Outside Options
Ways to invest as an expat in Japan
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Over the course of their career, many professionals will live and work in multiple countries. And as expats, they will find financial opportunities and face challenges that those who stay put in their home country may not. Making and managing investments can be complex, but experts interviewed by The ACCJ Journal shared ways to maximize resources, grow wealth, and navigate potentially higher taxes, investment restrictions, and language issues.
Alternatives to Consider
“The world of product opportunity for Asian alternatives has dramatically expanded over the past 10 years, and investors can now make lump-sum investments across a variety of single-purpose venture, hedge, and private-equity vehicles,” explained Edward Rogers, chief executive and chief investment officer at Rogers Investment Advisors.
There are a number of possible paths to follow for expat investors. “Many expats are investing in both onshore and offshore structures—in places such as the Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands—that provide access to a full range of hedge-fund, private-equity, real-estate, and long-only options,” he said.
Argentum Wealth Management’s Martin Zotta, who shares the title of managing director and CEO with co-founder Lloyd Danon, said that many expats “tend to invest in a combination of monthly automated and ad-hoc lump-sum investments.” Monthly options, he noted, put excess savings from each paycheck to work, while lump sums are suitable for investing existing cash holdings and performance bonuses.
And Timothy Gregersen, head of cross-border transactions, investment sales for Japan at Cushman & Wakefield K.K. cited multiple options in real estate that can help expats build their portfolio.
Onshore/Offshore
One of the biggest concerns when choosing to invest is the tax burden that may be incurred. “Historically, the single biggest investment was probably offshore wooden housing structures that provided dramatic Japanese tax relief, but this option has been closed out by the Japanese government,” said Rogers, who founded his firm, in part, out of a desire to implement the Yale Model of endowment for his personal family investments. His first focus was to provide retail access to Japanese—and then broadly Asian—alternative investments, with an entry point of $100,000 per investment. Often, the required minimum would be $1 million.
While offshore was once a top choice, it is getting harder and harder, he said, with the new approach to anti-money laundering (AML) and know-your-customer (KYC) processes making basic retail banking—for individuals as well as small and medium-sized enterprises—very difficult. “Banks make less and less money serving these clients, and are offering them commensurately fewer and fewer services, with the excuse that AML and KYC have created barriers to relationships,” he explained.
With offshore being less attractive, Rogers identified two onshore options that can bring significant tax benefits:
- Buying or leasing aircraft
- Angel zeisei
The latter is an incentivized Japanese investment tax system, mainly aimed at individuals, that allows investors to deduct the higher of ¥10 million or 20 percent of their income.
Taking advantage of newer financial institutions can also be beneficial.
“Online banking is most likely the single most important concept for expats on an individual basis,” Rogers explained. “And as small business owners, it is easier to understand and to do so quickly. Large, traditional brick-and-mortar banks charge absurd sums to execute electronic transfers.” These costs should be understood and compared versus online options, he said. “Online wins pretty much every time.”
Property Profits
For those looking to invest in real estate, Cushman & Wakefield’s Gregersen said there are a few ways an expat can access real estate investments, depending on their overall financial objectives and level of risk tolerance. “The easiest option, executionwise, would be to access real estate via listed real estate investment trusts, or REITs,” he explained. “This can be accomplished with a relatively small amount to start, and can easily be added to or divested.”
Investment in direct assets, such as a condo unit or an apartment building, is an alternative path that Gregersen suggested. “This typically involves a larger ticket price, the use of leverage, and transaction costs. Real assets are lumpy—and generally less liquid than listed options—so they should be carefully considered.”
Another possibility that has recently taken shape via crowdfunding platforms is a hybrid of these two. “This could work for those who are looking for investments that aren’t correlated with the stock market and which don’t require as much capital as direct investments,” he said.
If one decides to go the direct investment route, a major obstacle for an expat will be securing financing, according to Gregersen. “Unless the expat has permanent residency, it can be very difficult to source financing at good terms,” he said. “It’s not impossible, but it will be quite challenging.”
He cited two matters that are likely to be more difficult for expats than for Japanese nationals:
- Transferring funds to close the deal
- Property, income, and withholding taxes
“Closing a real estate transaction involves transferring large sums of money, so it is important to confirm your bank’s policies and procedures in advance,” he said. “Further, if the expat intends to use funds from overseas, it is even more important to confirm with the bank to which the funds are being transferred what policies and procedures they have with respect to international remittances. Funds can get stuck in transit, and figuring out where they are and why this has happened is not a fun experience.”
Property owners whose primary residence is no longer in Japan will face logistical challenges, he added. “They will need to appoint a tax administrator to handle the payment of annual property taxes and to file income tax documents, in the case of investment property. Further, where owners live overseas and rental income is to be remitted, the funds will be subject to withholding tax at the source. This is also true in the case of a sale.”
Portability Is Vital
Some expats have settled in Japan and have made the country their permanent home. But for most, their time here will be limited, and the decision to pick up and move is outside their control. A promotion or shift in corporate priorities can lead to a sudden relocation.
“In general, expats are looking for portable, flexible solutions as regards access to capital and tax efficiency,” explained Argentum’s Zotta, noting that there is a wide range of international options available to expats, depending on their nationality and financial requirements. “Portability is vital, as most clients will not remain in Japan long term. A good solution for one client may not be suitable for another, so it is essential to clearly understand a client’s financial goals and objectives before presenting the most appropriate solution.”
Argentum specializes in international investment solutions and, for US nationals, US onshore solutions.
“We take a holistic approach to financial advice and our clients’ needs, and prepare recommendations to suit their individual situations,” explained Danon. “During a first meeting, we go through a general Q&A to understand, in detail, what will be the most appropriate choice. We have a broad range of solutions to meet the needs of all clients, and being locally licensed in Japan to offer advice gives us a comprehensive range of options.”
Language Barrier
Japan is well known for its paperwork, and more often than not documents are only in Japanese. Even if an English translation is available, ultimately the Japanese version will need to be completed and filed. Doing so can be challenging even for expats who are fluent in Japanese, as the language of such transactions is complex.
“One key way for expats to deal with the language barrier is to work with a bilingual agent on the purchase, and a bilingual property manager on an ongoing basis,” said Gregersen.
Rogers gave the same advice, saying that investors should learn Japanese, but also noting that simply speaking and reading the language is not enough. “The reality is that investors should be prepared—and willing to pay for high-quality translations of documents to make sure they know what they are investing in.”
Long View
Danon noted that those who intend to live in Japan for the long term should take special precautions. “You should prepare for your parents’ and your own estate planning needs, as Japan has an unusual way of treating and taxing estates between heirs,” he explained. “Estate planning is something our clients have reached out to us a lot more about recently, given Covid-19 concerns and restrictions on movement. Unfortunately, many expats are underprepared—or are generally unaware—of how Japanese inheritance tax laws will affect them and their immediate families.”
Rogers was more blunt. When asked what advice he has for expats planning to retire in Japan, he answered with one word: don’t. “There is no way you want to deal with Japanese inheritance taxes if you don’t have to.”
But for those who do want to settle down in Japan, and wish to put their money to work, there are many investment opportunities to be had. Leveraging the expertise of the foreign community through legal, financial, and advisory services, however, is a key part of successfully investing as an expat.
