NISA Calculator for Foreign Residents

NISA in one table

Since 2024, NISA has two allowances that you can use together in one account.

In a regular account, gains and dividends are taxed at 20.315%. In NISA they are not. When you sell, the amount you originally paid becomes available again from the following year. Example: ¥30,000 a month for 10 years at 5% grows to about ¥4,677,879, and NISA saves about ¥218,971 in tax.

Who can open a NISA account

• Anyone who lives in Japan and is 18 or older on January 1 of the year. Nationality does not matter.
• You need your My Number to open the account, and you can have only one NISA account at a time. You can switch to a different provider once a year.
• Banks and brokers set their own conditions for foreign residents, such as the documents they accept or the remaining period on your residence card. Check with the provider before applying.

What happens to your NISA when you leave Japan

NISA is only for residents. Before you leave, you must notify the provider, and in most cases the account is closed.

• Moving abroad for good: your NISA account is closed. The holdings are moved to a regular (taxable) account at that day's price. Gains up to that point stay tax-free; later gains are taxable. Many Japanese brokers do not let non-residents keep even a regular account, so you may need to sell before you go.
• Temporary transfer by your employer: if you submit a continuation notice before leaving, you can keep your holdings tax-free for up to about 5 years, but you cannot buy anything new while abroad. Not all providers support this.

So NISA works best if you expect to stay in Japan for a while. If you may leave in a few years, set the years in the calculator to that period to see what the tax saving is worth. The Leaving Japan money checklist covers the other steps.

Tax in your home country

NISA is tax-free in Japan only. If your home country taxes its citizens or residents on worldwide income (for example the United States), gains in NISA may still be taxable there, and some Japanese investment trusts can be treated unfavorably. Check with a tax adviser in your home country before you invest.

Assumptions

• You invest at the start of each month, and returns compound monthly (annual rate ÷ 12).
• Fees and price swings are not included. Use a return after fees for a more realistic result.
• "Tax you avoid" is the 20.315% tax a regular account would charge if you sold everything in the final year.