are strictly necessary to act as your agent in the refund application, so we would not be able to provide the service.

6. Language

This consent form is a translation of the Korean original. If there is any discrepancy in interpretation between the translation and the original, the original prevails.

These terms set out the conditions for using the income tax refund filing service (the "Service") provided by EAST TAX (the "Provider").

Article 1 (Application)

These terms apply to all matters between the user and the Provider concerning use of the Service.

Article 2 (Formation of contract and scope of work)

1. The contract is formed when the user submits the application, the Provider notifies the user after its initial review that the matter can proceed, and the user agrees to it.
2. The scope of the Service is acting as agent in an income tax refund application relating to an Employees' Pension lump-sum withdrawal payment, with the Provider filing with the tax office as the user's tax agent (nozei kanrinin).
3. As a rule, the claim for the lump-sum withdrawal payment is made by the user personally, with the Provider supplying guidance on the procedure. If the user wishes that claim to be handled on their behalf, the Provider will refer them to a partner labour and social security attorney office; that work is subject to a separate contract and fee.

Article 3 (Fees)

1. The tax accountant's fee for the Service is ¥25,000 (tax included), settled after the refund has been confirmed as received.
2. No consultation fee, application fee or retainer arises, and if no refund is obtained, the tax accountant's fee is not charged.
3. Out-of-pocket costs are borne by the user, including international postage, document reissuance fees, translation costs and overseas remittance charges on the refund. The Provider will explain the nature and expected amount of such costs before they are incurred.
4. The statement in paragraph 2 that no fee is charged where no refund is obtained applies to the tax accountant's fee only. Out-of-pocket costs already incurred may still be payable.

Article 4 (User's duty to cooperate)

The user shall provide accurate information when applying and submit the documents requested by the Provider within the stated deadlines.

Article 5 (Handling of personal data)

The Provider handles the user's personal data in accordance with the separate consent to collection and use, and does not provide it to third parties except where required by law.

Article 6 (Disclaimer)

1. The Provider does not guarantee that a refund will be granted or the amount of any refund. The amount is determined by the tax office's review.
2. The Provider is not liable where the required documents are not all in place by two weeks before the statutory filing deadline and the filing is therefore not made in time.
3. The Provider is not liable for loss not caused by its wilful misconduct or gross negligence.

Article 7 (Changes to these terms)

The Provider may amend these terms and will post any amendment on this website. Contracts already formed remain subject to the terms in force at the time of formation.

Article 8 (Governing law and jurisdiction)

1. These terms are governed by and construed in accordance with Japanese law.
2. The Tokyo District Court shall have exclusive jurisdiction as the court of first instance for any dispute.

Article 9 (Language)

These terms are a translation of the Korean original. If there is any discrepancy in interpretation between the translation and the original, the original prevails.

Please don't send documents yetOur tax accountant reviews what you enter and emails you within 1–2 days. Send your documents after you hear from us.
FAQ

Anything you want to ask?

Want to ask first?

Get in touch in your own language. We reply within 1–2 business days.

info@east-tax.com+81-3-5651-7710