SMEJapan FAQ

We will gladly manage your accounting. Our company provides the full range of accounting services, starting with the preparation of the individual income tax for business owners and their employees, to preparation of company’s annual profits and losses statements, to guiding you through what kinds of expenses can be written off and how to do it. When necessary, we can also work in cooperation with your other accountants.

Our company will be happy to help you understand the peculiarities of the banking systems in Japan and to advise on how to proceed with your banking needs. For example, we can assist you in setting up corporate account for you business. In a meantime, you might find our Banking Guide useful for learning the basics of baking in Japan.

Yes, we help our clients in application process for various permits, licenses, visas, etc. That includes obtaining the information about what documents should be prepared, when and how to submit them, as well as language assistance since a lot of institutions in Japan are not currently able to process applications in English.

We manage the vast range of issues related to utility and telephone companies. Our company can handle setting up and maintaining accounts with, for example, telephone, electricity, water and other communal services providers.

Our company can help with business marketing and promotion in many ways: from identifying market niches and potential customers to utilizing social media tools for promotion of your company products and services.

U.S. franchising has heavily influenced the development of Japan‘s franchise industry since the early 1970s and there are many well known brands in the market. e.g Starbucks, Subway and Domino’s Pizza.  Although Japanese consumers are generally receptive to U.S. franchise concepts, products and services must be adjusted to local tastes and expectations in Japan to ensure success. A great example of this is McDonalds “Teriyaki Burger”.

Identifying the right business partner in Japan requires time and effort, and it can be difficult to find companies that are willing to invest in master franchise rights or to invest in business concepts that do not have a clear market or strong growth potential in Japan.

There is no requirement to register the franchise or to pilot one or more outlets before franchising under the Medium and Small Retail Commerce Promotion Act. Trade marks must be registered in order to be protected.

Of course! Our company can take care of many types of taxation, both for business owners and their employees. We can file your year-end taxes, pension payments, home taxes, consumption taxes, etc.

You might be eligible to pay inheritance or a capital gain tax. The amount of taxes and payment schedules are quite complicated, so do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. And we will help you to handle your payments in a timely manner.

Before you leave the country, make sure that you have properly closed all of your operations and/or transfer of business to another owner. We can help you with your exit strategies. As for your taxes, some of your payments may be reimbursed. For example, your lump-sum pension. We would be happy to provide you with more information on what type of tax payments you might get back.

The following transactions are eligible for tax deductions:

• Principle (regular consumption) – if the taxable sales are at least 95%, the consumption tax for this transaction is deductible; otherwise, the amount to be deducted is based on the itemised consumption tax for every purchase. Always keep your invoices and accounts ready to be able to qualify for this deduction.
• Special Provision (simplified taxation system) – if the taxable sales amount to 200 million yen or less during a specific base period, you may use the final sales tax and the deemed rate of purchases as the consumption tax for these transactions.

Yes, we do. Getting a business or investor visa is one of the key requirements to start business operations in Japan. Our company is determined to help as many of our clients as we can to obtain one.

Whilst we cannot guarantee approvals (because only the Japanese Ministry of Immigration can make a decision about a visa application), we have a very high success rate with applicants that meet all the requirements.

Yes, we do. There are many visa options available for different types of employment depending on the industry and employee’s qualification. Whether you need visa for yourself, or you plan to hire a non-Japanese resident who will need a visa to legally perform working duties in Japan, our company will help you to choose the correct type of visa and assist you through the application process. If you want to learn more about different visa options, we suggest you start by reading our Visa Guide to get the general idea about different visa types.

Although not every company needs a license, obtaining a permission to engage in certain types of activities is often a must. For example, if you plan to operate in food industry, medicine production, cosmetics, etc. you will need one since the production has to comply with the set standards. You can find out more by reading out Licensing Guide. We would be happy to answer all of your questions about licensing, to find out if your business needs one, and to help you get all the necessary permits.

Yes, we do. This is one of the main lines of our services. Do not hesitate to contact us if you need to verify or legalise your foreign-issued documents in Japan. We can help you in finding the right expert and to process your legal matters in the fastest and most efficient way without overpaying.

Yes, our company can help you to get your trademark or patent registered and recognized in Japan in accordance with the country regulations. We assist our clients by helping them to prepare the set of necessary documents and by supporting their application process until the end. Please, contact us if you have any questions.

Human resources is one of our fields of expertise. Weather you need a full-time stuff or temporary/contract personnel, we can provide advice and assistance in all areas of human resources management from understanding of the main regulations to drafting work contracts. To get started you might want to read our Human Resources Guide.

We can help you to settle all issues associated with the legal rent for you employees. Please, contact us as soon as you know that you will be taking care of accommodation for the employees.

In order for your workers to get paid during their sick leaves, pension, etc. you need to enroll them into health and pension insurance programs. There are several options of such insurance available for different types of workers. Our team will make sure that your employees are enrolled into all the necessary insurance programs and systems depending on their contract type. If you feel like learning more about these programs, you can start by reading our Healthcare and Pension Guide.