"Haluk Skywalker" <yokoolebiri@spam.net> wrote in message news:<brl9v0$4njib$1@ID-201738.news.uni-berlin.de>...
> I'm a freelance translator, who resides in Japan but works with translation
> agencies in Turkey only.
> I have an account in Citibank. My agencies in Turkey deposit my weekly
> paycheck to my Citibank account and I withdraw the money in Japan. Although
> I pay shit load of banking commission; I don't care. Money's comin', so no
> problem.
> So basically, 100% of my income is from Turkey. I am not working in Japan. I
> live there with tourist visa, leave the country every three months and come
> back.

Well, you know, just for conversation's sake, because I know nothing
of the law in these matters and you certainly shouldn't rely on
anything I say, it sounds like you're a bit out on a limb.

Unless you've been doing this for years, then depending on a number of
factors, the zeimusho would probably classify you as a non-permanent
(possibly illegal, but that's not their department) resident. As a
result, foreign source income remitted abroad is not taxable... in
principle. But then, this is Japan, the LDP is running a huge deficit,
and your case is unusual if you have no Japan source income at all.
They could rightly question how it is that you could be living here
without working. If you respond that you are working (while in Japan),
then their interest in your case would undoubtedly deepen. Depending
on a variety of factors such as the nature of your work, the location
and nature of your company's clients, how and where you live, etc,
they could easily decide that your income (or at least the portion
that you withdraw for expenses in Japan) is taxable. They have
latitude to do that, and it costs them nothing to try.

So keep your head down and check with the the accountant. Don't wait
for January because there may be things you can do now to mitigate the
situation if in fact you could be deemed to owe taxes. Your embassy
may be able to recommend someone.

Tim