My ward tax has gone up

[TennoChinko]

I'm in Kanagawa and my taxes this year are on par with Tokyo ones. I nearly fell over when I opened my little envelope!

I guess now is the time to find out just what your local area is doing with the money - and what services they offer - especially in regards to foreign residents. Does the local library offer books in different languages? Do they provide enough information in different languages for their residents? Do we have access to how this money is being used?

We may be legal residents, but we are not citizens - and that means two things:

- can't vote
- constitutional rights are generally only afforded to citizens

That's not to say some communities are not pro-active and sensitive about accomodating certain foreign populations ... however, it's not anything they are forced or required to do. And, in some cases, it's out of concern that the foreign population without these services -- unchecked might increasingly disturb the sweet precious Wa that is Japanese.

[GuyJean]

.. Do they provide enough information in different languages for their residents?..

Is this the information you're looking for?

http://www.fuckedgaijin.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17074



GJ

[Samurai_Jerk]

Haven't you heard about the new "Furusato" hometown tax, hee, hee? Many Japanese spouses are gonna get nailed by both "hometown" and ward tax I bet. [INDENT]

http://blog.mag2.com/m/log/0000085642/108587566.html?c=stu
Fukuoka gov. Wataru Aso, a head of the National Governor's Association
announced at a news conference on the 22th that the idea for so called
"Furusato (Hometown) tax payment" is worth the study,
however he also expressed some cautions saying "the effect is still
unclear."
The idea of this tax payment is to narrow the economic gap among local
governments as it enables residents who are from local areas
but are now living in a major city like Tokyo
to pay a certain amount of tax to their hometown.
This hometown tax, currently under discussion, was proposed
by Mr. Kan, Minister of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and
Telecommunications, in an attempt to recognize the fact that
many big city residents are from local areas.
The proposal is based on an idea that
inhabitant taxes paid by people from local areas should have
some chance to flow back into the local government where they grew up.
[/INDENT]

There are some real gems in there. "enables residents ... to pay a certain ammount of tax." The way it reads though, I'm not sure they're talking about increasing the tax burden. It seems like they're saying you could pay a portion of your residence tax to your hometowm instead of 100% to the town you currently live in. I wonder how that would work though. Is the place you were born or the place you grew up? What about kikokushijo who were born outside of Japan and didn't return till they were adults or naturalized Japanese citizens.

On the bright side it could give me one more good reason to avoid marriage. "Sorry, baby. You know I love you, but the tax burden is just too high."

[Takechanpoo]

So you're unemployed. Why am I not surprised?

I am employed by myself.
I own tiny company.

[Mulboyne]

The way it reads though, I'm not sure they're talking about increasing the tax burden. It seems like they're saying you could pay a portion of your residence tax to your hometown instead of 100% to the town you currently live in.

That's it exactly. The proposal was given a warm welcome initially but there is more opposition now. It sets small hometowns against the cities. More commentators are calling on the distribution of tax revenue to be more fairly decided at the central government level rather than turning it into a lottery.

[Samurai_Jerk]

That's it exactly. The proposal was given a warm welcome initially but there is more opposition now. It sets small hometowns against the cities. More commentators are calling on the distribution of tax revenue to be more fairly decided at the central government level rather than turning it into a lottery.

The obvious question there is what exaclty is a hometown. If I was born in Bumfuck-mura Aomori but moved to Sapporo when I was 4 months old does Bumfuck-mura get my taxes? What if I'm a kikokushijo that was born and raised abroad but returned to Japan at the age of 18 to attend university?

[ttjereth]

I'm in Kanagawa and my taxes this year are on par with Tokyo ones. I nearly fell over when I opened my little envelope!

I guess now is the time to find out just what your local area is doing with the money - and what services they offer - especially in regards to foreign residents. Does the local library offer books in different languages? Do they provide enough information in different languages for their residents? Do we have access to how this money is being used?

It got even better. My health insurance (kokumin kenkou hoken) is apparently based off the amount of my local taxes and so between my national and local taxes and health insurance premium 1/5 of my yearly income is gone...

There's got to be a mistake here somewhere?

[oyajikun]

It got even better. My health insurance (kokumin kenkou hoken) is apparently based off the amount of my local taxes and so between my national and local taxes and health insurance premium 1/5 of my yearly income is gone...

There's got to be a mistake here somewhere?

I'm in the same boat. If I made as much as I did last year, it wouldn't hurt nearly as much..

[Big Booger]

Well after watching Sicko I have sort of decided that maybe it is not that bad after all here. I am willing to pay for local taxes if I know what it is being paid for. What really got me pissed was it doubled without any fucking notice whatsoever... what a load of shit.

Had the written a little note to residents 3-4 months ago warning of this impeding severe increase, I might have been a little more prepared and a lot less pissed.

After Sicko though I am more inclined to stay here... some fucked up lack of treatment in the good ol' USofA... fucked up.

[Mulboyne]

Had the written a little note to residents 3-4 months ago warning of this impeding severe increase, I might have been a little more prepared and a lot less pissed.

This change has been in the pipeline for some time but, when it has been covered in the press, there hasn't been any outcry because it was rarely discussed in concrete terms. As it is, enquiries to local ward offices about the increase have skyrocketed. Coming alongside the nervousness about national pensions, it is a major reason that the LDP is concerned that Abes's current unpopularity might not go away so easily.

Kyodo: Upper house election may be delayed until July 29

[dimwit]

It got even better. My health insurance (kokumin kenkou hoken) is apparently based off the amount of my local taxes and so between my national and local taxes and health insurance premium 1/5 of my yearly income is gone...

No.

Your health insurance and locals tax are both based on your taxable income, so while they are related your health insurance sholudn't be going up unless your income did to.

[ttjereth]

No.

Your health insurance and locals tax are both based on your taxable income, so while they are related your health insurance sholudn't be going up unless your income did to.

I've actually been looking into all this to see what the deal is and there actually is a problem with mine which means I get to spend the next week or so running between the zeimusho and the kuyakusho.

I just switched back to the government insurance and filing my own taxes again after spending 2 years on company (shakai hoken and shanai nenmatsu chousa) administered versions, so things seem to have increased for me more than they have because I don't have a company paying into any of it and I don't have a professional company account doing my taxes for me, so I probably ended up with a higher taxable income on my national taxes than I maybe should have (because I didn't take all of the deductions I am entitled to).

However, the taxable income figured for my local taxes and my national taxes is, for some reason, (significantly) different AND for some reason my health insurance premiums are using the higher taxable income figure from my local taxes, NOT my national taxes.

My income only increased about 1,000,000 yen over the previous year, but my national and local taxes and health insurance premiums at the moment add up to be 1/5 of my ACTUAL (not taxable) yearly income, so something is seriously screwed up.

[dimwit]

However, the taxable income figured for my local taxes and my national taxes is, for some reason, (significantly) different AND for some reason my health insurance premiums are using the higher taxable income figure from my local taxes, NOT my national taxes.

I don't understand that. It shouldn't vary at all. Both should be using the same base for calculating your taxes. If not, you have good reason to take it into your local tax office and give them a heads up.

[ttjereth]

I don't understand that. It shouldn't vary at all. Both should be using the same base for calculating your taxes. If not, you have good reason to take it into your local tax office and give them a heads up.

Yeah, I imagine something has gotten screwed up somewhere because of switching from being a company drone to being freelance, on top of which my former company took forever finally filing the paperwork on their end to set it up so that I could pay my own local taxes.

Apparently the tax changes have led to some screwups here and there though, my wife's grandfather's taxes were screwed up too, with them billing him some insane proportion of his nenkin payments.

[maraboutslim]

my national and local taxes and health insurance premiums at the moment add up to be 1/5 of my ACTUAL (not taxable) yearly income, so something is seriously screwed up.

Screwed up? Sounds cheap to me. I just hit a few online calculators to figure out what it'd cost a hypothetical person in the state of california. just for shits and giggles.

For example, a single person making $50k in California would pay an effective rate of 13.47% to the feds, then pay about 5% to the state. His health insurance would be at least $500/month for a decent plan which would represent another 12% of his income. Grand total nearly 30% of his actual income for taxes and health insurance.

If said individual was married and his wife worked some for a total of, say, $75k income, and they had two kids, their federal may drop to an amount that represents about 7% of their income. Then they'd pay about 4% state, but of course their health insurance costs would be about $1300 a month (that's what it costs my employer for my family) which would be 20% of their gross income. Total of about 31% for taxes and health insurance.

On top of those we have other "taxes" for social security, medicare, etc.

I'd be stoked to just be paying 20%...

[FG Lurker]

I'd be getting fucked over a lot worse in Canada than I am in Japan. Getting "fucked over less" is still no fun though.

[Charles]

...His health insurance would be at least $500/month for a decent plan which would represent another 12% of his income...

Unlikely. My Blue Cross plan (covering myself only) is $189/mo and I pay 100% of the premium by myself, no employer contribution. It's not the best Blue Cross plan, it's one notch down from their best plan, but it's the same rate I'd pay in California.

[ttjereth]

Screwed up? Sounds cheap to me. I just hit a few online calculators to figure out what it'd cost a hypothetical person in the state of california. just for shits and giggles.

For example, a single person making $50k in California would pay an effective rate of 13.47% to the feds, then pay about 5% to the state. His health insurance would be at least $500/month for a decent plan which would represent another 12% of his income. Grand total nearly 30% of his actual income for taxes and health insurance.

If said individual was married and his wife worked some for a total of, say, $75k income, and they had two kids, their federal may drop to an amount that represents about 7% of their income. Then they'd pay about 4% state, but of course their health insurance costs would be about $1300 a month (that's what it costs my employer for my family) which would be 20% of their gross income. Total of about 31% for taxes and health insurance.

On top of those we have other "taxes" for social security, medicare, etc.

I'd be stoked to just be paying 20%...

That seems unusually high. I can't speak specifically to any situation in California, but when I was in the states my health insurance was around $100-150 a month for a fairly good plan.

I also have "other taxes", as it were, here in Japan. I haven't even received my nenkin information for this year, and with the way things are going I have to admit I am a bit afraid.

Also if my taxable income goes up just a bit (which it more than likely will this year, since last year I went from wage slave to freelance part way through the year) my local tax payments alone will jump 20% according to the documentation about the new tax structure that was sent along with the tax bill.

I don't doubt the veracity of your info above, but you are comparing/contrasting me with a situation which isn't really equivalent to my own, I don't mention my specific income, and I'm not really inclined to, but I didn't make 50k (or 5,000,000 yen) in taxable income last year, so comparing my situation to someone in a higher tax bracket, in a high tax region doesn't really seem like a fair comparison, or even applicable here really.

Just as an aside, I would not be paying as much in taxes or health insurance back home, but I'm not from California

My original point wasn't "these taxes and health insurance premiums are high compared to what I would be paying back where I come from", but rather "these are several times higher than what I have been paying here up until now".

So, thanks for the interesting info, but the "you would be paying more where you came from/elsewhere" thing doesn't really apply since, 1. I wasn't comparing my situation here to what it would be in the states, and 2. I pay taxes and health insurance here and not in the states and my problem is therefore with the taxes and health insurance here, and consequently I don't really care about what the situation is in the states while I am living here (aside from the foreign earned income exclusion limit of course ).

Also, I have gotten confirmation from the ward office that something is screwed up with my taxes and my health insurance, so my "cheap" is going to be cheaper once they get it straightened out.

[ttjereth]

Getting "fucked over less" is still no fun though.

That was a lot more eloquent and succinct than my ramble

[maraboutslim]

Unlikely. My Blue Cross plan (covering myself only) is $189/mo and I pay 100% of the premium by myself, no employer contribution. It's not the best Blue Cross plan, it's one notch down from their best plan, but it's the same rate I'd pay in California.

It can't possibly be their "best plan" if by "best plan" you mean no or low deductible. Anyone can go to https://express.rwsol.com/roi/getIntroduction.do?brand=BCC&cid=3994, put in a random zipcode (mine is 94044), put in a random birthday of say 1968 and then go to the third results page. You'll see that the cheapest HMO plan with no deductible and maximum out of pocket annual of $3000 is $438/month. There are "better" plans that cost more. The closet thing to the price you quote is the BCL&H RightPlan PPO 40 w/Rx which has no deductible but you pay 40% of the negotiated fee for everything, plus extra co-pays (such as $500 per day for in-patient care and $400 for outpatient). I'd rather not even have insurance.

The point is that health care in Japan is way less costly, in my experience. So I found the guy bitching about paying 20% of his income on that and taxes to support the society he lives in to be pretty silly. Welcome to the real world. Anything less than 20% and you're a freeloader.

To quote the Japanese government:

"The national government is responsible for various national concerns such as diplomatic affairs, basic social planning and financial administrative measures.
　Local governments, on the other hand, focus more on programs for the local community, such as welfare, education, health/sanitation, police stations and fire stations.
　All of us share the responsibility for the costs of these programs through taxes. In a sense, taxes are like membership fees for a safe and enhanced way of life."

[maraboutslim]

Also if my taxable income goes up just a bit (which it more than likely will this year, since last year I went from wage slave to freelance part way through the year) my local tax payments alone will jump 20% according to the documentation about the new tax structure that was sent along with the tax bill.

Local taxes in Japan are progressive, aren't they? If you jump into a new bracket, you are only paying that higher rate on the income that is above that bracket, not your entire income. For example, on national taxes...people freak out and think, "damn, I made 320man last year and my tax rate was 10% and now I make 350man and I'm in the 20% bracket". They think their taxes just doubled. But that's not how it works. It 's only 20% on that last 20man. The first 330 man is still taxed at the 10% rate.

[FG Lurker]

It 's only 20% on that last 20man. The first 330 man is still taxed at the 10% rate.

Yes, this is correct.

What does suck here though is that many things (daycare, for example) are based on your income. If your income goes just a bit past the cutoff your monthly payments can jump a rather large amount.

[Big Booger]

The point is that health care in Japan is way less costly, in my experience. So I found the guy bitching about paying 20% of his income on that and taxes to support the society he lives in to be pretty silly. Welcome to the real world. Anything less than 20% and you're a freeloader.

My bitching is based on the fact that it doubled.... and the fact that I don't use many of those services that my double payment this year went to pay for.. but you can rest assured I will start using them.... just to make sure that what I paid for I use!

But yeah upon thinking about it, I think it is cheap... when you go from paying 10% to 20% in less than a year without an income increase... then you just get fucked. At least that's how it felt to me.

[FG Lurker]

My bitching is based on the fact that it doubled.... and the fact that I don't use many of those services that my double payment this year went to pay for.. but you can rest assured I will start using them.... just to make sure that what I paid for I use!

At least you are more likely to be using them... Paying to the national government just subsidizes 90yo rice farmers and helps build bridges to nowhere. ]But yeah upon thinking about it, I think it is cheap... when you go from paying 10% to 20% in less than a year without an income increase... then you just get fucked. At least that's how it felt to me.[/QUOTE]
Mine went way WAY up as well, but my national tax came down. The net per paycheck is exactly the same, just the split is different.

What really kills me is the national pension scam. I don't mind health care so much, but paying into the pension scam is the same as dumping cash into the toilet and flushing... It's gone and it's NEVER coming back.

[ttjereth]

[quote="FG Lurker"]At least you are more likely to be using them... Paying to the national government just subsidizes 90yo rice farmers and helps build bridges to nowhere. ]

Why is that?

I know it used to be that you could only get the partial refund when you went back, but I was told that was changed and that I can collect nenkin now (I think they said after more than 5 years of residence) even if I move back to the states. Have you heard differently?

[Mulboyne]

What really kills me is the national pension scam. I don't mind health care so much, but paying into the pension scam is the same as dumping cash into the toilet and flushing... It's gone and it's NEVER coming back.

A friend of mine is assigned to a DoCoMo call centre. She was contacted by the outsourcing company she works for who asked her if she would like to work on the pensions hotline that the government has set up. The one where everyone is venting their fury. She was offered five hours training to deal with the calls. She said no.

[maraboutslim]

As discussed here previously, several countries have agreements with Japan that will give you credit in your home country 'pension' system for the contributions you made while working in Japan.

[FG Lurker]

Why is that?

I know it used to be that you could only get the partial refund when you went back, but I was told that was changed and that I can collect nenkin now (I think they said after more than 5 years of residence) even if I move back to the states. Have you heard differently?

Nenkin is a government run pyramid scheme. Are you 50 years old or older? If so you may see some nenkin. If not then forget it.

You also have to pay into it for at least 25 years to get full benefits. I am not sure what (if anything) you get for less than 25 years of payments.

[ttjereth]

Nenkin is a government run pyramid scheme. Are you 50 years old or older? If so you may see some nenkin. If not then forget it.

You also have to pay into it for at least 25 years to get full benefits. I am not sure what (if anything) you get for less than 25 years of payments.

That's not too much different from social security back home then.

I'll have to look into the 25 year thing, wasn't mentioned when I last asked about it, but since I'll be spending some time at the ward office next week anyway...

My only real concern with nenkin is that I hope it is still around by the time I am able to collect:confused:

[FG Lurker]

My only real concern with nenkin is that I hope it is still around by the time I am able to collect:confused:

Nenkin is going to have to be reformed. It's not possible to have a pyramid scheme when the pyramid stands on its head. Money paid into nenkin now is just getting flushed -- it goes straight through to support people who are collecting payments today. Depending on your outlook that might not be a bad thing (supporting society etc), but relying on nenkin for retirement income is unwise to say the least.

Personally I don't care. I am either going to have huge amounts of money in a few years or be living under a blue tarp the local koen... There is no middle ground.