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The Era of Free Asset Allocation Arrives: Analyzing Taiwan’s Legal Reform Abolishing Forced Heirship for Siblings
Taiwan's inheritance system has undergone its most significant transformation in recent years. In late July 2026, the Legislative Yuan officially passed the third reading of amendments to the Civil Code, removing the "compulsory portion (forced heirship) for siblings" from the law. This reform reverses the traditional legal framework that previously overemphasized "bloodline family co-ownership," handing full autonomy over estate disposition back to property owners and markin
4 days ago3 min read
Tax Issues Faced by U.S. Citizens Working in Japan
For U.S. citizens, moving to Japan to live and work often marks a significant career milestone. However, behind the fresh opportunities brought by working abroad, navigating the tax systems of both countries poses a major hurdle. The United States practices citizenship-based global taxation, whereas Japanese tax law considers both "territorial source" and "residency" status. Consequently, tax rules for American citizens working in Japan become exceptionally complex. Income Ta
6 days ago3 min read
Can High-Income U.S. Parents Avoid Higher Taxes by Investing Through Their Children's Accounts?
Many high-income U.S. taxpayers wonder whether they can reduce their overall tax burden by transferring investment assets to their children. For example, if stocks are held in a child's account instead of a parent's, can the dividend income be taxed at the child's lower tax rate rather than the parent's higher rate? The answer is: not necessarily. To prevent this type of income-shifting strategy, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has established the Kiddie Tax rules. Contrar
Jul 274 min read
Settling in Japan? Your Global Assets May Need to Be Reported to the Japanese Government
In recent years, as the Japanese government has more strictly enforced tax compliance for foreign residents living in Japan, foreign nationals residing in Japan should pay closer attention to their tax filing obligations. Among these obligations, the “Statement of Overseas Assets” system has become an increasingly important tax reporting requirement for foreigners who have lived in Japan for an extended period of time. In particular, with the widespread implementation of the
May 194 min read
The Tax Advantage of Buying Luxury Property in Japan for Inheritance Planning Come to an End.
For many years, Japanese real estate has been regarded as a key tool for high-net-worth individuals to facilitate wealth transfer. Its core advantage lies in Japan’s unique “assessed value taxation system.” By leveraging the discounted valuation based on road prices (rosenka) and fixed asset tax assessments, investors have been able to significantly reduce the declared value of assets for inheritance tax purposes, thereby lowering their overall tax burden. However, starting J
Apr 273 min read
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