Someone phoned saying 'you have a refund, go to the ATM'. Is it real?

It is a scam. A genuine refund is completed by a transfer to your bank account. The tax office and city hall never phone to guide you through an ATM, and never ask for a fee or PIN for a refund. Hang up and check with family, the police advice line (#9110), or the tax office's main number yourself.

I filed my tax return but the refund hasn't arrived. When will it?

About 1 to 1.5 months for paper filing, or 2-3 weeks by e-Tax, is normal. You can check the processing status via the e-Tax reception system or My Number Portal. Only if the expected date passes with nothing should you contact the tax office using the number on the notice.

The account is my old name / an old account. What do I do?

If the transfer fails, the refund is held. Contact the tax office or municipal section printed on the notice and ask how to correct the account (usually by re-submitting a bank-transfer form). Be cautious about giving account numbers to anyone outside the official channel.

I got a refund notice by SMS or email but expected nothing.

The tax office and municipalities generally do not ask you to claim a refund via an SMS or email link. Do not open the link or call the number in it; look up the official main number yourself and confirm. It is most likely phishing.

Tax

還付金のお知らせ: Japan Tax Refund Notice Explained (and refund scams)

A notice labelled 還付金のお知らせ or 国税還付金振込通知書 tells you that tax you overpaid is being refunded to you. National income-tax refunds come from the tax office (税務署); overpaid local tax, national health insurance and similar (過誤納金) come from your city or ward. If you overpaid through a 確定申告 (tax return) or 年末調整 (year-end adjustment) — often via medical-expense, mortgage or furusato-nozei deductions — the money is transferred to the bank account you wrote on your return. A genuine refund is completed by a bank transfer to your account, and at most asks you to fill in a one-time bank-account form. ⛔ It NEVER asks you to go to an ATM or follow phone instructions to operate one — anything that does is a 'refund scam' (還付金詐欺). Amounts and dates differ per person, so always check the figures and the account name printed on your own notice.

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Watch for scams

⛔ The classic Japanese refund scam (還付金詐欺): a call, text or letter says 'you have a refund', pressures you that a deadline is near, sends you to an ATM at a convenience store or supermarket, and keeps you on the phone while you 'operate' it — which actually sends THEM money. A real tax refund is completed by a transfer to your bank account: no ATM operation, no fee, no PIN, no handing over a cash card, ever. If anything feels off, hang up and confirm with family, the police advice line #9110, or the tax office / city hall main number you looked up yourself.

Who receives it

People who overpaid income tax through a 確定申告 or 年末調整 — commonly via medical-expense deduction, mortgage deduction, or furusato-nozei — receive a 国税還付金振込通知書 from the tax office. If you double-paid or had a reduction on resident tax, national health insurance or nursing-care insurance, your municipality sends a 過誤納金 refund notice. Nationality does not matter. ⛔ If you have no idea why you would get a refund and someone phones, texts or writes telling you to 'go to an ATM for your refund', treat it as a scam, not a refund.

What to do

1Check that the payout account printed on the notice is in your own name, and note the refund amount.
2For a 国税還付金振込通知書, the money is normally paid automatically into the account you specified on your tax return — usually no further action is needed.
3Only if a municipal 過誤納金 notice includes a 口座振込依頼書 (bank-transfer request form) do you fill in your account details and return it by the stated date — a one-time step.
4If the scheduled transfer date passes and nothing arrives, call the tax office or municipal section using the number printed on the notice yourself to check.
5⛔ If any notice or caller tells you to go to an ATM, or asks for a fee, PIN or personal details 'for your refund', do not comply. Hang up and call back the official main number (one you looked up yourself).

About the deadline

A 国税還付金振込通知書 is a notice that money will be transferred to you — it is not a bill you must pay by a date. For tax-return refunds, expect the money in about 2-3 weeks if you filed by e-Tax, or 1 to 1.5 months on paper. If a municipal refund needs you to return a bank-transfer form, send it by the date on the enclosed instructions or the payment is delayed. Note the time limit too: the right to receive a refund generally expires after five years.

Common misunderstandings

Someone phoned saying 'you have a refund, go to the ATM'. Is it real?: It is a scam. A genuine refund is completed by a transfer to your bank account. The tax office and city hall never phone to guide you through an ATM, and never ask for a fee or PIN for a refund. Hang up and check with family, the police advice line (#9110), or the tax office's main number yourself.
I filed my tax return but the refund hasn't arrived. When will it?: About 1 to 1.5 months for paper filing, or 2-3 weeks by e-Tax, is normal. You can check the processing status via the e-Tax reception system or My Number Portal. Only if the expected date passes with nothing should you contact the tax office using the number on the notice.
The account is my old name / an old account. What do I do?: If the transfer fails, the refund is held. Contact the tax office or municipal section printed on the notice and ask how to correct the account (usually by re-submitting a bank-transfer form). Be cautious about giving account numbers to anyone outside the official channel.
I got a refund notice by SMS or email but expected nothing.: The tax office and municipalities generally do not ask you to claim a refund via an SMS or email link. Do not open the link or call the number in it; look up the official main number yourself and confirm. It is most likely phishing.

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