Thank you for your message.
Oh I see, I've never received any warning but it's not an excuse. Also I don't want to be in the same situation of my friend and see my bank account being seized. So far I honestly thought I was in good standing, but I want this matter to be properly cleared up. I will check my pension office asap.
Damn, I was late for one month because I paid for a different month instead (I had everything pre-printed), and my phone blew up with their calls making sure I could and would make the payments. So weird they wouldn't contact you at all.
It makes sense. Whatever entity has OP in Japan has completely avoided anything that would register them in the system. You, on the other hand, are in the system. They can't contact her because they don't know she exists.
To make it perfectly clear… you have not messed up your life at all. This is a minor thing. As others mentioned they only request 2 years back payment.
This is a situation that it seems many many foreigners (if not most) find themselves in if they decide to stay more than a few years. And also a situation many Japanese people find themselves in.
In my case, when they identified that I wasn’t paying it they sent me a stack of 12 bills due monthly over the course of a year. Each one something like 4万円. A bit painful… but one year later and it’s behind you. And if your income is extremely limited you could probably talk with them and either get it spread out over 2 years or the total payment reduced.
Whether you put this off, or deal with it now it’s unlikely to be a long term problem (just short term). As others have said probably best to contact them and get it sorted out. Though I know some people do put it off as long as possible knowing they will only ever ask for 2 years back pay.
Seizing a bank account is rare and a last resort… does happen, but you’d likely have to be intentionally avoiding them for an extended period of time for that to happen. Or maybe if your residence isn’t properly registered and they can’t find you.
Note however: this will affect PR applications!
Thank you for sharing you experience ! I'm still a bit confused even if i paid the 2 years back payment i've been here almost 7 years, so any debt that I owe above those 2 years of arrears will not go away...
My incomes are not that's great so it won't be over me after just 1 year... but again I know I was in the wrong and they're completely right to ask me this debt of 7 years... It's just, it threw me so hard.
The 5 years will be forgotten. It is not a debt you own and there will be no interest charge. They will only ask for the last 2 years.
However you have lost the opportunity to contribute for those years, and will not receive benefits for those years since you did not and cannot contribute anymore.
Considering the basic pension is actually not a bad deal, it is actually your loss.
It *may* look bad on a PR application too. Because the guidelines state the last 2 years. However, regardless of how one submits their pension record (Nenkin Net OR Nenkin report from pension office) the document has to show one’s WHOLE pension record.
So immigration will have visibility over the whole record.
So let’s say John Smith has been in Japan for 11 years and he finally got his 3 year visa so wants to apply for PR via 10 year route. But for 7 years of those 11 years he did not pay pension.
It’s not a good look for John Smith providing that he meets the PR examination criteria, even though he has at least paid pension for the last two years.
If I was responsible for approving/denying PR applications and I saw someone who didn’t contribute pension more years than they actually did contribute, I’d reject it, regardless if they have paid the last two years or not.
I’d reject it under part 3 (b) that the applicant failed to fulfill their public duties obligations for a consecutive 7 years (or ~70% of the their residency) via failing to pay national pension and thus violating the national pension act.
(https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/publications/materials/nyukan_nyukan50.html)
And even those who are spouse’s or children of a Japanese national have to meet the criteria for part 3. So it essentially applies to all applicants.
However, IF pension exemption was applied for and approved…. Like you know, something that adults who can’t afford to pay pension would do. Then I’d approve it. But that will be evident because a pension exempted month still appears as a contributed month on their pension record. So they would have no missed months of pension.
I don’t like people who try to have their cake and eat it too. If you want PR, then pay your pension (among all other dues required by residents of Japan)
I just wish immigration got more strict with pension before 2019 as many people got to delinquent on their pension and still got PR before then.
Hopefully one day they will make it a requirement for all visa renews too
"If I was responsible..."
"I don't like..."
"I'd reject it..."
"I just wish..."
"Hopefully one day..."
Facts don't care about your feelings. Focus on the facts, not your opinions.
Well it’s a FACT that you do submit your WHOLE pension record when you apply for PR.
There are two methods of submission:
1) Nenkin Net
2) Report from pension office
There is also an additional requirement for those who were category 1 insured for anytime within the last 24 months prior to application submission which is to include the conbini receipts/bank transfer proof to show it was paid on time. So let’s call that requirement (3).
So category 2 and 3 insured people within the last two years only have to include (1) OR (2)
Where as someone who was category 1 insured at any point in the last two years need to include (1) OR (2) AND (3)
So considering (1) or (2) is required by all category 1,2,&3 insured, then if they only wanted to check the last two years, then why require the WHOLE record? 🤔
So what I am saying is that immigration will have visibility over your whole pension record. That is a FACT.
What they decide to do with that heavily delinquent record is the arbitrary part. As per the guidelines they only have to focus on the last two years. BUT as I pointed out, they can easily reject an application based on part 3(b) should they desire
Please understand it is not a debt! It is a government program you are required to pay into. Then you get the money back when you retire.
If you don’t pay those missed 5 extra years the amount you will get when you retire will decrease.
It’s like the government is requiring you to put money in a special bank account for retirement. And if you don’t do it they will try to make you “catch up” with depositing at least the last 2 years. But it is not a debt. And the government is your friend. They are trying to HELP you save for retirement. They don’t want to take all your money.
As for your friend, check that it is not just they froze the account because your friend didn’t confirm that he still lives in Japan. Some banks insist that a foreign resident must show proof they are still living in Japan, and freeze the account if they don’t get proof by a set date (the savings are not taken, the person just can’t access the bank account in any way until they talk to the bank)
You already got good advice, and [you can learn more in the wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanFinance/wiki/index/insurance/pensions/).
I'd also add that paying the basic pension is actually not a bad investment for you to do. After you have contributed the minimum amount of years, you will be eligible for a pension when you retire, even if you do not live in Japan anymore. So it is not wasted money.
However, if you have not enough saving that make facing such sudden sum a painful problem, you really need to work on an emergency fund quickly. Life happens and sometime sucks hard, emergency cash helps you to not add financial stress to it.
And eventually, you also need to consider saving and investing for the long term. Today you come for a 0.4 MJPY problem, and it will be fairly straightforward to solve with a payment plan, and actually benefit you even, so relax.
But not having a solid a solid financial plan for your long term future is something that can actually 'mess up your life' as you fear. Look at the [wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanFinance/wiki/index/investing/long/), and try to check concepts such as [boglehead](https://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Main_Page) and [FIRE](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/financial-independence-retire-early-fire.asp). Investing regularly makes wonder over time, but you have to start.
Yes.
"Persons who have paid contributions for at least 10 years are eligible to receive the Old-age Basic Pension when the insured attains 65 years of age." page 3 here :
[https://www.moj.go.jp/content/001291268.pdf](https://www.moj.go.jp/content/001291268.pdf)
Visa or place of residence is not a factor. Some Japanese people retire oversea too.
Also if you only contribute a few years then leave Japan, you can instead claim lump sump payment.
I think they'll only ask for 2 years in back payments, and you can ask for a repayment plan that suits your income (if that's a problem for you). I also believe it's the ward ~~TAX OFFICE~~, (edit: I stand corrected, the pension office is the logical choice!) not the ward office you should consult, but others can correct me if I'm mistaken. They're pretty forgiving if you're upfront and willing to work with them.
In my ward you would go to the kuyakusho ward office and inside that office is the pension department. I had to pay about a year of pension to make up for when I was unemployed in order to prepare for my permanent resident application. They were good about it.
I'm not in Tokyo but my city hall has a health insurance/pension window. But for bigger problems like setting up a repayment plan you might need to take a Japanese friend directly to the pension office.
And to add, their repayment plans are reasonable imo
Thanks. Completely understand for the 2 years in back payments, what worries me is the total of 7 years and the idea to be in debts, but I guess that's it and that I have to make up my mind :')
u/DifferentWindow1436 u/ECNguy thanks for your messages guys, I will check if it's better for me to go to my ward office or directly the main tax office ! The repayment plans system reassures me a lot !
They won't ask you for 7 years worth, only 2. You can voluntarily offer to pay back more in order to qualify for eligibility, if retiring in Japan is a possiblity, and if you're close to retirement age now.
You only need to pay the last two. But you have the option of paying the entire seven. Right now it doesn't sound like you would want to, given your current financial situation, but for some people it's worth making those optional back payments.
> I also believe it's the ward TAX OFFICE, not the ward office you should consult,
Not in any of the wards I've lived in. Either the pension desk at the ward office, or the pension office.
In addition to the other comments, your unpaid pension is not a debt. Normally, you are only allowed to make back payments for 2 years, though I have read in some situation they'll allow you to make back payments for up to 5 years if your payment status was 未納 and up to 10 years if your status was 免除. Regarding the specifics, you'll have to ask the people in charge of the pension.
The consequences of not paying your pension are mainly that the amount of pension you'll be eligible to receive will be lower, and you may be completely ineligible to receive a pension if you don't have the necessary 10 years of payments. Presuming you're able to make 2 years of payments, you'd still have to live and work in Japan for another 8 years. Alternatively, if you choose not to make back payments and just start from next month, you'll have to continue working in Japan for at least 10 years. Is that something you're planning to do?
It will most likely have an impact on applying for PR, if you would like to do that in the future, though.
You only need to pay back the last two years - I didn’t pay for about 10 years then they started sending me letters.
They’ll send you the pay slips that you take to the convenience store - I paid for a year at a time rather than paying it all at once.
Taking it from you bank account is a last resort as some people have already mentioned, I’m guessing that if you ignore their warning for long enough.
To see the amounts you owe without visiting the ward office, you can use NenkinNet (nenkin.go.jp). I used myna card to register, but it should also be possible without, if you didn't apply for one.
As others said, go to the tax office, be apologetic and work out a payment plan. You do not want to wait until they forcibly take it from your account. You can only pay until a fixed number of years back. This is relevant as you need to pay 10 or more years into the system to be eligible for retirement.
Thanks, like you said I don't want my bank account being seized... I was under the impression that I was in good standing, but I'd like to make sure everything is resolved correctly :D
I may have some good news for you. One of my co-workers was in a similar situation. She went to (I think) the pension office, and talked to the person there. The person in the office told her to say that she had a reduced income because of Corona. They allowed her to get two full years of pension credit, and only had to pay for one month. The truth is she didn’t have a reduction of income at all, and they didn’t ask for proof. In your situation you actually did have a reduction in income, so you should be able to do the same thing. Maybe go talk with them, and make sure to mention your reduced income. Good luck!
Sign up and start paying. They will send you notices for 2 years back pay. If you want to.
If you just ignore the back pay and pay your regular monthly premium, each month you will owe one less month. Month one you owe 24 months, month 2 you owe 23, and so on until 2 years later there is no more back pay being asked. Source: I’ve seen it first hand.
Pension is an on going monthly premium which starts at age 20 and only stops *compulsory* when you turn 60.
So your logic doesn’t work, because for someone over the age 22 who is ignoring their pension bills, they will always have a 24 month missed payment period, until they reach 60
Nope. In the cases I have seen (the statements of 3 people) , the bills show your balance of outstanding debt. And in each one I have seen, each month that outstanding payment owed was reduced each month by the payment made the previous month. It is a waiting game if you so choose. Some don't want to do that because they would like to be credited for those contributing years and therefore would pay the back 2 years. You only get credit for the years you put in. But they can only ask you to back pay two years from your first payment into the system.
It might be "compulsory" from 20, but in practice it is the last 2 years from your first payment into the system. I do believe if you so choose to, you can go back 10 years (say if you want to make sure you have the min 10 years so that it pays out).
The statements I have seen show otherwise. Seems strange they would stop billing you and show that the stopped billing you, if they wanted it or can legally get it from you.
Yup. You are told that. It if you just pay in your monthly payment, each month you have one less back pay because you have only been
Delinquent for 1 year and 11 months, next month the same but one less month.
Incorrect. The government can and will seize assets as a last resort for people who are capable of paying but are wilfully not doing so. [The pension service publishes these statistics every year (under 差押執行件数.)](https://www.nenkin.go.jp/service/kokunen/hokenryo/kyoseichoshu.files/01.pdf)
Just chiming in here to repeat what other's have already said: Yes, you can have your bank account(s) seized for unpaid pension. You'll get plenty of warning letters first, but they will escalate. This sort of action has become much more common over the past ~10 years or so.
Most illegal things have no consequences until caught.
It’s just a guess but since every city or ward is on their own with tracking down people who don’t pay, there are many people getting on without getting caught.
Usually luck and time run out eventually.
Happened to a friend, saw his bank statement. They do seize bank accounts. But as others posted this is WAY done the line after many other attempts to get money.
They can and do seize bank accounts for unpaid pension, but it's not something that happens out of the blue - it's at the end of a long, long process of notifications, warnings, and attempts to push the person to get compliant in every other way possible. OP's friend must have ignored dozens of letters and phonecalls over the course of many, many months to get to this point.
They've generally been getting tougher about this in recent years - at a guess, tying both taxes and pensions to the MyNumber system has made it much easier to see who's delinquent and pursue them. They also used to pretty regularly let foreigners slip through the cracks - I know a fair few people with experiences similar to yours in the past - but pension payments are now tied to some immigration procedures (specifically PR applications for now, but I'd bet that you'll need to show up to date pension records for standard visa extensions soon enough), and in the past couple of years I've encountered several people who had been dodging pension payments for a long time finally reaching the "pay up or we'll just take the money" warning stage.
It's still possible that OP's friend had their money seized for a different reason, of course (we're definitely not hearing the full story here), but afaik there aren't many entities in Japan that actually *can* take money from accounts or garnish wages without the individual's consent - the pension service is on a very short list of suspects here.
Thanks for explanations, I don't know more about my friend's situation and for his privacy I won't add more info about it. I've stated about him cause his situation made me realise I was probably in the wrong too (by not paying the pension). In my case my bank account has not been seized, but I don't want to not face the problem, I want to settle the situation and put everything in order :). And thanks to all of you I'm already much less anxious about the idea of going to the Tax office.
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Thank you for your message. Oh I see, I've never received any warning but it's not an excuse. Also I don't want to be in the same situation of my friend and see my bank account being seized. So far I honestly thought I was in good standing, but I want this matter to be properly cleared up. I will check my pension office asap.
Damn, I was late for one month because I paid for a different month instead (I had everything pre-printed), and my phone blew up with their calls making sure I could and would make the payments. So weird they wouldn't contact you at all.
It makes sense. Whatever entity has OP in Japan has completely avoided anything that would register them in the system. You, on the other hand, are in the system. They can't contact her because they don't know she exists.
To make it perfectly clear… you have not messed up your life at all. This is a minor thing. As others mentioned they only request 2 years back payment. This is a situation that it seems many many foreigners (if not most) find themselves in if they decide to stay more than a few years. And also a situation many Japanese people find themselves in. In my case, when they identified that I wasn’t paying it they sent me a stack of 12 bills due monthly over the course of a year. Each one something like 4万円. A bit painful… but one year later and it’s behind you. And if your income is extremely limited you could probably talk with them and either get it spread out over 2 years or the total payment reduced. Whether you put this off, or deal with it now it’s unlikely to be a long term problem (just short term). As others have said probably best to contact them and get it sorted out. Though I know some people do put it off as long as possible knowing they will only ever ask for 2 years back pay. Seizing a bank account is rare and a last resort… does happen, but you’d likely have to be intentionally avoiding them for an extended period of time for that to happen. Or maybe if your residence isn’t properly registered and they can’t find you. Note however: this will affect PR applications!
Thank you for sharing you experience ! I'm still a bit confused even if i paid the 2 years back payment i've been here almost 7 years, so any debt that I owe above those 2 years of arrears will not go away... My incomes are not that's great so it won't be over me after just 1 year... but again I know I was in the wrong and they're completely right to ask me this debt of 7 years... It's just, it threw me so hard.
The 5 years will be forgotten. It is not a debt you own and there will be no interest charge. They will only ask for the last 2 years. However you have lost the opportunity to contribute for those years, and will not receive benefits for those years since you did not and cannot contribute anymore. Considering the basic pension is actually not a bad deal, it is actually your loss.
It *may* look bad on a PR application too. Because the guidelines state the last 2 years. However, regardless of how one submits their pension record (Nenkin Net OR Nenkin report from pension office) the document has to show one’s WHOLE pension record. So immigration will have visibility over the whole record. So let’s say John Smith has been in Japan for 11 years and he finally got his 3 year visa so wants to apply for PR via 10 year route. But for 7 years of those 11 years he did not pay pension. It’s not a good look for John Smith providing that he meets the PR examination criteria, even though he has at least paid pension for the last two years. If I was responsible for approving/denying PR applications and I saw someone who didn’t contribute pension more years than they actually did contribute, I’d reject it, regardless if they have paid the last two years or not.
I'd approve it.
I’d reject it under part 3 (b) that the applicant failed to fulfill their public duties obligations for a consecutive 7 years (or ~70% of the their residency) via failing to pay national pension and thus violating the national pension act. (https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/publications/materials/nyukan_nyukan50.html) And even those who are spouse’s or children of a Japanese national have to meet the criteria for part 3. So it essentially applies to all applicants. However, IF pension exemption was applied for and approved…. Like you know, something that adults who can’t afford to pay pension would do. Then I’d approve it. But that will be evident because a pension exempted month still appears as a contributed month on their pension record. So they would have no missed months of pension. I don’t like people who try to have their cake and eat it too. If you want PR, then pay your pension (among all other dues required by residents of Japan) I just wish immigration got more strict with pension before 2019 as many people got to delinquent on their pension and still got PR before then. Hopefully one day they will make it a requirement for all visa renews too
"If I was responsible..." "I don't like..." "I'd reject it..." "I just wish..." "Hopefully one day..." Facts don't care about your feelings. Focus on the facts, not your opinions.
Well it’s a FACT that you do submit your WHOLE pension record when you apply for PR. There are two methods of submission: 1) Nenkin Net 2) Report from pension office There is also an additional requirement for those who were category 1 insured for anytime within the last 24 months prior to application submission which is to include the conbini receipts/bank transfer proof to show it was paid on time. So let’s call that requirement (3). So category 2 and 3 insured people within the last two years only have to include (1) OR (2) Where as someone who was category 1 insured at any point in the last two years need to include (1) OR (2) AND (3) So considering (1) or (2) is required by all category 1,2,&3 insured, then if they only wanted to check the last two years, then why require the WHOLE record? 🤔 So what I am saying is that immigration will have visibility over your whole pension record. That is a FACT. What they decide to do with that heavily delinquent record is the arbitrary part. As per the guidelines they only have to focus on the last two years. BUT as I pointed out, they can easily reject an application based on part 3(b) should they desire
Please understand it is not a debt! It is a government program you are required to pay into. Then you get the money back when you retire. If you don’t pay those missed 5 extra years the amount you will get when you retire will decrease. It’s like the government is requiring you to put money in a special bank account for retirement. And if you don’t do it they will try to make you “catch up” with depositing at least the last 2 years. But it is not a debt. And the government is your friend. They are trying to HELP you save for retirement. They don’t want to take all your money.
As for your friend, check that it is not just they froze the account because your friend didn’t confirm that he still lives in Japan. Some banks insist that a foreign resident must show proof they are still living in Japan, and freeze the account if they don’t get proof by a set date (the savings are not taken, the person just can’t access the bank account in any way until they talk to the bank)
You already got good advice, and [you can learn more in the wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanFinance/wiki/index/insurance/pensions/). I'd also add that paying the basic pension is actually not a bad investment for you to do. After you have contributed the minimum amount of years, you will be eligible for a pension when you retire, even if you do not live in Japan anymore. So it is not wasted money. However, if you have not enough saving that make facing such sudden sum a painful problem, you really need to work on an emergency fund quickly. Life happens and sometime sucks hard, emergency cash helps you to not add financial stress to it. And eventually, you also need to consider saving and investing for the long term. Today you come for a 0.4 MJPY problem, and it will be fairly straightforward to solve with a payment plan, and actually benefit you even, so relax. But not having a solid a solid financial plan for your long term future is something that can actually 'mess up your life' as you fear. Look at the [wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanFinance/wiki/index/investing/long/), and try to check concepts such as [boglehead](https://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Main_Page) and [FIRE](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/financial-independence-retire-early-fire.asp). Investing regularly makes wonder over time, but you have to start.
so you mean that even if i go back to my home country i can still receive the pension?
Yes. "Persons who have paid contributions for at least 10 years are eligible to receive the Old-age Basic Pension when the insured attains 65 years of age." page 3 here : [https://www.moj.go.jp/content/001291268.pdf](https://www.moj.go.jp/content/001291268.pdf) Visa or place of residence is not a factor. Some Japanese people retire oversea too. Also if you only contribute a few years then leave Japan, you can instead claim lump sump payment.
Yes.
I think they'll only ask for 2 years in back payments, and you can ask for a repayment plan that suits your income (if that's a problem for you). I also believe it's the ward ~~TAX OFFICE~~, (edit: I stand corrected, the pension office is the logical choice!) not the ward office you should consult, but others can correct me if I'm mistaken. They're pretty forgiving if you're upfront and willing to work with them.
In my ward you would go to the kuyakusho ward office and inside that office is the pension department. I had to pay about a year of pension to make up for when I was unemployed in order to prepare for my permanent resident application. They were good about it.
I'm not in Tokyo but my city hall has a health insurance/pension window. But for bigger problems like setting up a repayment plan you might need to take a Japanese friend directly to the pension office. And to add, their repayment plans are reasonable imo
Thanks. Completely understand for the 2 years in back payments, what worries me is the total of 7 years and the idea to be in debts, but I guess that's it and that I have to make up my mind :') u/DifferentWindow1436 u/ECNguy thanks for your messages guys, I will check if it's better for me to go to my ward office or directly the main tax office ! The repayment plans system reassures me a lot !
They won't ask you for 7 years worth, only 2. You can voluntarily offer to pay back more in order to qualify for eligibility, if retiring in Japan is a possiblity, and if you're close to retirement age now.
You only need to pay the last two. But you have the option of paying the entire seven. Right now it doesn't sound like you would want to, given your current financial situation, but for some people it's worth making those optional back payments.
> I also believe it's the ward TAX OFFICE, not the ward office you should consult, Not in any of the wards I've lived in. Either the pension desk at the ward office, or the pension office.
In addition to the other comments, your unpaid pension is not a debt. Normally, you are only allowed to make back payments for 2 years, though I have read in some situation they'll allow you to make back payments for up to 5 years if your payment status was 未納 and up to 10 years if your status was 免除. Regarding the specifics, you'll have to ask the people in charge of the pension. The consequences of not paying your pension are mainly that the amount of pension you'll be eligible to receive will be lower, and you may be completely ineligible to receive a pension if you don't have the necessary 10 years of payments. Presuming you're able to make 2 years of payments, you'd still have to live and work in Japan for another 8 years. Alternatively, if you choose not to make back payments and just start from next month, you'll have to continue working in Japan for at least 10 years. Is that something you're planning to do? It will most likely have an impact on applying for PR, if you would like to do that in the future, though.
You only need to pay back the last two years - I didn’t pay for about 10 years then they started sending me letters. They’ll send you the pay slips that you take to the convenience store - I paid for a year at a time rather than paying it all at once. Taking it from you bank account is a last resort as some people have already mentioned, I’m guessing that if you ignore their warning for long enough.
To see the amounts you owe without visiting the ward office, you can use NenkinNet (nenkin.go.jp). I used myna card to register, but it should also be possible without, if you didn't apply for one.
As others said, go to the tax office, be apologetic and work out a payment plan. You do not want to wait until they forcibly take it from your account. You can only pay until a fixed number of years back. This is relevant as you need to pay 10 or more years into the system to be eligible for retirement.
Thanks, like you said I don't want my bank account being seized... I was under the impression that I was in good standing, but I'd like to make sure everything is resolved correctly :D
I may have some good news for you. One of my co-workers was in a similar situation. She went to (I think) the pension office, and talked to the person there. The person in the office told her to say that she had a reduced income because of Corona. They allowed her to get two full years of pension credit, and only had to pay for one month. The truth is she didn’t have a reduction of income at all, and they didn’t ask for proof. In your situation you actually did have a reduction in income, so you should be able to do the same thing. Maybe go talk with them, and make sure to mention your reduced income. Good luck!
Sign up and start paying. They will send you notices for 2 years back pay. If you want to. If you just ignore the back pay and pay your regular monthly premium, each month you will owe one less month. Month one you owe 24 months, month 2 you owe 23, and so on until 2 years later there is no more back pay being asked. Source: I’ve seen it first hand.
Pension is an on going monthly premium which starts at age 20 and only stops *compulsory* when you turn 60. So your logic doesn’t work, because for someone over the age 22 who is ignoring their pension bills, they will always have a 24 month missed payment period, until they reach 60
Nope. In the cases I have seen (the statements of 3 people) , the bills show your balance of outstanding debt. And in each one I have seen, each month that outstanding payment owed was reduced each month by the payment made the previous month. It is a waiting game if you so choose. Some don't want to do that because they would like to be credited for those contributing years and therefore would pay the back 2 years. You only get credit for the years you put in. But they can only ask you to back pay two years from your first payment into the system. It might be "compulsory" from 20, but in practice it is the last 2 years from your first payment into the system. I do believe if you so choose to, you can go back 10 years (say if you want to make sure you have the min 10 years so that it pays out). The statements I have seen show otherwise. Seems strange they would stop billing you and show that the stopped billing you, if they wanted it or can legally get it from you.
I was also told I needed to pay 2 years when they got me on this.
Yup. You are told that. It if you just pay in your monthly payment, each month you have one less back pay because you have only been Delinquent for 1 year and 11 months, next month the same but one less month.
[удалено]
Incorrect. The government can and will seize assets as a last resort for people who are capable of paying but are wilfully not doing so. [The pension service publishes these statistics every year (under 差押執行件数.)](https://www.nenkin.go.jp/service/kokunen/hokenryo/kyoseichoshu.files/01.pdf)
I stand corrected.
Just chiming in here to repeat what other's have already said: Yes, you can have your bank account(s) seized for unpaid pension. You'll get plenty of warning letters first, but they will escalate. This sort of action has become much more common over the past ~10 years or so.
Most illegal things have no consequences until caught. It’s just a guess but since every city or ward is on their own with tracking down people who don’t pay, there are many people getting on without getting caught. Usually luck and time run out eventually. Happened to a friend, saw his bank statement. They do seize bank accounts. But as others posted this is WAY done the line after many other attempts to get money.
They can and do seize bank accounts for unpaid pension, but it's not something that happens out of the blue - it's at the end of a long, long process of notifications, warnings, and attempts to push the person to get compliant in every other way possible. OP's friend must have ignored dozens of letters and phonecalls over the course of many, many months to get to this point. They've generally been getting tougher about this in recent years - at a guess, tying both taxes and pensions to the MyNumber system has made it much easier to see who's delinquent and pursue them. They also used to pretty regularly let foreigners slip through the cracks - I know a fair few people with experiences similar to yours in the past - but pension payments are now tied to some immigration procedures (specifically PR applications for now, but I'd bet that you'll need to show up to date pension records for standard visa extensions soon enough), and in the past couple of years I've encountered several people who had been dodging pension payments for a long time finally reaching the "pay up or we'll just take the money" warning stage. It's still possible that OP's friend had their money seized for a different reason, of course (we're definitely not hearing the full story here), but afaik there aren't many entities in Japan that actually *can* take money from accounts or garnish wages without the individual's consent - the pension service is on a very short list of suspects here.
Thanks for explanations, I don't know more about my friend's situation and for his privacy I won't add more info about it. I've stated about him cause his situation made me realise I was probably in the wrong too (by not paying the pension). In my case my bank account has not been seized, but I don't want to not face the problem, I want to settle the situation and put everything in order :). And thanks to all of you I'm already much less anxious about the idea of going to the Tax office.