Guides to invoicing in Japan

Japanese invoicing has a few requirements that do not exist elsewhere, and they are usually discovered when a client sends something back. These guides cover the ones that come up most often, in English, with links to the tax authority's own material.

• The qualified invoice system and your registration number

  Why Japanese clients ask for a T-number, whether you should register, and the six items a compliant invoice has to show.

• Withholding tax on fees paid by Japanese clients

  Why 10.21% is missing from your payment, which work is covered, how the rate changes above one million yen, and how to get it back.

• Invoicing Japanese clients in practice

  Closing dates and payment cycles, how to address the document, the bank fields a Japanese transfer needs, and who pays the transfer fee.

These guides are general information about Japanese practice, not professional advice. For a decision that turns on your own circumstances, consult a licensed tax accountant or the tax office.