Find your maximum hometown-tax donation limit — in English. Donate, get regional goods, and cut next year's taxes for just ¥2,000 out of pocket.
Furusato nozei (ふるさと納税) lets anyone paying Japanese taxes — including foreign residents — donate to local governments, receive thank-you gifts (返礼品) like rice, meat, fruit, and electronics, and have almost the entire donation refunded through reduced income and resident taxes.
The catch: there's a limit based on your income and family situation. Donate above it and the excess isn't refunded. This calculator estimates your limit. Most furusato nozei sites are Japanese-only — this one explains it in English.
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"Furusato nozei" literally means "hometown tax payment." Despite the name, you don't have to donate to your actual hometown — you can give to any municipality in Japan. In return you get two things:
Your only real cost is a flat ¥2,000, no matter how much you donate (up to your limit). So if your limit is ¥60,000, you donate ¥60,000, get ~¥18,000 of gifts, and ¥58,000 is returned via reduced taxes — paying ¥2,000 for ¥18,000 of goods.
Yes. Anyone who pays income tax and resident tax in Japan qualifies, regardless of nationality or visa type. What matters is that you're a tax resident with taxable income here.
Furusato nozei runs on the calendar year (Jan 1 – Dec 31). Donations must be completed by December 31 to count for that year. One-stop forms are due to municipalities by around January 10 of the following year. Most people donate in November–December once their annual income is clear.
Tip: your limit is based on the year you donate, so estimate using your expected income for that calendar year, not last year's.
For background on how the system works, see the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' official 総務省 furusato nozei overview. The limit uses the standard formula: resident-tax 所得割 × 20% ÷ (90% − income-tax-rate × 1.021) + ¥2,000 — the same approach described in the official 総務省 deduction-limit reference, which you can validate this estimate against. Employment-income deduction, basic deduction, spouse/dependent deductions, social insurance (estimated 15%), iDeCo, and medical deductions are applied with standard 2024–2025 figures. The marginal income-tax rate follows the National Tax Agency income tax brackets. Resident-tax adjustment credits (調整控除) and income-based deduction phase-outs are approximated.
This tool gives an estimate for general guidance only and is not tax advice. For decisions, confirm with an official simulator or a 税理士 (licensed tax accountant).