How to File Your Tax Return with e-Tax｜An Illustrated Complete Guide That Even First-Timers Can Follow
Broken down screen by screen and item by item so that first-timers can finish simply by following along.
With a smartphone and a My Number Card, you can complete your tax return filing from home without going to the tax office. This page breaks down the whole flow — advance preparation → creating the return (the on-screen flow) → submitting → paying/refund → when you get stuck — by type of income, by deduction, and by payment method. It is long, so we also use collapsible toggles (＋) so you can open and read only the parts you need. Updated for the latest 2026 (Reiwa 7 tax year) specifications.
① Prepare a My Number Card + a reader-compatible smartphone + two passwords.
② Enter your data by answering questions in the National Tax Agency's "Tax Return Preparation Corner" (with Mynaportal linkage, your withholding slip, medical expenses, Furusato Nozei donations, etc. are filled in automatically).
③ Electronic signature → submit. ④ Refunds arrive in about 3 weeks at the earliest; payment is due by March 15.
- Do I even need to file a tax return?
- STEP 1: Advance preparation (do this before filing)
- STEP 2: Creating the return (the on-screen flow)
- Entering income (by type) ／ Entering deductions (by type)
- STEP 3: Sign electronically and submit
- STEP 4: Payment/refund (by method)
- When you get stuck: sticking points
Do I even need to file a tax return? (30-second check)
If even one of the following applies to you, you either need to file a tax return, or filing is likely to benefit you.
・Sole proprietors / freelancers (with business income)
・Employees whose income other than salary (side jobs, stocks, real estate, etc.) exceeds ¥200,000 a year
・You left your job mid-year and did not have a year-end adjustment
・You want to claim the medical expense deduction, donation deduction (Furusato Nozei), or the first year of the mortgage loan credit
・Your public pension, etc. exceeds ¥4 million, or your income other than pension exceeds ¥200,000
・You receive salary from two or more places
For a detailed check by situation, see the Tax Return Guide for Employees / Tax Return Guide for Sole Proprietors. If you have business income, first tally up your revenue and expenses with How to Put Together Your Accounts.
Advance preparation (this determines 90% of the outcome)
So you are not scrambling on the day, get these five things ready before the filing period begins. Mynaportal linkage in particular can take time to reflect, so do it early.
1-1. Have your My Number Card ready
You need a valid, unexpired My Number Card.
How to obtain one if you don't have it yet
- Apply for issuance by smartphone, computer, or mail (a facial photo is required).
- About one month after applying, a "notice of issuance (postcard)" arrives.
- Pick it up in person at your municipal office (you set your PINs here).
It won't make it in time if you leave it until right before filing. Note that new issuance of the ID/password method stopped on October 1, 2025, so if you are starting now, obtaining the card is the surest route.
1-2. Check your two passwords
| Type of password | Format | When it's used |
|---|---|---|
| User certification | 4-digit number | Login (identity verification). Locked after 3 wrong tries in a row |
| Signature | 6–16 alphanumeric characters | Electronic signature of the return data (at submission). Locked after 5 wrong tries in a row |
Resetting a forgotten or locked password
You can reset it at a convenience-store multi-copy machine (at participating stores) or at your municipal office counter. At the counter, bring your card and identity documents. Counters get crowded right before filing, so it's best to check early.
1-3. Preparing your smartphone (the Mynaportal app)
- Install the Mynaportal app (used to read the card).
- Check whether your phone supports My Number Card reading (NFC) (you can check compatible models in the preparation corner).
- If you use a computer, use an IC card reader, or the method of "using your phone as a card reader."
The "smartphone electronic certificate" that removes the need to scan each time
If you register the My Number Card's functions (a smartphone electronic certificate) on your phone, you can create and submit without holding the card up each time you file. Apply for and register the "smartphone electronic certificate" from the guidance in the Mynaportal app. Android is already supported, and iPhone (My Number Card on iPhone) support is progressing too. Please check the official sources for the latest status.
1-4. Finish your Mynaportal linkage "in advance" (setting up auto-fill)
Using Mynaportal linkage, items such as your withholding slip, medical expenses, Furusato Nozei, and various insurance premiums are imported automatically, drastically reducing input errors. However, it requires setting up the connections in advance.
- Link Mynaportal with e-Tax / the Tax Return Preparation Corner (first time only).
- Link with the issuers of the data you want to obtain (e.g., medical expenses = link via "Motto Tsunagaru," Furusato Nozei sites, insurance companies, securities companies, etc.).
- Set it up early, because it can take time for the linked party to be ready and compatible.
Even if an item is eligible for linkage, it won't be auto-filled if the issuer (insurance company, municipality, Furusato Nozei site, etc.) does not support linkage. For those, enter the amounts by hand from the certificates you have on hand.
1-5. Gather the required documents
Your withholding slip, various deduction certificates, your business's accounting figures, your refund account, and so on. To avoid omissions, use our Tax Return Required-Documents Checklist (you can save your check status and print it).
The basic way to start is the "My Number Card method"
My Number Card methodRecommended
- Card + a reader-compatible phone (or an IC card reader)
- Auto-fill is available via Mynaportal linkage
- No need to go to the tax office
ID/password method
- Log in with an ID and password issued by the tax office
- New issuance stopped on October 1, 2025 (already-issued ones can keep being used and reissued)
- Mynaportal linkage cannot be used
Creating the return (the on-screen flow of the Tax Return Preparation Corner)
From here on, these are the actual operations that follow the screens. The basic flow is the same on both smartphone and computer.
- Open the National Tax Agency's "Tax Return Preparation Corner" and choose "Start creating."
- Choose the tax year you are filing for (e.g., Reiwa 7) and the tax type "Income tax."
- For the submission method, select "e-Tax (My Number Card method)."
- Following the guidance, launch the Mynaportal app → enter your user certification password (4 digits) → read the card to log in.
- Answer the "questions about your filing content" (Salary only? / Any pension? / Any business income? / Are you claiming the medical expense deduction or donation deduction? etc.). The input screens shown are tailored to your answers.
- Consent to Mynaportal linkage and obtain the data all at once → the relevant items are auto-filled.
- Enter your income and deductions (for auto-filled items, you just confirm the amounts).
- The calculation result (refund amount or amount due) is displayed automatically, so check it.
You can save your input partway and resume later. Until you submit, you can review and correct it as many times as you want. There's no need to finish it all in one go.
Entering income (by type: "where to enter what")
| Type of income | Category to enter it in | What to prepare / key points |
|---|---|---|
| Salary | Employment income | Transcribe the "payment amount," "withholding tax amount," "social insurance premiums, etc." from your withholding slip (automatic via linkage). Enter your second and later employers too |
| Public pension | Miscellaneous income (public pension, etc.) | Withholding slip for public pension, etc. |
| Business (self-employed) | Business income (commerce, etc.) | Figures from the blue-return financial statement / statement of income and expenses (→ How to Put Together Your Accounts) |
| Real estate | Real estate income | Statement of income and expenses for real estate |
| Side jobs, etc. | Miscellaneous income (business/other) | Tally up revenue and expenses. Filing is required when non-salary income exceeds ¥200,000 |
| Occasional income | Occasional income | Maturity insurance proceeds, surrender refunds, etc. Special deduction of ¥500,000 |
| Stocks / dividends | Separate taxation (stocks, etc.) | Annual transaction report for a specified account. With withholding, you can also choose not to file (automatic via linkage) |
Where do I look on my salary withholding slip?
The fields to enter are the "payment amount (annual income)," "amount after the employment income deduction," "total amount of income deductions," "withholding tax amount," "amount of social insurance premiums, etc.," and the fields for life insurance premiums, earthquake insurance premiums, and the mortgage loan credit. These are auto-filled if you have Mynaportal linkage or withholding-slip data your employer submitted via e-Tax.
Entering deductions (by type: "what you need")
| Deduction | What to prepare / input points |
|---|---|
| Medical expense deduction | "Statement of medical expense deduction" (tally one year's worth). Can also be obtained automatically via Mynaportal medical-expense notice linkage. Keep receipts for 5 years |
| Donation deduction | Donation receipt certificate / annual certificate from the Furusato Nozei site (automatic via linkage). Applies to the portion for which you don't or can't use the one-stop exception |
| Life insurance premium deduction | Deduction certificate (enter separately for the general, care-medical, and personal pension categories) |
| Earthquake insurance premium deduction | Deduction certificate |
| Social insurance premium deduction | Amounts paid for National Pension, National Health Insurance, etc. (National Pension needs a deduction certificate) |
| Deduction for small-scale enterprise mutual aid premiums, etc. | Payment certificate for iDeCo or the small-scale enterprise mutual aid |
| Spousal / dependent deduction | Family members' names, My Numbers, and income (the deduction amount changes with age) |
| Basic deduction | Calculated automatically based on income (up to ¥580,000 〈after the 2025 revision〉) |
| Mortgage loan credit | A tax credit. A tax return is required in the first year. Balance certificate, certificate of registered matters, sales contract, etc. |
Furusato Nozei: "one-stop exception" or "tax return" — which?
People who file a tax return (employees claiming the medical expense deduction, sole proprietors, etc.) have their one-stop exception voided, so they file all of it on the tax return as a donation deduction. Enter all your certificates (or linked data). For details, see the Complete Furusato Nozei Guide.
Sign electronically and submit
- Confirm and enter your personal information such as name and address.
- If you have a refund, enter the receiving account (in your own name).
- Enter your My Number.
- Sign electronically by reading the card with your signature password (6–16 alphanumeric characters).
- Submit.
- A receipt notice (reception result) is displayed, so check it. A reception number is issued.
- Save/print a PDF of the return and financial statements you submitted and keep a copy.
The receipt notice (message box) and the return PDF can be used as "proof of income" for loan screenings and various procedures. It's safer to save them as PDFs rather than screenshots.
Payment/refund (in detail, by method)
If you get a refund (money comes back)
- It is transferred to your registered account. With e-Tax, it's about 3 weeks at the earliest (faster than paper filing).
- You can check the processing status in the Mynaportal / e-Tax message box.
Methods when you pay (owe tax)
| Method | Features / limit | Fee | Advance procedure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct debit (furikae) | Debited from your account. The debit is usually in mid-April = effectively pushes the due date back | None | Submit the account transfer request form by the deadline |
| Direct payment | Linked to e-Tax; debited from your account immediately or on a specified date | None | Submit the notification of use |
| Internet banking | Pay via Pay-easy, etc. | None | Internet banking contract |
| Credit card | Under ¥10 million per transaction and within your card limit | Yes (based on amount) | Handle it on the dedicated site |
| Smartphone app payment | ¥300,000 or less (○○ Pay, etc.) | None | None |
| Convenience-store payment (QR) | ¥300,000 or less | None | Create a payment QR code |
| Financial institution / tax office counter | Cash payment with a payment slip | None | Payment slip |
The income tax payment deadline is the same as filing, March 15 (the next business day if it falls on a weekend or holiday). Paying late incurs delinquency tax. If a single debit is hard on you, direct debit (furikae), which pushes the due date back, is convenient.
Sticking points and how to handle them
My phone won't read the My Number Card
- Remove the phone case (it can interfere with NFC).
- Press the card firmly against the reading position shown in the on-screen guidance, and wait a few seconds without moving it.
- Update the Mynaportal app to the latest version and close other apps.
- If it's still unstable, switch to a PC + IC card reader.
I forgot my password / it got locked
The user certification (4-digit) and signature (alphanumeric) passwords can be reset at a convenience-store multi-copy machine or at your municipal office counter. The signature one locks after 5 wrong tries in a row, and the user certification one after 3.
I stopped partway / want to continue another day
If you save your input data, you can load it later and resume. Before you submit (send), you can correct it as many times as you like.
I noticed a mistake after submitting
Within the filing deadline (by March 15), if you rebuild the return with the correct content and submit it, the last one you sent becomes valid (a corrective filing). After the deadline, you fix it with an "amended return" if the tax was too low, or a "request for correction" if it was too high (overpaid).
I don't have a My Number Card / my phone isn't compatible
The card takes about a month to obtain, so apply early. If your phone doesn't support reading, you can file with a PC + IC card reader. Paper filing at a venue or by mail is also possible, but refunds are slower and attached documents are required.
From when until when?
The income tax filing period is, as a rule, February 16 to March 15 (the next business day if it falls on a weekend or holiday). Refund returns can be submitted for 5 years starting January 1 of the year following the target year. e-Tax is available 24 hours during the period (except during maintenance). You can check the yearly schedule in the Tax Calendar.
Related pages
- Tax Return Required-Documents Checklist (for a final preparation check)
- Tax Calculation Tools (rough estimates of refunds and tax)
- Tax Return Guide for Employees / Tax Return Guide for Sole Proprietors
- How Sole Proprietors Put Together Their Accounts (how to make revenue, expenses, and financial statements)
- Tax Calendar (a list of deadlines)
Reference links (sources)
This page is based on the following official information (as of June 2026). Screen layouts and support status are updated, so please check the latest guidance before filing.
- National Tax Agency — Tax Return Preparation Corner (in Japanese)
- National Tax Agency — e-Tax with a smartphone and My Number Card (in Japanese)
- National Tax Agency — Auto-fill via Mynaportal linkage (in Japanese)
- National Tax Agency — Cashless payment (payment methods) (in Japanese)
- e-Tax — How to use it (in Japanese)
※ This page is general information, not tax advice. For individual judgments, please check with the National Tax Agency, a tax office, or a tax accountant.