If you’re sending a large amount of money to Japan, your recipient may need to mind the country’s gift tax. Likewise, you as the gifter could be on the hook for US taxes — and will likely need to report large transfers to the IRS.
Japanese tax laws include regulations around gifts of property, including cash. Our research indicates that there’s a yearly exemption amount, but that more than just that amount determines if the giftee has to pay taxes on what they receive.
Factors such as where your recipient is domiciled can also affect which taxes they need to pay. Because of how complex tax law is, it’s recommended that the person receiving the funds seek out a tax professional for advice.
Penalties vary depending on a number of factors, including where your recipient lives in Japan. Some fines for late tax payments can be as little as a couple hundred yen, but even small ones can increase significantly the longer they’re overdue.
The specifics of what your recipient would face if they failed to file can be found by talking with a local tax professional who’s well versed in the tax codes of their specific region.
Yes. In most cases, you’ll need to report large transfers out of the US to the IRS. Banks are legally required to report amounts of $10,000 or more, but some transfer specialists have been known to report as little as $1,000.
Depending on your circumstances, you’ll need to file different forms that correspond with the types of transfers you’ve made. For example, if you gave gifts of $17,000 or more in the past year, you would likely need to file the Gift (and Generation-Skipping Transfer) Tax Return form.
Since the Japanese yen is not a controlled currency, you likely won’t run into any government-set transfer limits. That’s not to say you can transfer any amount, though. Banks and transfer specialists may set maximum transfer limits per day and cumulative limits per month.
To transfer large amounts without worrying about a cap, you can look into a transfer specialist like Xe — which doesn’t have a transfer limit.
Receiving money in Japan can be convenient with options like direct deposit and cash pickup. Before you send funds for cash pickup, make sure the region your recipient is in has a location close enough.
Check out our guide on sending money to Japan to get an in-depth look at how to transfer funds and where to find some cash-pickup locations.
Taxes on large remittances to Japan are going to vary based on the area your recipient is in, how much you send and other factors. You’ll also need to keep track of your own transfers and report them as necessary.
To get a better idea of the services available to get your funds to another country quickly and safely, take a look at our complete guide to international transfer specialists.
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Are you visiting from outside the US?
You’ll likely need to file with the IRS, and your recipient may have to pay a gift tax.
Your recipient won’t be on the hook for any taxes, but there may be limits on how much you can send.
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