During our time on JET, we have been paying into the Japanese pension system. After we leave JET, we are eligible to receive a portion of this money back. There are two payments we are eligible for: the Pension Refund and the Pension Tax Refund. Although we are eligible for these, you will not receive them unless you follow the following instructions:
1. Choose a Japanese person you trust (your Supervisor or a co-worker/friend that you are close with) to be your Tax Representative.
2. Fill out the "Declaration Naming a Person to Administer the Taxpayer’s Tax Affairs" (Nozeikanrinin no Todokedesho) with your Tax Representative & bring it to either a Social Insurance Office (Shakai Hoken Jimusho) or the Tax Section of your Municipal Office. A bilingual version of this form for non-Japanese residents is available at the Social Insurance Office.
3. Make sure you have the following before you leave Japan: ・ your Pension Book (Nenkin Techo)- the little orange or blue book you should have received upon arrival. ・ the Dattai Ichijikin Saitei Seikyusho or "Request of Arbitration for Lump-sum Withdrawal Benefit" form.
4. Leave Japan. Turn in your Foreigner Registration Card on the way out.
5. After you arrive home, file for your Pension Refund. Send the following to the address below: ・ the filled-out "Request of Arbitration for Lump-sum Withdrawal Benefit" (Dattai Ichijikin Saitei Seikyusho) form. ・ your Pension Book. ・ Passport Photocopies of the pages showing your name, date of birth, nationality, signature, work visa, and the date of departure from Japan. ・ A document (copy of your bank statement, bank passbook, etc.) verifying the bank name, branch office name, branch address bank account number, and the full name of the account holder(must be your own).
Social Insurance Agency
3-5-24 Takaido Nishi
Suginami-ku, Tokyo 168-8505
JAPAN
6. Receive the "Notice of the Lump-sum Withdrawal Payment" in the mail and the Pension Refund in your bank account. KA-CHING #1.
7. Make a copy of the "Notice of the Lump-sum Withdrawal Payment" and send the original to your Tax Representative.
8. Have your Tax Representative go to the same tax office and before and file the kakutei shinkosho for you. The Tax Representative will receive your Pension Tax Refund in their bank account.
9. Have your Tax Representative send you your Pension Tax Refund. KA-CHING #2. IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER: The Pension Refund you get back initially is actually around 80% of your pension- what is left after taxes are subtracted. The remaining taxes paid are returned when you file for the Pension Tax Refund. In order to receive the refund, you MUST turn in our foreigner registration card at the airport upon final departure of Japan. Application for the refunds must be made within 2 years of leaving Japan. Both the Niigata PAs and CLAIR can answer general questions about the refunds; however, they do not handle the paperwork. For more details, please contact the designated tax office of your residence in Japan.
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