Articles about tax & systems
1 in 10 Japanese estates now hit inheritance tax — double the rate from a decade ago. A salaryman from a low-income family explains why he supports paying it, while most loudly oppose
Japanese variable-rate mortgages have two 'safety' mechanisms that actually hide rate increases behind a fixed payment facade. How they work, and why 80% of Japanese borrowers don't understand what they signed.
Japan started collecting a new childcare support levy from every worker's paycheck in April 2026. I broke down the costs and benefits for my own household — the math surprised me.
How much tax do you actually pay on iDeCo at age 60 in Japan? I simulated lump sum vs pension for a ¥10M company retirement benefit + ¥10M iDeCo. The lump sum saved roughly ¥480K — here's the full calculation.
I started iDeCo in 2019 and never thought about the exit. Then Japan changed the rules in 2026, and I realized how naive I'd been.
Japan's basic deduction jumped to ¥580,000 in 2026 (up ¥100K). The ¥1.03M income tax wall moved to ¥1.6M. And there's a furusato nozei One-Stop pitfall that voids your tax break. Full salary-worker breakdown.
Japan's Children's NISA (Kodomo NISA) launches January 2027 with a ¥600K annual / ¥6M lifetime tax-free cap for kids 0-17. Eligibility, contribution rules, and whether otoshidama can fund it before you've maxed your own NISA — full math.
8 years of index investing, $130K in unrealized gains, zero investment tax work. Here's exactly how e-Tax works and why I still file every year.