Japanese-to-English Tax Notice Translation for Tax Filing

What a Japanese Tax Notice Typically Contains

A Japanese Notice of Tax Determination (kettei tsuchisho) is the official statement you receive from your municipality detailing your annual income-based resident tax liability. Commonly issued around June each year, it summarises your total income from the previous calendar year, breaks down allowable deductions, and lists the final tax amounts for municipal and prefectural components. The notice shows your salary income, any other income, and the specific deductions applied, such as the basic exemption, spousal deduction, or social insurance premium deduction. It then calculates your taxable income and applies the per capita rate and the income-based rate, arriving at the total resident tax. A separate section lays out the payment method, often special collection (withholding from monthly salary) or ordinary collection (self-payment via payment slips). Understanding this structure is the first step in deciding whether you need a translation for your own records or for submission to a foreign authority.

Common Japanese Terms on a Tax Notice

Tax notices use a specific set of recurring terms. The table below translates the ones you are most likely to see on a standard municipal tax determination, taken from actual notices that we have processed for foreign workers in cities like Sagamihara.

Japanese	Romaji	English
市民税	shiminzei	Municipal tax
県民税	kenminzei	Prefectural tax
給与収入	kyūyo shūnō	Salary income
特別徴収	tokubetsu chōshū	Special collection (payroll withholding)
決定通知書	kettei tsuchisho	Tax determination notification
所得控除	shotoku kōjo	Income deductions
税額控除	zeigaku kōjo	Tax credit
均等割	kintō wari	Per capita amount
森林環境税	shinrin kankyō zei	Forest environment tax
令和7年	Reiwa 7-nen	Reiwa 7 fiscal year

Why Foreign Workers in Japan Translate Tax Notices into English

Foreign residents in Japan often need an English version of their tax notice for practical reasons that go beyond simple curiosity. The most common driver is filing a foreign tax return. If you are a U.S. citizen, for instance, you must report your worldwide income and may claim a foreign tax credit to offset Japanese taxes already paid; having the notice in English lets you, or your preparer, quickly identify the amounts and categories of tax. Similarly, some visa renewal or permanent residency applications ask for proof of tax payment, and an English translation can support an application for a partner’s visa in an English-speaking country. Even when no official handover is required, a fast English render helps you grasp your annual tax burden, confirm that employer withholding is correct, and spot any unusual charges before they become a problem.

AI Translation vs Human-Certified Work: When Each Fits

An AI translation of your tax notice delivers a clear, accurate-enough English document in minutes. For internal review, tax preparation assistance, or discussions with an accountant who can verify the figures against the original, that is often all you need. It puts the information into a language you can use without delay, and at a fraction of the cost of a human-certified service. The speed advantage is considerable when you are gathering documents before a tax filing deadline. However, if a foreign tax authority explicitly requires a sworn, signed translation or a “certified translation” as part of your submission, AI output alone is unlikely to satisfy that requirement. In those cases, you need a credentialed human translator or certifying officer. The choice depends entirely on what the receiving organisation asks for, not on any inherent quality gap in the AI output for understanding the content.

What Lekhak's AI Translation Produces

When you upload a scanned Japanese tax notice to Lekhak, the platform processes the image through optical character recognition, translates the extracted text, and assembles a formatted DOCX file. That DOCX preserves the notice’s original tabular structure, income columns, deduction rows, and payment breakdowns appear in a clean table you can read and copy. Because the translation is machine-generated, it does not include a translator’s signature, stamp, or certificate page. What you get is a fast, editable working document that lets you see every line item in English. The system supports Japanese as a source and targets English among 70+ global languages. The whole process takes minutes, not days, and there is no physical delivery; the file is downloaded directly. If you later decide to obtain a certified translation, the DOCX can serve as a draft to review with a human translator, saving you time and expense.

When You Might Need Notarisation, Apostille, or Embassy Attestation

Most tax notices used for personal tax filing or visa applications do not require notarisation. However, certain cross-border procedures, such as submitting income evidence to a foreign court or for some permanent residency programmes, may demand a chain of authentication that starts with notarisation of the translation and proceeds through apostille or embassy attestation. This is a distinct legalisation process, separate from translation itself. Lekhak does not provide notarisation, apostille, or attestation services. If an authority insists on an authenticated translation, you should engage a qualified translation provider who specialises in certified outputs and arrange the attestation through the appropriate government offices, for example, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs for apostille or the embassy of the destination country for further legalisation. The AI translation can still be a practical first step to understand the notice before you invest in the full certification chain.

How to Obtain a Duplicate of Your Japanese Tax Notice

If your original tax determination notice is lost or damaged, you can request a reissue from the municipal office that sent it. In most cities, you visit the tax division of your ward or city hall, present your residence card or My Number card, and fill out a simple application form. Some municipalities allow you to order a duplicate by post or through an online portal, though an in-person visit is often faster. You normally receive a certified copy of the tax certificate (nōzei shōmeisho), which reproduces the same figures as the original notice. There is no national fee standard, but it is usually a few hundred yen. The duplicate is accepted in the same way as the original for all official uses. Once you have the clean copy, you can scan it and create an English translation using an AI tool to work with the data immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use an AI translation of my Japanese tax notice for my U.S. tax return?

Yes, for your own records or to share with a preparer. The IRS does not require translations of foreign-source income documents to be certified for individual returns, but you must retain the original Japanese notice and be ready to explain the figures if asked. The IRS website provides guidance on foreign tax credits.

What does "special collection" mean on my tax notice?

"Special collection" (tokubetsu chōshū) is the method where your employer withholds your resident tax from your monthly salary and pays it to the municipality on your behalf. This is the standard arrangement for salaried workers. The notice will show the monthly deduction amounts from June through the following May.

Do I need a certified translation of my tax notice for a Japan visa extension?

No. Japanese immigration handles tax documents in their original Japanese form. An English translation is not required for a visa extension application within Japan. You may only need one if you are submitting the document to a foreign immigration authority that demands translated evidence of income.

How do I read the Reiwa year on my tax notice?

The era year Reiwa 7 corresponds to 2025, and the notice covers the previous year’s income. The tax determination for Reiwa 7 is based on income earned during the 2024 calendar year. You can convert Reiwa years to Gregorian by adding 2018.

Will a machine translation capture all the figures and tax categories correctly?

Modern AI translation reliably picks up numbers, columns, and category labels printed in clear type on a scan. Complex handwriting or low-resolution images may reduce accuracy, so it is best to submit the cleanest scan possible. The AI output will reflect the same numbers and line items as the original.

Is the forest environment tax included in my total resident tax?

Yes. From the 2024 fiscal year, a national forest environment tax of ¥1,000 per capita is added to your municipal tax and collected alongside it. Your notice will list it as a separate line item under the per capita levy.

Can I use Lekhak's AI translation for a tax notice from Sagamihara City?

Absolutely. The platform processes notices from any Japanese municipality identically. The scan-to-DOCX workflow handles the standardised layout of municipal tax determination notices, including those issued by Sagamihara and other designated cities.

What is the difference between municipal tax and prefectural tax on the notice?

Municipal tax goes to your city or ward, while prefectural tax goes to the prefectural government. The notice usually shows them as separate line items, both calculated on the same taxable income but at different rates. Combined, they form your total “resident tax.”

Do I need to translate my tax notice for a permanent residency application in another country?

It depends on the country. Many immigration programmes accept English translations of foreign income documents without certification, but some require a notarised translation or a statement from a certified translator. Always check the specific country’s document checklist.

How much time does AI translation save compared to a human service?

AI translation produces a usable DOCX in a few minutes after upload, whereas human-certified services often take several business days and cost significantly more. For internal review or draft preparation, that speed eliminates waiting and lets you move ahead with tax planning immediately.