What happens if I don't have a T-number?

Buyers cannot claim full consumption tax credits on your invoices. A transitional measure allows partial credits (80% until 2026, 50% until 2029). Register with the NTA to get your T-number.

Does it handle both 10% and 8% tax on one invoice?

Yes. List items at each rate separately, and the software calculates taxable amount and tax per rate individually, exactly as the Qualified Invoice System requires.

Can I add a company seal to digital invoices?

Yes. Upload your 角印 (company seal) image and it will appear on every PDF invoice. This meets the widespread Japanese business expectation for sealed documents.

What is the deadline to register as a qualified invoice issuer?

Registration opened ahead of the October 2023 start and remains essential for full buyer credits. Apply through the NTA qualified invoice issuer process to receive your T-number; unregistered sellers fall under transitional credit percentages that decline through 2029. Display the T-number on every 請求書 once issued. If you are near the taxable sales threshold, confirm eligibility with a tax adviser because registration obligations hinge on taxable enterprise status.

How should I show 10.21% withholding on an invoice?

List the gross professional fee, the withholding rate and amount (源泉徴収税額), and the net payable to your bank. Reference the applicable tax law category your accountant assigns. Buyers remit withholding to the tax office; you credit it on final returns. If a client is exempt from withholding, obtain proof rather than assuming—errors create year-end reconciliation work.

Can one invoice mix 8% reduced and 10% standard consumption tax?

Yes, when lines genuinely qualify for different rates—food and newspaper bundles are common examples. Show taxable sales and tax per rate, then sum totals clearly. Mixed incorrect rates are a top reason buyers reject credits. Use item templates so staff do not pick the wrong rate on recurring SKUs. Attach brief specifications or menus when categories might be questioned, and round per line consistently so buyer AP systems reconcile without manual adjustments.

What payment information must appear for furikomi?

Include bank name, branch name (often with code), account type (普通/当座), account number, and account holder exactly as the bank registers it. Add payment deadline and preferred remittance reference tied to your invoice number. Foreign banks paying in JPY may need additional intermediary details—confirm with treasury if you receive overseas wires.

How do I invoice a foreign client without Japanese consumption tax?

When supplies are non-taxable or outside JCT scope, state the legal basis briefly and omit incorrect 10%/8% lines. Show currency in JPY unless contractually foreign-denominated, and document place-of-supply evidence per your adviser. Keep contracts and shipping records aligned to invoice dates. Mixed domestic and foreign work should be split across lines with clear descriptions.

Invoicing Software for Japan

Bill in yen with clear consumption tax treatment while supporting qualified invoice (適格請求書) documentation expectations.

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Japanese invoicing software must support the Qualified Invoice System (インボイス制度) effective October 2023 onward. Only invoices from registered issuers that show the T-number (T + 13 digits) let buyers claim full consumption tax credits; transitional rates apply for unregistered sellers but shrink over time. Your tool should calculate 10% standard and 8% reduced rates separately, show taxable amounts per rate, and print the issuer’s registration number exactly as issued by the National Tax Agency.

請求書 are expected to read cleanly for AP: company names in formal order, invoice number, issue date, description aligned to purchase orders, and bank details formatted for furikomi (bank, branch, account type, number, account holder). Many firms still expect a scanned 角印 (company seal) on PDFs even when not strictly mandatory—uploading a high-resolution stamp speeds approval.

Close cycles often follow 月末締め翌月払い patterns; state billing periods and due dates explicitly to match 経理 cutoffs. Withholding (源泉所得税) at 10.21% applies to many professional fees—show gross, withheld, and net payable when relevant. Retain issued and received qualified invoices for seven years in ordinary cases (longer for certain entities) and organize them for blue return or corporate filings without rescans every quarter.

Cross-border B2B may be outside JCT scope, but documentation must still identify place-of-supply and why Japanese CT lines are absent or zero. Mixed 8% food and 10% service baskets need separate lines to avoid buyer credit denials. Good software locks templates per customer cadence and tax profile so month-end re-typing does not introduce rounding errors.

Electronic storage rules (e-Tax and corporate record standards) expect searchable, unaltered PDFs linked to accounting entries—timestamp exports if your workflow demands it. Simplified invoices still exist for small transactions but do not replace qualified invoices for registered buyers expecting full credits; label document types clearly to prevent AP confusion.

Compliance & invoicing expectations in Japan

Local rules change over time; use these themes as a checklist and confirm details with a qualified adviser for your situation.

Tax Compliance

Calculate 10% standard and 8% reduced consumption tax separately per invoice. Display Qualified Invoice Issuer Number (T + 13 digits). Handle per-rate tax totals as required by the Invoice System.

Currency & Payments

Invoice in JPY with bank account details for furikomi transfers. Support month-end closing cycles (締め日) with payment on a specified date the following month.

E-Invoicing Rules

No mandatory e-invoicing format — PDF and paper invoices remain valid. The Qualified Invoice System requires specific content, not a specific digital format. Digital invoices are widely accepted.

Record Keeping

Retain invoices for 7 years (10 years for certain corporate cases) per NTA requirements. Both issued and received qualified invoices must be stored.

Practical invoicing tools for businesses billing from or into Japan.

How Billed supports Japan invoicing

Qualified Invoice compliance

Generate invoices with T-number registration, per-rate consumption tax calculation (10% and 8% shown separately), and all fields required under the Invoice System for buyer credit claims.

How to choose invoicing software for Japan

Use this checklist when evaluating any invoicing tool for Japan-based businesses.

Local tax support

Can it handle Japan-specific tax rules (rates, exemptions, filing formats)?

Currency & language

Does it support the local currency and languages used in Japan?

Compliance ready

Does it generate invoices that meet local legal requirements for tax credits and audits?

Payment integrations

Does it connect with payment methods popular in Japan?

Scalability

Can it grow with your business — recurring billing, multi-client, team access?

Affordability

Does it offer a free tier or trial so you can evaluate before committing?

Feature	Billed	Generic tools
Japan tax lines	Configurable	Varies
Local currency	Yes	Usually
Free plan	Yes	Sometimes
Recurring invoices	Included	Paid plans
Payment tracking	Built-in	Limited

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