I was wondering if anyone had experience with leaving Japan (Yokohama) mid tax-year? We are leaving shortly and have been told by the city
office we have to pay local residents tax for the whole year not just 5 months
as we were resident here on Jan 1st. This (huge amount) has to be
settled in cash before we leave. Any experiences /advice to reduce our
bill or where to get advice would be appreciated.

Hi Elaine,

Unfortunately you must pay. The ku-tax (residence tax) is based upon the previous tax year, which explains why the first year in Japan appears to be "tax-free". There is simply a time lag built into the system.

Hi Dennis,

Thanks for taking the time to reply, even if it wasn't the answer I'd hoped for! So we're really paying for last years services etc.