Sorry if this is off-topic, but I’d like to ask those of you knowledgeable about gift tax.

Since the amount is so large, it might be a good idea to contact a tax accountant’s office (*^^*) Apparently, if you contact Houterasu, they can refer you to a place that meets your requirements and is close to home♪

> I was asked whether there was any way to avoid paying taxes. Inheritance tax should have a basic exemption, so I believe it should be fine as long as the total is within: ¥30 million + (¥6 million × number of legal heirs) However, if there’s a house in addition to the cash, it probably won’t stay within the basic exemption. > Wouldn’t it be better to transfer at least ¥500,000 every month? In that case, I feel like gift tax would apply. > Is there some amount above which regular transfers of money will trigger a notification? Even among tax accountants, there are those who became tax accountants by passing the relevant exams, and those who retired from the tax office and then became tax accountants. I imagine former tax officials know more about how much money has to move before it attracts attention. However, many former tax officials focus primarily on making sure taxes are paid properly, so once they sense that you’re trying to reduce your tax burden, they may be even less likely to advise you. Of course, there are also former tax officials who are proactive about tax planning. If you can find one of those, they know exactly what the tax office looks at, which would put you in a better position. But in my experience, many former tax officials focus on paying taxes properly so that you won’t be audited, and don’t seem particularly helpful when it comes to tax reduction. Also, if you choose someone who became a tax accountant by passing the exams, I recommend looking for one who chose inheritance tax as a specialized subject. You can become a tax accountant without studying inheritance tax, but I think there’s a clear difference between someone who has studied it and someone who hasn’t. In the first place, if they didn’t choose inheritance tax as one of their elective subjects, it’s probably clear that it isn’t their strong area. By the way, when you directly ask some tax accountants which subjects they passed, they’ll say something like, “I’m good at all of them—I’m strong in every subject.” But they haven’t actually answered which subjects they passed, and I don’t even know what “good at all of them” is supposed to mean. It makes me think they’re just smooth talkers who aren’t entirely trustworthy. There probably aren’t many real Supermen like that. Though I suppose there may be a few out there. > I don’t even know who I should consult. Could you please help me? The best thing to do is ask a professional.

It may just be a typo, but with assets of that size, you’d definitely be better off hiring a tax accountant who specializes in asset taxation rather than a financial planner. Technically, having an FP handle this could violate professional regulations. Also, at that level, it’s common not to keep gifts below the threshold where gift tax doesn’t apply, but to deliberately set the amount high enough that a gift tax return is required. That’s what my tax accountant told me.

It would probably be best to consult a financial planner or tax accountant! --- Just to give you a rough idea… If you’re receiving ¥500,000 or more every month into your account, that comes to ¥6 million a year. After subtracting the ¥1.1 million basic deduction, the remaining ¥4.9 million is taxable. Since the money is from your parents, the special tax rate of 20% applies, and after deducting ¥250,000, your annual gift tax would be ¥730,000. *This calculation only includes the money from your parents.* The allowance you receive from your papa (a male supporter) is also subject to gift tax, so the amount would be even higher. --- If you’re going to inherit such a large amount, you’ll need to manage your assets properly. It would be best to start studying on your own now—for example, by obtaining a financial planner certification!

Unless you report it or bring it up yourself, they’re not going to investigate every little detail. It might be different if we’re talking billions—or 40 billion yen, but… Tax evasion is a crime because it’s intentional, whereas failing to file could arguably be interpreted as simply not knowing. I’ve had friends who didn’t file their taxes ask me for advice, and they never got caught or received any notice—decades later, still nothing.

400 billion yen in cash alone is incredible. You should consult a tax accountant. Incidentally, there’s no way to avoid paying taxes altogether. A common inheritance-planning strategy among the wealthy is to make lifetime gifts to their grandchildren. This allows them to skip one generation of inheritance and significantly reduce the tax burden. You might want to consider having children.