wagyl wrote:Anecdote:
When I was starting my own business I had a period where my income was low enough to be able to present tax documents to the municipality rather than the tax authority branch office. As this was a more convenient location, I did this. I also had a small refund owing back to me from gensenchoshu. When this refund did not come to me, I followed it up with the municipality, and they were very apologetic about not having told me that if I wanted to get that refund I had to go to the tax authority.
So it came to pass that I went to the tax authority with the tax data forms printed out by the municipality, rather than my handwritten originals, in July or August, well past the deadline. The officer got it into his head that I was a late presenter, without hearing the back story. I'm not sure if it was a kind of punitive measure on his part, but he presented me with a form to fill out on the spot, of my entry into and out of Japan over the last 10 years, saying "gaijin dakara." Now, I have never claimed that I am not tax resident, so there was no reason for having to fill that out, and you can imagine the pressure to make a declaration of your movements over the last ten years, what with many trips for work and private trips, most I could only guess at dates. It made me pretty sour about going to the tax office again.
And people, people. Stop conflating immigration status with tax status. At the very least there are some sloppy expressions in this thread.
I expect them to be pricks... But it really sucks having to deal with them or anyone like them.
Tax status:
Non tax resident: on biz trip, working for less than one year
Tax resident: <5 years out of 10*, or declare that you reside in Japan with intent to stay more than a year.
Permanent tax resident: >5 years out of 10*, are Japan passport holder, are eijyuken visa status
* revolving 10 years