How to Choose a Tax Accountant (税理士) in Japan as a Foreigner

Do you actually need a 税理士? 税理士が必要なケース

Not everyone needs a 税理士. Japan's tax system, while complex, is manageable for many common situations — especially if you are a salaried employee (正社員 or 契約社員) whose company handles 年末調整 (year-end tax adjustment). YenMate's guides and tools are designed to help you handle these situations independently.

You probably do NOT need a 税理士 if:

• You are a salaried employee with one employer and no side income
• Your company completes 年末調整 and you have no additional deductions to claim
• You are filing a simple 確定申告 to claim medical deductions (医療費控除) or ふるさと納税
• You want to understand how NISA or iDeCo works
• You have general questions about Japan's tax system

You likely DO need a 税理士 if:

• You are a freelancer (個人事業主) with multiple clients and complex expenses
• You have income from multiple countries (cross-border taxation)
• You are starting or running a company (法人) in Japan
• You are buying or selling property and need to understand tax implications
• You are leaving Japan and need to settle tax obligations (納税管理人)
• You have received an inquiry or audit notice from the tax office (税務調査)
• You are dealing with inheritance or estate planning in Japan
• Your annual revenue as a freelancer exceeds ¥10M and you need to handle 消費税

What a 税理士 is licensed to do 税理士の業務

Under 税理士法第2条, a 税理士 is exclusively authorized to perform three core functions. These are legally restricted — no other professional (not even a lawyer or FP) can do these for compensation unless they are also a registered 税理士.

Beyond these core legal functions, many 税理士 also offer broader services: bookkeeping setup, accounting software training (freee, MFクラウド, 弥生), business structure advice (個人事業主 vs 法人), payroll administration, and financial planning.

How to find an English-speaking 税理士 英語対応の税理士の探し方

Finding a 税理士 who speaks English well enough to handle your case is the biggest challenge for foreigners in Japan. The pool is small but growing. Here are the most effective ways to find one.

Online matching services:

• 税理士ドットコム (zeiri4.com) — the largest matching platform. Submit your requirements and get matched with 税理士 who fit. Free for the client. Filter by "English available."
• ココナラ (coconala.com) — freelance professional marketplace with tax consultation services starting from ¥5,000. Good for one-off questions or simple filings.
• ミツモア (meetsmore.com) — another matching service where you can request quotes from multiple 税理士 at once.

Official directories:

• 日本税理士会連合会 — the official federation maintains a searchable directory of all registered 税理士 in Japan. You can verify that someone is legitimately licensed here.
• Tokyo Tax Accountant Association (東京税理士会) — regional associations sometimes maintain their own directories with language capability filters.

Community and referrals:

• Your embassy — many embassies maintain referral lists of English-speaking professionals including 税理士 and lawyers.
• Expat communities — Reddit (r/JapanFinance), Facebook groups, and other foreigner communities are excellent sources of recommendations from people who have actually used a specific 税理士.
• Your ward office (区役所) — offers free tax consultation events (無料税務相談), especially during February and March. Some wards offer English sessions.
• Google search — search for "English speaking 税理士 [your city]" or "English tax accountant Japan." Many bilingual 税理士 have English websites.

Red flags to watch for 注意すべきポイント

Most 税理士 are reputable professionals, but there are warning signs that should make you cautious. Protect yourself by watching for these red flags.

Working together effectively 税理士との上手な付き合い方

Getting the most value from your 税理士 relationship requires preparation on your side. The better organized you are, the less time they spend on data gathering — and the more time they spend on actually saving you money.

Before the first meeting, prepare:

• 源泉徴収票 — your withholding tax certificate from each employer
• Income records — invoices, payment records, and bank statements for freelance or side income
• Expense receipts — organized by category (rent, utilities, equipment, travel, etc.)
• Previous year's tax return — if you filed one, bring a copy
• Foreign income documentation — if you have income from outside Japan, bring proof and any foreign tax returns filed
• A list of questions — write down everything you want to ask so you do not forget during the meeting

During the engagement:

• Clarify communication style — agree on whether you will communicate by email, LINE, phone, or in-person meetings. Set expectations for response times.
• Set deadlines — agree on when you will provide documents and when they will complete the filing. Do not wait until February to start gathering documents for a March 15 deadline.
• Ask them to explain what they are doing — a good 税理士 will walk you through the return so you understand your own tax situation. This knowledge compounds over the years.
• Review the return before submission — always ask to see the completed 確定申告 before it is filed. Check that income figures match your records and that all expected deductions are included.

Typical fee structures 税理士の費用

税理士 fees are not regulated — each professional sets their own rates. However, there are common patterns. English-speaking 税理士 may charge 10-30% more than Japanese-only professionals due to the specialized skill and smaller market.

Common fee models:

Factors that increase fees: multiple income types, foreign income and tax treaty analysis, first-time filing (more setup work), consumption tax filing (消費税), late filing or amendments, property transactions, and complex investment portfolios.

Ways to reduce fees: organize your documents before the meeting, use accounting software (freee, MFクラウド, 弥生) to pre-categorize expenses, understand the basics via YenMate so you do not spend consultation time on fundamentals, and engage early (not in mid-March when everyone is scrambling).

Frequently asked questions よくある質問