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Useful
Information
for Everyday
Living in
Minato City
Taxes, Insurance and
Pensions
“Useful Information for Everyday Living in Minato City”
is available concerning nine areas, in four languages:
Japanese with phonetic readings, English, Korean and
Chinese. “Must Know Information”, a leaflet with the
location and contact information for the Regional City
Offices is also available at Multilingual Information Space
on the 1st floor of the City Hall (*) and Residents Support
Section of each Regional City Office. Please use it along
with this leaflet.
*The Multilingual Information Space can be found on the 3
while the City Hall is undergoing renovations.
rd
For inquires in English, please contact the following
numbers.
floor
03-5472-3710 Japanese, English
7:00a.m.-11:00p.m., 7days a week
Consultation Service for Foreign Residents
Please make inquiries in Japanese, except where otherwise
noted.
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Minato Call (City information service)
03-3578-2046, 2524 Japanese, English
9:00a.m.-12:00noon, 1:00p.m.-5:00p.m., Monday-Friday
Taxes
Types of Taxes and Payment Methods
All registered residents including foreigners must pay taxes. Taxes can be broadly divided into “national
taxes”, and “local taxes” which are paid to the location where you live. Among these “local taxes” are
the “resident tax” and “light vehicle tax”, for people with light vehicles, which are paid to Minato City.
▶ Resident Tax
Registered residents in Japan on January 1st will pay an amount calculated
based on the previous year’s income to the municipal office where they were
registered as residents.
▶ Light Vehicle Tax
On April 1, persons with light vehicles or motor scooters will pay this tax to
the municipal office where they are registered as residents.
*“Income tax” paid by working people is a national tax. “Property tax” paid by people with real estate is a Metropolitan tax paid to Tokyo Metropolitan Government. For more details, please contact the various Tax Offices.
▶ National Tax
Shiba Tax Office
▶ Metropolitan Tax
Minato Metropolitan Taxation Office
03-3455-0551, Azabu Tax Office
03-3403-0591
03-5549-3800
Non-Taxed Individuals
Resident tax may be exempted by people with total income for the previous year that falls below the
amount determined by the national government, or for other reasons as determined by regulation.
Please ask the Taxation Section for more details.
Useful Information for Everyday Living in Minato City
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Resident Tax Payment
Persons that receive a salary from a company etc., or receive a pension have resident tax deducted from
their salary or pension. For other people, the City will send a notice of tax payment and payment slips.
Payment is then made 4 times per year at banks, convenience stores, etc. using the payment slips.
Light Vehicle Registration and Disposal
When you buy a light vehicle or motor scooter, or when it changes owner or is scrapped, please visit
the Regional City Office Residents Support Section. If you keep a vehicle without using it, you still need
to pay tax on it.
Filing and Consultation
The following procedures and consultations can be made at Residents Support Section of respective
Regional City Offices and Taxation Section at City Hall.
⃝Filing
People that have no income in the previous year, or have not worked in the previous year should
report their income to the Tax Office or Regional City Office. If you do not make a filing, taxes and
National Health Insurance will not be calculated correctly.
⃝Consultations on the Payment of Resident Tax
If you are unable to pay the determined tax all at once on the set date, please consult with the City
Hall Taxation Section. The amount payable will not change, but you can discuss payment over time.
Tax Payment Certificate, Taxation Certificate, Tax Exemption Certificate
If you need a tax certificate to submit to the Immigration Bureau, you can receive one by paying at
the Regional City Office Residents Support Section. If you have moved into Minato City, depending on
when you come to live in Minato City you may need to get a certificate from the municipal office at
your previous address.
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Health Insurance System
In Japan, everyone that is a registered resident enters public health insurance so that they can have peace of mind
in receiving medical treatment for illnesses or injuries. Even if you have travel insurance or some other private insurance, you will still need to join the public health insurance. There are two types of public health insurance, “National
Health Insurance” which is entered by individuals, and “Social Health Insurance” which is entered through your
workplace. Once you have entered health insurance, determined insurance premiums must be paid, but you can
use your insurance to make medical expenses for examinations and treatment at hospitals much cheaper. There
are also a number of other services. Please speak to your place of work with respect to “Social Health Insurance”.
National Health Insurance (NHI)
National Health Insurance is public health insurance for people that do not have health insurance (Social
Insurance) through their workplace.
Joining National Health Insurance
Please bring your Residence Card (in the case of special permanent residents, your Special Permanent
Resident Certificate) and the items below to the Regional City Office Residents Support Section within 14
days of moving. If you do not get insurance straight away but join after some time has passed, you will
still need to pay the insurance premiums from the date on which you moved into Minato City.
Taxes, Insurance and Pensions
□ Things to bring when joining National Health Insurance
▶ When moving into Minato City from overseas
Residence Card, Passport
▶ When moving into Minato City from elsewhere in Japan
Residence Card, Passport, Moving Certificate
▶ When leaving your company health insurance
Residence Card, “Certificate of Loss of Qualification for Health Insurance” (proof that you have left your health insurance), Passport
▶ When a child is born
Residence Card, Your National Health Insurance Card, Passport
*You will need other items if you have an official visa but no resident registration. Please ask at City Hall.
Other National Health Insurance Procedures
If you change your address within Minato City, have a change in name or head of household, or when you
lose your Insurance Card or it gets dirty, please visit the Regional City Office, Residents Support Subsection.
Insurance Premiums
National Health Insurance and Pension Section, Eligibility Subsection 03-3578-2643
National Health Insurance premiums are calculated by household, and payment slips are sent to the
head of the household. Premiums are basically calculated based on income, but there are a number of
conditions and determinations in this calculation.
Payment Method
National Health Insurance and Pension Section, Premium Collection Subsection/
Premium Collection Promotion Subsection 03-3578-2647
Payment is made using the payment slips that you are sent, by paying at banks or convenience stores,
etc. or by direct debit from your bank account.
Consultations on the Payment of Insurance Premiums
National Health Insurance and Pension Section,
Premium Collection Subsection and Premium Collection Promotion Subsection
03-3578-2647
Please consult with the City Hall National Health Insurance and Pension Section, Premium Collection
Subsection if you are unable to pay the determined amount by the determined date. If unpaid premiums pile up, this can cause various problems. Please consult before such problems occur, as it is possible to arrange to pay a little at a time.
National Health Insurance Benefits
National Health Insurance and Pension Section, Benefits Subsection 03-3578-2640
In the following circumstances, money is paid or refunded, so please prepare the necessary documents.
There are also other benefits available, so please ask the National Health Insurance and Pension Section,
Benefits Subsection for details.
▶ Overseas Medical Expenses
▶ Refund of High Medical Expense
▶ Lump-Sum Childbirth Allowance
▶ Funeral Allowance
Some part of expenses for medical treatment received abroad is covered by insurance. However, this is not covered when the purpose of going overseas is to receive treatment.
Where medical expenses paid to hospitals exceed a certain determined amount, the excess
amount can be refunded upon application.
This is received by people that have National Health Insurance when they give birth. This
lump sum is paid directly from City Hall to the hospital etc. (For more details, please read the
leaflet “No 4. Child Rearing and Education.”)
Paid to the person that arranges the funeral in the event that a person with National Health
Insurance dies.
Useful Information for Everyday Living in Minato City
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Taxes, Insurance and Pensions
Pensions
National and Employee Pensions
Registered residents of Japan between the age of 20 and 59 must enter a pension. There are “Employee
Pensions” for people working in a company etc., and the “National Pension” for others. If you have
paid into the pension for a determined period of time, you will receive a pension in the event that you
become disabled or when you reach 65 years of age. Your pension is also paid to your family in the
event that you pass away. Please ask your workplace for more details about “Employee Pensions”.
Joining the National Pension
You can join at the Residents Support Section of Regional City Offices. If you are joining the National Pension after
leaving your job, please bring your “Pension Book” and “Certification of leaving work” to prove the date you left work.
Premiums
National Pension premium is 16,260 yen per month in FY2016, regardless of age or income. Please pay at a
bank or convenience store, etc. using the payment slip that is sent to you by the Japan Pension Service.
If you are not able to pay the premiums, please consult with the City Hall National Health Insurance and
Pension Section or at Regional City Offices. In some circumstances you may be exempted to pay premiums.
Once you begin working, you will change from the National Pension System to an Employee Pension. Your
company will complete the processing, so you will not need to come to City Hall.
Benefits
▶ Basic Old Age Pension
▶ Basic Disability Pension
▶ Basic Survivor Pension
◦ Inquiries
This pension is received once you reach the age of 65, if you have paid National
Pension premiums for a determined number of years.
This pension is received by people with a disability due to injury or illness. There are
conditions to receive it, so please consult directly.
This pension is received by the spouse with children that are reliant on the income
of a person with National Pension that passes away, or if there is no spouse, by the
children. For more details, please consult directly.
Minato Pension Office
National Health Insurance and Pension Section, National Pension Subsection
03-5401-3211
03-3578-2662 to 2666
Lump-sum Withdrawal Payments
Foreigners that have paid into the National Pension for more than 6 months and then leave the country
can leave the National Pension and have a portion of the money paid returned. Please apply from overseas
within two years of leaving Japan. You cannot apply while in Japan. You can pick up an application form
from the Pension Office. Japan Pension Service website has an explanation in various foreign languages,
and you can also download an application form from there.
▶ Japan Pension Service
http://www.nenkin.go.jp/index.html Japanese, English
▶ Lump-sum Withdrawal Payments
https://www.nenkin.go.jp/service/jukyu/sonota-kyufu/dattai-ichiji/20150406.html Japanese, English
Useful Information for Everyday Living in Minato City
③ Taxes, Insurance and Pensions
Minato CIty is committed to the conservation of
green space and reduction of waste.
This leaflet was printed on recycled paper containing
post-consumer waste.
Date of publication : March, 2016
Published by : Minato City 1-5-25, Shibakoen,
Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8511
Publication No : 27269-3211
In charge : Global Community Planning Subsection,
Community Promotion Section, Minato City
03-3578-2046, 2524
＊ Published information is subject to change.