Can You Pay Your Resident Tax Notice (納税通知書) at a Konbini? A Plain-English Guide

An envelope from your city or ward office arrives, usually around June. Inside: a dense sheet of kanji, a table of numbers, and a strip of perforated slips with barcodes. Somewhere on it is the word 納税通知書 (nōzei tsūchisho), meaning "tax payment notice."

If you're an expat in Japan, the first two questions are usually "How much do I owe, and by when?" and "Can I just pay this at 7-Eleven?" This guide covers both at a high level. It's educational, not tax advice. Your own notice and your municipality's instructions always come first.

What is a 納税通知書?

A 納税通知書 is an official notice from a local government telling you a tax amount has been assessed and how to pay it. For most expats it's for resident tax (住民税, jūminzei), which is made up of a prefectural part and a municipal part and is based on last year's income.

You'll usually get one if your resident tax is collected by 普通徴収 (futsū chōshū, "ordinary collection"). That means you pay it yourself instead of having it taken out of your salary. This is common if you:

are self-employed or a freelancer
left a job, or changed jobs partway through the year
had income that wasn't fully handled through payroll
work for an employer that doesn't deduct resident tax from salary

New arrivals often get no resident tax bill in their first year, because the tax is charged by the city you were registered in on January 1, based on your Japanese income from the year before.

If your employer deducts resident tax from your salary (特別徴収, tokubetsu chōshū), you normally won't get payment slips. You'll get a notice of the amount through your employer instead.

Other taxes and charges, such as fixed asset tax or light vehicle tax, also arrive as notices with payment slips. National Health Insurance premiums come on a similar but separate notice. The basic skills for reading them carry over.

What's on the notice: the key fields to find

Layouts differ by city, but these terms show up on most resident tax notices:

Japanese	Reading	What it means
年税額	nen zeigaku	Total tax for the year
納付額 / 納期別税額	nōfu-gaku / nōkibetsu zeigaku	Amount due for each installment
納期限	nōkigen	Payment deadline
期別 (第1期, 第2期…)	kibetsu	Installment number (1st, 2nd…)
納付書	nōfusho	Payment slip
全期前納 / 全期分	zenki zennō	Pay the whole year at once (if offered)
口座振替	kōza furikae	Automatic bank debit

A blank cream notice with a navy magnifying glass and a vermilion slip beside it.

Installments and deadlines (納期限)

Resident tax under ordinary collection is commonly split into four installments, often due around the end of June, August, October, and January. Your city's dates may be different, so use the 納期限 printed on each slip, not a general rule. Many notices also include a slip for paying the full year at once. If the end of the month falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day. For the 2026 tax year, many cities' 3rd installment is due Monday, Nov 2.

The payment slips (納付書) and barcode

The bottom of the notice, or a separate sheet, usually has a set of tear-off 納付書, one per installment. Each slip normally shows:

the installment number and amount
the 納期限 for that installment
a barcode, and on many newer slips a QR code (eL-QR) for paying through the national eLTAX system
a list of where you can pay (指定金融機関 and others)

The barcode is what makes konbini payment possible. The cashier scans it and the slip itself tells the register what you're paying.

Can you pay at a convenience store?

Often, yes. Many municipalities let you pay resident tax slips at major convenience store chains, as long as the slip has a barcode meant for that purpose. The usual steps:

Take the whole slip, not just the stub, to the register.
The cashier scans the barcode. You pay the amount shown.
The cashier stamps and gives back your receipt part (領収証書, ryōshū shōsho). Keep it.

A blank cream slip, a small stack of coins, and a navy tray on a cream counter.

Konbini payment is popular because it works evenings and weekends and you don't need a Japanese bank account. In practice, though, there are limits. Check your slip for these points:

Things to check before you go

Is there a barcode at all? If the slip has no barcode, or says it can't be used at convenience stores (e.g. コンビニエンスストアでは取り扱いできません), pay at a bank, post office, or city hall instead.
Is the deadline still in the future? Konbini barcodes stop working after a cut-off date. Some cities use the 納期限 itself. Others print a separate コンビニ取扱期限 (or 取扱期限) that can be a few weeks later. Nerima, for example, accepts barcodes at konbini for 20 days after the 納期限. After the cut-off the register will reject the slip, but you can usually still pay at a bank or city hall (late charges may apply).
Is the amount above the konbini limit? Barcode slips usually have an upper limit per slip. A common limit is ¥300,000. Above that, the slip may have no barcode at all. This often matters for the full-year lump-sum slip.
How do you plan to pay? Many stores take only cash for tax and utility slips. Some allow specific methods. Policies differ by chain and change over time, so bring cash to be safe.
Is the barcode readable? A crumpled, wet, or torn barcode may not scan.
Do you want to change the amount? You can't. The konbini takes exactly the amount on the slip. You can't split or combine payments at the register.

Other ways to pay

Depending on your municipality, you may also be able to pay by:

Bank or post office counter (with the slip)
Smartphone payment apps that scan the slip's eL-QR code (a few cities still use the barcode instead), where your city supports them
eL-QR / eLTAX using the QR code on newer slips
Credit card through an official payment site, usually with a processing fee based on the amount.
Automatic bank debit (口座振替), which you usually need to apply for in advance

Your notice or your city's website lists which options are available. Don't assume an option your friend in another city uses will work for you.

What to watch out for

Lost a slip, or it's past the deadline? Contact the tax section (税務課 / 市民税課) of your city or ward office. They can usually reissue a slip (再発行) or tell you how to pay.
Late payment can mean extra charges. Paying after the 納期限 may add late-payment charges (延滞金, entaikin), and you may get a reminder (督促状, tokusokujō). Check your notice or ask your municipality how this works.
Keep your receipts. The stamped 領収証書 is your proof of payment. It can be useful for visa renewals, tax certificates, or if a record is ever questioned.
Leaving Japan? Resident tax is assessed based on where you lived on January 1. Leaving partway through the year doesn't reduce that year's tax, and depending on when you leave you may also be taxed for the following year. Ask your ward office about paying in full before you go or appointing a tax representative (納税管理人).

When to call or visit city hall

Contact your municipal tax office if:

the amount looks wrong, or doesn't match your income
you've moved, changed jobs, or think the tax should come out of your salary
you're struggling to pay. Many municipalities have consultation options for installments or deferral, but they decide case by case
you can't read the notice and aren't sure what it's asking for

Many city offices have English-language support or interpretation services. Bring the notice and your residence card.

Make the next envelope easier

The 納税通知書 is just the first of many official envelopes: NHI premiums, pension slips, year-end adjustment forms, and more. Jozu helps you keep track. Take a photo of a piece of Japanese official mail and Jozu gives you a plain-English summary: what it is, what you may need to do, the key amounts and dates, and deadline reminders so slips don't slip past. You can also file documents to find them later. Jozu helps you understand your mail, and the original document and your city office remain the final word.

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