How to Track Every Company Filing Deadline in Japan

Your Company Has More Deadlines Than You Think

Forming a company in Japan triggers a chain of filing obligations. The initial registration is just the beginning. Tax notifications, social insurance registrations, officer re-appointments, and annual filings each have their own deadlines defined by different laws and different government agencies.

Missing any of these can result in administrative fines under the Companies Act (会社法) Article 976, delays in opening bank accounts, or even deemed dissolution proceedings.

MmowW's Filing Deadline Calculator maps every obligation on a single timeline, so you know what needs to happen and when.

How It Works

Step 1: Enter Your Formation Date

Input your planned or actual company formation date. This is the date of registration at the Legal Affairs Bureau (法務局), which becomes your company's official birthday.

Step 2: Select Your Entity Type and Structure

Choose your entity type (KK or GK) and governance structure (with or without board of directors, with or without auditors). These selections determine which deadlines apply — for example, officer term renewal applies differently to KK with vs. without a board.

Step 3: Review Your Complete Timeline

The calculator generates a chronological list of every filing deadline:

Within days of formation:

• Seal registration certificate application
• Certified copy of registration for bank account opening

Within one to two months:

• Corporation establishment notification to National Tax Agency (法人設立届出書)
• Prefectural tax office notification (都道府県税事務所)
• Municipal tax office notification (市区町村)
• Blue-form tax return application (青色申告承認申請書) if desired
• Consumption tax status election if applicable

Within specific periods:

• Social insurance enrollment (health insurance, pension) — within 5 days of hiring employees
• Labor insurance enrollment — within 10 days of hiring employees
• Employment insurance — within 10 days of hiring employees

Ongoing:

• Annual tax return filing (within 2 months of fiscal year end)
• Officer term renewal registration (every 2 years for KK with board, up to 10 years for KK without board)
• Annual general meeting (within 3 months of fiscal year end for KK)

Step 4: Export or Calendar-Sync Your Deadlines

Save the timeline for your records or note key dates in your calendar system.

Key Benefits

• Nothing is missed: The calculator covers obligations across multiple agencies — Legal Affairs Bureau, tax offices, social insurance offices, and labor authorities.
• Entity-specific accuracy: KK and GK have different ongoing obligations. The tool knows the difference.
• Chronological clarity: See deadlines in order of urgency, not scattered across different regulatory websites.
• Post-formation coverage: Most tools focus only on the initial registration. This calculator covers the first year and beyond.

Real Scenarios

Solo founder forming a GK with no employees: The timeline shows that social insurance and labor insurance deadlines do not apply until employees are hired. However, the solo founder must still file tax notifications within the prescribed periods. The calculator correctly excludes irrelevant deadlines while keeping essential ones.

KK with five employees from day one: The timeline includes social insurance enrollment within 5 days of the first employee's start date, labor insurance within 10 days, and employment insurance within 10 days. The founder sees that hiring on day one means compliance deadlines arrive immediately.

Company with March fiscal year end: The calculator adjusts the annual tax return deadline to May (two months after the March fiscal year end) and shows the annual general meeting deadline as June (three months after fiscal year end).

FAQ

Q: Does the calculator account for holidays and weekends?

A: Statutory deadlines in Japan follow the General Rules for Application of Laws (法の適用に関する通則法) regarding holiday extensions. When a deadline falls on a national holiday, Saturday, or Sunday, it typically extends to the next business day. The calculator flags these situations.

Q: What if I have not yet decided on my fiscal year end?

A: The calculator uses your formation date and the fiscal year end you specify (or the default March 31 if not specified). You can re-run the calculator with different fiscal year assumptions to see how the timeline changes.

Q: Are there deadlines I need to meet before formation?

A: Pre-formation steps (drafting articles of incorporation, notarization, capital deposit) do not have statutory deadlines — you complete them when ready. The statutory deadlines begin after registration.

Try It Now — Free, No Signup Required

Map every deadline from formation forward:

Use the Filing Deadline Calculator →

What's Next?

Deadlines tracked. Now meet each one on time. MmowW Scribe guides every filing with step-by-step instructions.

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