The 確定申告 (kakutei-shinkoku, Japan’s annual income-tax self-assessment filing) window for fiscal year 2025 ran from 16 February to 16 March 2026. For foreign property owners who missed that window, or who hold rental assets generating excess withholding, a 還付申告 (kanpu-shinkoku, a refund-only filing) remains open for up to five years under 国税通則法 (Kokuzeichoku-sokuhou, the General Act for National Taxes) Article 74. That means FY2020 refund claims expired on 31 December 2025, but FY2021 through FY2025 are still claimable as of today. This guide covers who qualifies, which forms are required, and how long the money takes to arrive.

What Triggers a Tax Refund in Japan

A 還付金 (kanpu-kin, tax refund) arises whenever taxes already paid or withheld exceed final liability. For high-net-worth foreign residents and non-residents holding Tokyo real estate, four scenarios are most relevant.

First, excess withholding on rental income. Non-residents are subject to a flat 20.42% withholding rate under 所得税法 (Shotokuzeihou, the Income Tax Act) Article 212. That rate includes the 復興特別所得税 (fukkoutoken-shotokuzei, the Reconstruction Special Income Tax surcharge). If allowable deductions, depreciation, or a bilateral tax treaty reduce net liability below the withheld amount, the difference is refundable.

Second, capital-gains overpayment on property disposal. Non-residents pay a combined flat rate of 15% national tax plus 5% local tax on 譲渡所得 (joto-shotoku, capital gains from real-estate disposal). Where acquisition-cost documentation reduces the taxable gain, or where a treaty caps the rate, the buyer’s agent or 納税管理人 (nouzei-kanri-nin, the statutory tax agent required for non-residents) can file for a refund.

Third, the 住宅ローン控除 (jutaku-loan-koujyo, the mortgage tax credit) under 租税特別措置法 (Sozei-tokubetsu-sochi-hou, the Act on Special Measures Concerning Taxation) Article 41. The credit equals 0.7% of the year-end loan balance annually, for up to 13 years on new certified housing. When the credit exceeds income-tax liability, the surplus is credited against 住民税 (juumin-zei, resident tax) up to a statutory ceiling. This mechanism generates a de facto refund for many foreign residents on work visas, provided their 住所 (juusho, domicile) is registered in Japan on 1 January of the filing year.

Fourth, 消費税 (shohizei, consumption tax) input-credit refunds. Foreign individuals or entities holding property through a Japanese 法人 (houjin, corporation) registered as a 課税事業者 (kazei-jigyosha, taxable business person) can claim a refund when input-tax credits on an acquisition exceed output tax. Since October 2023, this requires a 適格請求書 (tekikaku-seikyu-sho, qualified invoice) from the seller or contractor under the インボイス制度 (invoice-seido, the Invoice System). Entities that cannot produce a qualified invoice from their counterparty forfeit the input-tax deduction entirely.

Eligibility: Who Can File

Japanese tax law does not restrict refund filings by nationality. The operative question is tax-resident status and the source of the income or overpayment.

For the 住宅ローン控除, foreign residents on work visas qualify without 永住権 (eijuu-ken, Japanese permanent residency). The requirement is a valid domicile registration in Japan on 1 January of the filing year. A buyer who purchased a ¥400 million apartment in Nishi-Azabu (西麻布) in September 2025, financed with a ¥280 million loan on a new ZEH-standard certified building, would apply the credit against a borrowing-limit cap of ¥45 million, generating an annual credit of ¥315,000 (0.7% × ¥45 million). If income-tax liability in that year is ¥200,000, the remaining ¥115,000 rolls into the 住民税 credit applied from the June 2026 instalment.

For non-residents, the refund pathway runs through the 納税管理人 system. Any foreign owner without a Japanese address must appoint a tax agent using the 納税管理人の届出書 (nouzei-kanri-nin-no-todoke-sho, the notification form for appointing a tax agent) filed with the relevant 税務署 (zeimusho, district tax office). The agent receives all NTA correspondence and can receive the 還付金 on the taxpayer’s behalf, since the NTA requires a Japanese bank account for direct transfer.

Japan has bilateral tax treaties with more than 80 countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Singapore. Treaty residents may reduce or eliminate withholding on rental income. Claiming treaty benefits requires filing the 租税条約に関する届出書 (sozei-jouyaku-ni-kansuru-todoke-sho, the notification form for claiming treaty benefits), drawn from the NTA’s Form 1 to 17 series, alongside the standard return.

From 2026, Japan’s implementation of the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) and the enhanced Common Reporting Standard (CRS) means Japan-sourced income and refund filings are increasingly visible to home-country tax authorities. A refund claim that documents rental income from a Minato-ku (港区) property will, in many cases, be shared with the tax authority in the owner’s country of tax residence.

Required Forms by Refund Type

The unified 確定申告書 (kakutei-shinkoku-sho, the income-tax self-assessment return form) replaced the former Form A from 2023 onward. All filers now use the same document, available through the NTA’s online filing system.

The supplementary documents differ by refund type.

Rental income or capital-gains overpayment (general residents): The 確定申告書 第一表・第二表, plus the 源泉徴収票 (gensen-choshu-hyo, the withholding tax certificate issued by the payer) and either the 収支内訳書 (shushi-uchiwake-sho, the simplified income-and-expense statement for white-return filers) or the 青色申告決算書 (aoiro-shinkoku-kessan-sho, the blue-return financial statement for registered blue-return filers). Non-resident rental or capital-gains refund: The same 確定申告書 plus the 非居住者用付表 (hikyojusha-you-fuhyo, the supplementary schedule for non-residents). Treaty claimants add the 租税条約に関する届出書. 住宅ローン控除 (first year): The 確定申告書 plus the 住宅借入金等特別控除額の計算明細書 (the mortgage-credit calculation worksheet), a 登記事項証明書 (touki-jikou-shomei-sho, the certified title registration certificate issued by the Legal Affairs Bureau), a copy of the 売買契約書 (baibai-keiyaku-sho, the purchase-and-sale agreement), the 住宅ローン残高証明書 (jutaku-loan-zandaka-shomei-sho, the year-end loan-balance certificate from the lender), and, where applicable, the 耐震・省エネ証明書 (taishin-shounei-sho, the seismic and energy-efficiency certificate). From year two onward, salaried employees handle the credit through the 年末調整 (nenmatsu-chosei, the employer-administered year-end tax adjustment); non-salaried individuals and non-residents continue to file the 確定申告. 消費税 refund: The 消費税及び地方消費税の確定申告書 (the consumption-tax and local-consumption-tax return), supported by the full 適格請求書 file and the 課税売上割合 (kazei-uriage-wariai, the taxable-sales ratio) calculation worksheet.

All forms are available in Japanese through the NTA’s filing portal. The NTA also publishes English-language guidance on its main site, though the forms themselves remain Japanese-only. Professional assistance from a 税理士 (zeirishi, a licensed tax accountant) is standard practice for non-resident filers.

Filing Timeline and Payment Schedule for 2026

The standard 確定申告 period for FY2025 income ran from 16 February to 16 March 2026. Filers who owed tax had until 16 March to pay. Filers claiming only a refund, with no tax due, could have filed from 1 January 2026, and the five-year lookback window means FY2021 claims remain open until 31 December 2026.

The 消費税 return for individual business filers was due 31 March 2026.

After submission, the NTA’s processing time depends on filing method. e-Tax (the NTA’s electronic filing system) filers typically receive their 還付金 within two to three weeks of acceptance. Paper filers can expect four to six weeks under normal conditions, and up to eight weeks during the February to March peak season.

For buyers using the 住宅ローン控除, the 住民税 credit component follows a separate schedule. The NTA transmits data to municipal governments by the end of May 2026, and the credit is applied starting from the June 2026 instalment of 住民税.

For 固定資産税 (kotei-shisan-zei, fixed-asset tax), there is no annual refund filing. The tax is assessed by the municipality at a standard rate of 1.4% of assessed value, with an additional 都市計画税 (toshi-keikaku-zei, city-planning tax) of up to 0.3% in urbanisation-promotion zones. Residential land of 200 square metres or less benefits from a special relief that reduces the assessed base to one-sixth of value under 地方税法 (Chihouzehou, the Local Tax Act) Article 349-3-2. If a foreign owner believes the 評価額 (hyoka-gaku, assessed value) is overstated, a formal 審査申し出 (shinsa-moshi-de, objection to the assessment) must be filed within three months of the date the 固定資産課税台帳 (kotei-shisan-kazei-daichou, the fixed-asset tax ledger) becomes available for public inspection, typically between April and June each year. A successful objection results in a retroactive refund of excess tax paid.

Practical Steps for Foreign Property Owners in Tokyo

The sequence below reflects the most common path for a foreign national holding a ¥300 million-plus Tokyo property, either as a resident or as a non-resident with a Japanese 法人 structure.

First, confirm residency status as of 1 January of the filing year. The distinction between tax resident and non-resident determines the applicable rate schedule, the treaty-claim pathway, and whether a 納税管理人 is required.

Second, gather withholding certificates. Any Japanese-source income subject to 源泉徴収 (gensen-choshu, withholding at source) should be documented with the corresponding 源泉徴収票 or equivalent certificate issued by the payer. For rental income managed through a Japanese property-management company, this certificate is typically issued in January for the prior calendar year.

Third, verify 適格請求書 compliance if a 消費税 refund is being claimed. The invoice must identify the seller’s registration number as an 適格請求書発行事業者 (tekikaku-seikyu-sho-hakko-jigyosha, a qualified-invoice issuing business). Missing this number disqualifies the input-tax deduction entirely.

Fourth, open or confirm access to a Japanese bank account. The NTA transfers 還付金 only to a Japanese account. Non-residents routing the refund through a 納税管理人 should confirm the agent’s account details and the arrangement for onward transfer.

Fifth, file by the relevant deadline. For refund-only cases with no additional tax due, early filing from January is both permitted and advisable. The NTA processes refund-only returns faster outside the February to March peak.

For buyers who structured their acquisition through a Japanese corporation and registered under the インボイス制度, the 消費税 refund on a large property purchase can be material. On a ¥500 million commercial acquisition, the 10% consumption-tax component is ¥50 million. Recovering that as an input-tax credit, net of output tax, requires clean invoice documentation and a correctly filed 消費税の確定申告書 by 31 March 2026 for FY2025.

The NTA’s English-language guidance on individual income-tax procedures provides a useful procedural overview, though it does not substitute for advice tailored to non-resident property ownership structures.

For buyers at the due-diligence stage of a Tokyo acquisition, the tax-refund framework is one of several financial mechanics worth mapping before signing the 売買契約書. Koukyuu’s licensed 宅建士 (takken-shi, Japan’s licensed real-estate transaction specialist) works alongside clients’ tax advisers from the initial consultation forward, ensuring that refund eligibility, withholding obligations, and 登記 (touki, the transfer of legal title recorded at the Legal Affairs Bureau) are considered as a connected whole rather than addressed separately at closing. That continuity is especially relevant for transactions above ¥300 million, where the tax variables on acquisition, holding, and eventual disposal are significant enough to affect net return. To discuss a specific acquisition brief, book a private consultation) with the Koukyuu team.

Koukyuu is a private buyer’s advisory for distinguished Tokyo residences in Nishi-Azabu (西麻布), Roppongi Hills (六本木ヒルズ), and Azabudai Hills (麻布台ヒルズ), focused exclusively on transactions of ¥300 million and above. A licensed 宅建士 personally handles every stage of the engagement, from the first consultation to the signing, a continuity most Tokyo agencies do not offer.