Tax and residency status

Reader H.K. is wondering whether the granting of permanent residency will result in tax problems.

"What are the tax implications if I have to work overseas — will I be taxed on my income outside of Japan?"

We checked with the Tax Office and apparently it's quite simple. If you are out of Japan for over a year you will have no tax liabilities in Japan. The only difficulty would be keeping your permanent residency current. This is because if you are out of the country for more than one year you are no longer considered a "resident."