FW-43 -- Kakutei-Shinkoku - It's Tax Return Time!

J@pan Inc Magazine Presents:

* * * * * * * * F R U G A L W A T C H * * * * * * * *
A weekly roundup of how to be frugal in the world's most
expensive country to live (unless you read this!), written
and compiled by Wendy J. Imura.

Regular edition, February 6, 2005 Issue No. 43
+++ INDEX

- What's new (Kakutei-Shinkoku - It's Tax Return Time!)
- Update from Frugal Japan No. 42: Another Good Charitable Organization
- Frugal tips (Cut your Electricity Bills - Refrigerators)
- Credits

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+++ WHAT'S NEW

Dear Frugal Readers,

It's tax time again - at least, it is in Japan. Though, as a
foreign resident, it's really hard to notice. No official
countdowns to April 15, as we see in the United States. No large
packets of forms delivered to every home. As I've mentioned in
a past issue, taxes for most Japanese citizens are taken
care of by their employers. Taxes are automatically calculated
and withdrawn from the monthly salary, with a year-end adjustment
(nenmatsu chosei) in December when a little bit extra comes
back (usually).

However, a certain segment of the population (mostly self-employed
folks or those with more than one source of income) has to file a
tax return every year. This is called "kakutei shinkoku," and with
the Japanese government implementing a number of tax breaks that
must be filed for independently, the number of people filing is
increasing. But why would a foriegn resident of Japan want
to file anyway?

Well, there are several reasons. The most obvious is that in some
cases you might be entitled to a tax return, which means filing
(even if it is difficult) puts money in your pocket. Another
reason is that it's required by law if you make over a certain
amount of money in addition to your regular salary, are
self-employed (and you do not have an accountant file for you),
or meet certain other conditions.

So, who should file? Well, if any of the following conditions
applies, you should think about filing, as you might get cash back:
1) if during calendar 2004 you had out-of-pocket medical expenses
(not covered by health insurance) in excess of 100,000 yen including
hospital stays, dentistry, out-patient visits, pregnancy-related
expenses and all legitimate medical expenses
2) if you purchased a new home (including a "mansion" [condo]),
you may be eligible to receive 1 percent of your year-end housing
loan balance as a tax exemption (several conditions must be met)
3) if you received stock dividends, were a victim of theft or a natural
disaster, quit your job in the middle of 2004 and haven't found another
yet, and other conditions.
(Taken from Nikkei Woman's Tax Filing Guide, Feb. 2005)

How do you file? Well, the good news is that unlike other
countries, Japan still offers free tax advice. Each locality's
tax office holds a monthlong series of sessions at a central
location, usually from Feb 16th through March 16th, including some
Saturdays. Call your city government to ask where the "kakutei
shinkoku madoguchi" is. Then simply bring yourself, your receipts
and relevant documents, and proof of income(called a gensenchoshuhyo,
which can be received from your employer) to the tax advice location.
While it can be confusing at first, they will generally fill out
your entire tax form for you there! I advise arriving early (about
8:45 or 9:00 am), and being prepared to spend at least two or three
hours there. You can also fill out the forms yourself (even online),
and numerous books are sold that tell you how to do this. This said,
most of the information is only in Japanese, so the simplest way to
file is to visit the tax office yourself.

While it might seem daunting at first, doing kakutei shinkoku
is a strangely empowering experience - you gain a better
understanding of the Japanese "system," and can (in some cases)
get several tens of thousands of yen returned to you - which I
think is a good return on an investment of a morning spent at
the tax office.

Frugally yours,
Wendy J. Imura
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+++ Update from Frugal Watch No. 42:
Another Good Charitable Organization

Last week's Frugal Watch featured information about good
charitable organizations to donate used clothing and other
items to. Well, another location has been brought to my
attention. I would like to share it with you.

(Taken with permission from another email list.)
"A children's home that holds a bazaar twice a year
(June and November) accepts donations of clothing, kitchen
wares, electronics, etc. Unfortunately they are not able
to pay delivery costs, so chakubarai (recipient paying
shipping charges) would not be an option. This is a
reputable place that houses 40 kids from elementary through
high school who have problems at home. The director and his
wife have been with the home for many many years.
They prefer that donations be sent by May 14 at the latest
so that they can get everything sorted out in time.

Mr. Wada, Director
Kodomo no Sono
2552 Tsutsumi
Chigasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture
Tel: 0467 52 8526
(in Japanese)"

We hope that people can come to the aid of this good organization!
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+++ FRUGAL TIPS (CUT YOUR ELECTRICITY BILLS - REFRIGERATOR)
A few practical tips from one of my favorite Japanese frugal sites:
http://www2.odn.ne.jp/~aax04880/setuyaku.html

*Place your refrigerator about 2 cm from the side of the wall,
and about 10 cm away from the wall in back. If possible, try not
to put anything on top of the refrigerator either. This alone
can reduce the fridge's energy consumption by about 10-40
percent. Your refrigerator's customer manual should have
information about proper placement.

*Opening the refrigerator door for just 10 seconds raises the
internal temperature by about 5C. Try and limit the amount of
door opening and closing, and take out what you need for cooking
all at once. If you can make this a habit, it can save about
1,880 yen/year.

*Stuffing your refrigerator too full of food can reduce
efficiency of cool air circulation, and result in excess energy
usage. Throwing out old food, using small containers, and not
putting unnecessary items in the refrigerator can save some
6,380 yen a year. (Calculations taken from the website.)

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+++ ABOUT US
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Written by: Wendy J. Imura (frugalwatch@japaninc.com)
Edited by: JI

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