JJapan Finance

Taking advantage while still exempt from Gift/Inheritance Tax?

  • November 10, 2025

Throwaway account for privacy reasons.

Allow me to start by saying I’ve learnt so much from this subreddit over the years, and it’s finally my turn to ask for some specific advice here.

I’m a Table 1 visa holder and have been living in Japan for 5-10 years. My understanding is that while I’m already a tax resident, I’m still exempt from Gift Tax and Inheritance Tax.

My parents are in their 60s and I’m their only child, so we’ve started discussing inheritance. They’ll 100% live beyond my 10-year mark (God bless them), and Japan’s Inheritance Tax is… hefty to say the least, I’m wondering how to reduce the taxable amount as much as possible, legally of course.

Current estimate of my inheritance:

-Real estate ~200M JPY

-Cash & stocks ~400M JPY

Extra info:

-They live in my home country (non-US), a tax haven without Gift/Inheritance Tax and very low other taxes.

-Me leaving Japan to “reset” when their time comes is not an option.

Sorry for the long preface, here are my actual questions:

  1. If my name is added to the deed before my 10-year mark, can it be deemed as a gift and excluded from my inheritance? If yes, the full valuation or just my share? (I understand it’ll still trigger Capital Gains Tax when I sell it after they’re gone)

  2. If they open a joint account with me and park all their cash in there before my 10-year mark, does it count as a gift too? I don’t think it works that way, but my dad insists so no harm in asking I guess haha.

  3. If they transfer big chunks of cash to my personal account before my 10-year mark, will the system flag me as trying to evade Inheritance Tax and put me in trouble? Personally I’ve kinda accepted that the cash portion will be heavily taxed, but it’d be nice if they can at least send me enough every year to max my NISA or something.

  4. Any other advice to save a few bucks will be greatly appreciated!

I think I’ll eventually have to consult a professional, but I figure y’all here can point me in the right direction for now.

Thanks in advance! It’s getting chilly out there, take care and stay warm everyone!

by Exotic_Grass_257