Received a 源泉徴収票 and cannot tell which number is your annual income? Start with the year at the top and the four main boxes. 支払金額 is the amount of employment income paid by that employer for the year; 源泉徴収税額 is the income tax amount shown as withheld after the employer’s applicable calculation. Neither box is your monthly take-home pay.
The full name is 給与所得の源泉徴収票 (きゅうよしょとくのげんせんちょうしゅうひょう, kyūyo shotoku no gensen chōshūhyō), often shortened to gensen chōshūhyō. It is an annual employment-income withholding record. The National Tax Agency (NTA) provides the recipient copy and instructions. This guide explains where to look; it does not calculate an individual tax return.
Four figures across the top
| Japanese on the form | Reading | Plain-English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 支払金額 | しはらいきんがく / shiharai kingaku | Employment income amount reported by this payer for the stated year; it is not the amount transferred to your bank after deductions |
| 給与所得控除後の金額（調整控除後） | きゅうよしょとくこうじょごのきんがく | Employment income after the statutory employment-income deduction and applicable adjustment |
| 所得控除の額の合計額 | しょとくこうじょのがくのごうけいがく | Total amount of the income deductions shown in the tax calculation |
| 源泉徴収税額 | げんせんちょうしゅうぜいがく | Income tax and applicable reconstruction special income tax shown as withheld for this record |
These labels appear on the NTA’s recipient-copy sample (Japanese PDF). The figures are related but do not form a simple “gross minus deductions equals take-home pay” equation. 給与所得控除 is a tax-calculation deduction, not a line taken from each month’s bank transfer. For monthly gross pay and net pay, use your payslip.
Other labels worth recognizing
| Japanese | Reading | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| 令和○年分 | れいわ○ねんぶん | The tax year covered; verify you have the year you need |
| 支払を受ける者 | しはらいをうけるもの | Recipient: your name and address |
| 支払者 | しはらいしゃ | The employer or payer that issued the form |
| 社会保険料等の金額 | しゃかいほけんりょうとうのきんがく | Social insurance contributions and related amounts reflected in the form |
| 摘要 | てきよう | Remarks; read this if it contains an entry |
| 中途就・退職 | ちゅうとしゅう・たいしょく | Employment start or end during the year, where applicable |
The form also has fields concerning dependents and other deductions. A blank field does not automatically mean an error: the entry depends on the worker’s situation and the documents submitted to payroll. If a personal detail is wrong, ask the issuing employer to review it before using the record elsewhere.
How is this different from a payslip or residence-tax notice?
A 給与明細 shows a particular pay period and its payments and deductions. A 源泉徴収票 summarizes employment income and withholding for a year from its issuing payer. 住民税 (residence tax) may appear as a deduction on monthly payslips or in a separate local-government notice; the main 源泉徴収税額 field on this form is not a total of residence tax paid.
If you changed employers during the year, keep the record from the previous employer and ask your new employer what it needs for year-end adjustment. If you had more than one payer, do not assume a single form represents all employment income. The NTA’s English withholding-tax information provides further background, and a tax office or qualified tax professional can address a personal filing question.
When you receive it: a practical check
- Confirm the year, your name and the issuing employer.
- Check that the reported payment period makes sense, especially after a mid-year job change.
- Look at the four top-line amounts and the remarks field; compare with your payroll records, allowing for the fact that this is an annual tax document rather than a bank-transfer summary.
- Store the document securely. It contains personal and income information. Send it to another employer or institution only through an appropriate channel when needed.
The NTA’s guidance says the payer issues the record to the recipient; its English withholding guide describes preparation of the annual record and a separate record on retirement during the year. If yours is missing, ask the employer’s payroll contact: ［年］分の給与所得の源泉徴収票を発行していただけますか。 — “Could you issue my employment-income withholding record for [year]?” If an amount seems incorrect: 支払金額と勤務期間を確認していただけますか。 — “Could you check the payment amount and employment period?”
For the earlier stage of employment, our notice of working conditions guide helps you read the written pay terms before starting the job.
