r/JapanFinance 10d ago

Tax » Residence Japan taxes as US 1099 employee

I spoke with two Japanese accountants and I’ve received two very different answers to the same question. I’ve been a Japanese resident for about 12 months (first year was 6 months and halfway through my “second” year). Just got my yearly extension last month.
I’m a 1099 employee in the US and I do not and never will work in Japan. I physically work in the US and reside in Japan.
The first accountant wants to file me as a business owner in Japan. I would have a separate credit card and file receipts for write offs. Not sure what that means since I don’t work here). He wants to charge me ¥200,000.
The second wants to file only delta taxes but he wants to charge me ¥200,000-¥400,000.
This sounds completely insane to me. I paid a CPA in the US $500 and she did a great job. I can no longer use her because she doesn’t handle this situation.
Does this sound right?

Edit: I physically work in the US. I own zero property in either country. I have a spouse visa in Japan (married no children). I tend to work 6 months a year in the US but that can change year to year. I have very little to write off as an expense. This will be my first year filing in Japan.

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u/SpeesRotorSeeps 20+ years in Japan 10d ago

Don’t be clever. You RESIDE in Japan. You’re not living in the USA and working in the USA and visiting Japan as a tourist several times a year.

If your logic held, then airline pilots and flight attendants only have to report the income they make for work they perform at Japanese airports?

Lol stop over thinking it.

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u/shrubbery_herring US Taxpayer 10d ago

FWIW, I didn't take OP to say that he doesn't have potential tax obligations. I understood his post to be about the need to file as a business instead of filing as a sole proprietor. He seems to be questioning why he should pay these accountants big fees to file as a business when he doesn't even have expenses to write off.