This page is written for English-speaking travellers going to Japan.
Japan's tax refund changes on November 1, 2026
Until then, registered shops take the 10% consumption tax off at the till. From that date you pay the full price, a customs terminal confirms your purchases as you leave the country, and the tax comes back to you afterwards. The minimum spend stays at ¥5,000 excluding tax, at one shop, on one day.
Work out your refundWhat is confirmed, and what is not
We are not a refund operator and we are not part of the Japanese government. This is an independent reference. Where the government has not published something — the number of days, the 8% food rate — we say so instead of guessing.
- ¥5,000Minimum before tax, per shop, per day
- Nov 1, 2026The new system starts
- 1 / 11Of the tax-included price comes back
- 90 daysTo leave Japan after the purchase
Start here
Where are you in the trip?
Five stages. Pick the one you are in.
Stage 1Before you goWhat changes on November 1, 2026, whether it applies to your trip, whether you qualify, and how much is actually at stake.Open stage 1
Stage 2In the shopThe threshold, what you have to show at the till, what counts, and what you may and may not do with the goods afterwards.Open stage 2
Stage 3Leaving JapanThe customs step on the way out: what the terminal does, what you may be asked to show, and how to pack so that it is quick.Open stage 3
Stage 4After you fly homeHow the money reaches you, what can be deducted from it, and what we are measuring from the first day the system runs.Open stage 4
Stage 5When it goes wrongYou opened the box, you walked past the terminal, you lost the receipt, or the money has not arrived.Open stage 5
What actually changes
The tax itself does not change, and neither does who can claim it. What changes is when the money leaves your hands. Today the shop simply does not charge you the tax. From November 1, 2026 the shop charges it, and you get it back after Japanese customs has confirmed that the goods left with you.
Tax comes off at the register
- In the shopYou pay¥9,091
- At the airportNothing to do
- Money back laterNothing comes back¥0
Tax comes back after you leave
- In the shopYou pay¥10,000
- At the airportCustoms confirms
- Money back laterRefunded to you¥909
| Until October 31, 2026 | From November 1, 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| What you hand over at the till | ¥9,091 | ¥10,000 |
| What comes back later | Nothing — you never paid it | ¥909, before any fee |
| What you do at the till | Say you want it handled tax-free, and show your passport — unchanged | |
| What you do at the airport | Nothing | Let a terminal read your passport, and show the goods if asked |
| Consumables in a sealed bag | Required | Not required |
| Daily ceiling on consumables | ¥500,000 | Abolished |
| Minimum spend | ¥5,000 excluding tax at one shop on one day — unchanged | |
Two things get simpler at the same time. The split between general goods and consumables disappears, so the sealed bag that consumables had to travel in is no longer required. And the ¥500,000 per-day ceiling on consumables is abolished.
How much comes back
A tax-included price in Japan holds the tax inside it. At the standard 10% rate, the tax is one eleventh of what is on the price tag — not one tenth. A ¥10,000 tag holds ¥909.
The six open points, as of October 25, 2026
Most English-language pages about this change will tell you how long the refund takes and what fee comes off it. As of October 25, 2026 the Japanese government sets neither: the fee is set by each shop or refund operator, not by the government, and the number of days depends on the operator. Japan Customs has published where the terminals are, some airports will hand over cash with a fee deducted, and the 8% food rate is still not published. We track all six on one page rather than filling the gaps with a guess.
- The start date
- The ¥5,000 threshold
- The 90-day deadline
- The customs step
- Sealed packaging dropped
- The daily cap dropped
- The handling fee — set by each shop or refund operator, not the government
- How many days it takes — no government rule; varies by operator
- Cash — offered at some airports, with a fee deducted
- The terminals — locations on Japan Customs' map; number not published
- Name mismatch — no government rule; some shops require your own name
- The 8% food rate — still not published
How this site works
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Primary sources
The Japan Tourism Agency, the Japan Tax-free Shop Association and Japan Customs. Every number here traces to one of them.
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Invented numbers
If a figure has not been published, this site says so. It does not repeat a number it cannot trace.
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Ads
No advertising, and we do not sell data. Visits are counted with Google Analytics; the privacy page says what it collects.
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Languages, written separately
English, Korean, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian, French, German, Spanish and Italian. Each is written for its own readers, not translated from one original.
Your tax-free shopping, kept in one app
The RefundJapan app keeps a record of your tax-free shopping in one place and guides you through each step: buying, registering, the airport and the refund. The Android version is available now on Google Play.
The iPhone version is in preparation.
Where to go next
The moneyJapan Tax Refund 2026: Where You Can Get Cash at the AirportFrom November 1, 2026 two operators hand over the Japan tax refund as yen cash at airports: Cash Japan at 6 airports, deducting 10% of the refund amount, and Self Tax Refund at Haneda, Narita and Naha. Whether you can use them depends on your shop's refund operator.- The moneyJapan Tax Refund Fee 2026: Who Sets It and How Much?Japan's government takes no fee and sets no rate for the November 1, 2026 tax refund. As of October 25, 2026 each shop or operator decides: some charge nothing, and airport cash through Cash Japan deducts 10% of the refund amount, about 1% of the price.
Step by stepJapan Tax Refund 2026: How to Keep Receipts Organised Before Departure?From November 1, 2026, customs checks each receipt as one unit at departure. Keep every receipt with its goods, sorted by store and by day.
What we measuredJapan Tax Refund 2026: What Is Still Not Announced?On August 19, 2026 six points about Japan's November 1, 2026 tax refund were unannounced. As of October 25, 2026 the terminal locations and airport cash pick-up are out, fees are set shop by shop, and three points still have no government answer.- Step by stepJapan Tax Refund 2026: Can You Get Proof After You Have Left Japan?From November 1, 2026, tax-free treatment needs customs confirmation at departure. Official pages describe no confirmation after you leave Japan.
How the rule changedJapan Tax Refund 2026: Can Secondhand Shop Purchases Be Refunded?From November 1, 2026, a secondhand shop sale follows the general refund conditions, but the official pages do not mention used goods.