Furusato nozei (“hometown tax donation”) is a system for donating to a local government in Japan and receiving a thank-you gift. On Ochinity, thank-you gifts are covered with the same five checks we use for every product. This page explains what our articles cover, and what we do not write about. For the rules themselves, please see the official pages from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and the National Tax Agency.
How it works (outline)
- You donate to a local government. The amount above 2,000 yen can be deducted from your income tax and resident tax, up to a limit (National Tax Agency, No. 1155).
- A tax return is generally required. If you are an employee who does not need to file a tax return and you donated to five or fewer local governments, you can apply to each local government instead (the “one-stop exception”). Follow the deadline given by each local government.
- The deduction limit depends on your income and household. We do not calculate your deduction or limit, and we do not advise on filing. Please use the official simulators on the donation sites, or the official pages below.
Who can receive the deduction
- Resident tax is deducted only if you have an address in Japan on 1 January of the year after you donate, and you pay resident tax. Nationality does not matter.
- Thank-you gifts are normally delivered inside Japan only. For overseas delivery, check each local government or donation site.
- Most donation sites are in Japanese only. A My Number (individual number) is usually required for the deduction procedure.
What our articles check
The same five checks as every other article (amount and servings / storage and shelf life / ingredients and allergen labelling / whether it works as a gift / what reviews say), plus three items specific to furusato nozei.
- The local government receiving the donation
- The donation amount, listed per donation site with the date we checked it
- When it ships. Around the New Year period this can be several months ahead
Where the official page does not state something, we write “not confirmed” rather than filling it in.
Before you apply
- Check the shipping period, and whether you can choose a delivery date (especially for frozen and chilled gifts)
- Donation amounts can differ by site and change over time. Confirm the final amount on the application screen
- The gift is normally delivered to the address of the person who donated. Check each page if you want to send it to someone else
What we do not write
- Wording that presents a donation as shopping — “good value”, “return rate”, “effectively 2,000 yen”, “best deal”
- Anything about loyalty points
- Calculations of your deduction or limit, or advice on filing
- We do not buy or taste the gifts ourselves, so we do not rate their taste
Official information
- Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications — Furusato Nozei portal (in Japanese)
- National Tax Agency — No. 1155 Furusato nozei (donation deduction) (in Japanese)
Articles
In preparation. Articles will be listed here once published.
This page may contain PR / affiliate links. Information is based on public sources as of the date shown in each article.