Does this letter mean I owe money?

Usually not. A 確定申告のお知らせ is a reminder that filing season has started, not a bill. The amount you owe is whatever your own completed return calculates. A document with a printed amount to pay will be titled 納付書 (payment slip) or 督促状 (demand), which are different letters.

My company did 年末調整, so why did I get this?

Year-end adjustment settles the tax for most employees, but you still file separately if you had side income, two or more employers, or want deductions such as medical expenses, or if this is the first year of your housing loan deduction. Sometimes the notice simply keeps coming because you filed in the past.

Is this the same as my residence tax bill?

No. 所得税 (income tax) is national and handled by the 税務署; 住民税 (residence tax) is local and handled by your city or ward office. Filing your return feeds into the residence tax calculation automatically, but the city sends its own separate bill later in the year.

I also received an email or SMS from the tax office, is it connected?

Official notices arrive by post, and genuine e-Tax messages are read by logging into e-Tax yourself. Never enter your My Number, card number or bank details from a link in an email or SMS; instead, contact the office using the number on the paper document or on the official nta.go.jp site.

Tax

Notice from the 税務署 About 確定申告: What to Do

A postcard or letter printed with 税務署 (tax office), 確定申告 (final income tax return), 所得税 (income tax) or e-Tax comes from the national tax office that covers your address. There are several kinds. The most common is 確定申告のお知らせ, a reminder sent mainly to people who filed last year; it shows your 整理番号 (reference number), sometimes your e-Tax 利用者識別番号 (user ID), and the filing deadline. Others include blank return forms and guides, a notice of the 振替納税 direct-debit date, a 納付書 (payment slip), or an お尋ね letter asking you to explain something you filed. Most of these are reminders, not demands for unpaid tax. Start by checking the sender (〇〇税務署) and the title of the document to see whether it is information, a request for an answer, or a request for payment. Keep the reference numbers, because you need them when you file by e-Tax or on paper. This page cannot give amounts, rates or exact dates, since they differ by year and by person, read the figures and dates printed on your own document.

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Who receives it

These notices usually go to people who filed a return the previous year, e-Tax users, sole proprietors and freelancers, people with rental, stock or crypto income, employees with side income, and pension recipients. Company employees can also receive one if they had two or more employers, income above a certain level, or want to claim things like medical expense deductions or the first year of the housing loan deduction. Receiving the notice does not automatically mean you must file, and not receiving one does not mean you are exempt. Whether you actually have a filing obligation depends on your income; if you are unsure, ask your local 税務署 or a licensed 税理士 (tax accountant).

What to do

1Check the sender (〇〇税務署) and the title to see whether it is a reminder, an お尋ね inquiry that needs a reply, a 納付書 payment slip, or a 督促状 demand letter.
2Find and note the 整理番号 and 利用者識別番号, and the boxes labelled 申告期限 (filing deadline), 納期限 (payment deadline) or 振替日 (direct-debit date).
3Gather your 源泉徴収票 (withholding slip), records of other income, receipts for expenses and deductions, your My Number card or notification card, and your own bank account details if you expect a refund.
4File your return through the 確定申告書等作成コーナー on the National Tax Agency website, through e-Tax, or in person at the tax office or a 確定申告会場, and pay any tax due by the printed deadline.
5If the wording is unclear or your situation is complicated (business expenses, foreign income, leaving Japan), call the tax office number printed on the document or found on the nta.go.jp site, or consult a 税理士.

About the deadline

Income tax returns are normally filed and paid between mid-February and mid-March for the previous calendar year, but the exact dates shift from year to year. The real date for your case is printed on the document in the fields marked 申告期限, 納期限 or 振替日, read those rather than relying on a remembered date. If you use 振替納税 (direct debit), the money usually leaves your account later than the payment deadline. Filing late can trigger additional charges such as 無申告加算税 and 延滞税, but filing late is still better than not filing at all. A return filed only to claim a refund (還付申告) can generally be submitted outside the main season, going back a limited number of years.

Common misunderstandings

Does this letter mean I owe money?: Usually not. A 確定申告のお知らせ is a reminder that filing season has started, not a bill. The amount you owe is whatever your own completed return calculates. A document with a printed amount to pay will be titled 納付書 (payment slip) or 督促状 (demand), which are different letters.
My company did 年末調整, so why did I get this?: Year-end adjustment settles the tax for most employees, but you still file separately if you had side income, two or more employers, or want deductions such as medical expenses, or if this is the first year of your housing loan deduction. Sometimes the notice simply keeps coming because you filed in the past.
Is this the same as my residence tax bill?: No. 所得税 (income tax) is national and handled by the 税務署; 住民税 (residence tax) is local and handled by your city or ward office. Filing your return feeds into the residence tax calculation automatically, but the city sends its own separate bill later in the year.
I also received an email or SMS from the tax office, is it connected?: Official notices arrive by post, and genuine e-Tax messages are read by logging into e-Tax yourself. Never enter your My Number, card number or bank details from a link in an email or SMS; instead, contact the office using the number on the paper document or on the official nta.go.jp site.

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