iDeCo is a system where you invest in financial products you choose to build your own pension.
More people are interested in iDeCo because they believe public pensions alone aren’t enough.
What are the requirements to join iDeCo? Can foreigners join too? I’ll explain everything, including the benefits and drawbacks.
Please jump to the relevant area for you from the table of contents.
Table of Contents
Profile of Writer
Yukako Yamazaki
Representative of FP Office MIRAI;Â
Experienced as a Registered Customs Specialist, a bank teller, and transitioned to the path of a financial planner. Founded the financial planning office “FP Office MIRAI” in 2022.
With the motto “Changing the future through reviewing the household budget,” actively engages in household budget consultations, financial article writing, and book supervision, etc.
1st grade Certified Skilled Professional of Financial Planning, Certified Financial Planner®.
If you’re interested in other articles about finance in Japan, such as NISA and taxes, you might find this article helpful.
Chapter 1: What is iDeCo in Japan?
iDeCo is a system designed to supplement the public pension. Participants contribute and manage their own funds to grow their pension assets.
To be eligible for iDeCo, you must be enrolled in the National Pension. Therefore, foreigners residing in Japan who are enrolled in the National Pension can also participate in iDeCo.
The maximum contribution amount varies depending on the type of pension insurance you are enrolled in and whether you are also enrolled in other corporate pensions (such as corporate DC or DB).
You can choose the products in which to invest your iDeCo contributions from options like mutual funds, time deposits, and insurance products. The profits earned during the investment period are tax-exempt.
As a rule, once you join, you cannot cancel your iDeCo account midway, and you cannot withdraw your assets until you reach the age of 60.
Background of iDeCo
Japan’s public pension system uses a pay-as-you-go method, where the working generation’s pension premiums directly fund the pensions of current recipients.
With Japan’s rapidly aging population and declining birthrate, relying solely on public pensions to support retirement will become increasingly difficult. To address this challenge, the government introduced iDeCo to encourage individuals to take personal responsibility and actively build their retirement assets.
iDeCo Eligibility and Contributions
To join iDeCo, you must be a National Pension subscriber. The specific eligibility criteria are as follows:
- Individuals aged 20 to under 60 with a registered address in Japan.
- Company employees and public servants (Category 2 National Pension insured persons) aged 60 to under 65.
- Individuals aged 60 to under 65 who voluntarily enroll in the National Pension (those who haven’t completed the 480 months of premium payments).
- Individuals residing abroad who voluntarily enroll in the National Pension.
You can set your iDeCo contributions in increments of 1,000 yen, starting from 5,000 yen per month. The maximum contribution amount is shown in the table below. Additionally, you can adjust your contribution amount once a year, within the set limits.
*Starting in December 2024, some contribution limits will be increased.
Can Foreigners Join iDeCo?
Foreign nationals who are between 20 and 65 years old and are enrolled in the National Pension can join iDeCo. This also applies to foreign nationals under 65 who are enrolled in Employees’ Pension Insurance.
However, if a foreign national loses their National Pension enrollment due to moving abroad, they will also lose their eligibility to participate in iDeCo.
Chapter 2: How to manage iDeCo?
Types of Investment Products
iDeCo offers two main types of investment products: variable principal investment trusts and principal-guaranteed products such as time deposits and insurance products.
Investment trusts are subject to fluctuations based on the chosen products, and they do not guarantee the principal. In contrast, time deposits and insurance products offer principal guarantees but typically yield lower returns.
You decide how to manage your iDeCo contributions, but the available products vary by the financial institution managing iDeCo, such as securities companies and banks. If you have specific products in mind, check the offerings on the websites of banks or securities companies in advance.
About Fees
The main fees for iDeCo that participants bear are as follows:
- Enrollment Fee (Initial Only): 2,829 yen (flat rate)
- Pension Benefit Fee (Per Benefit): 440 yen (flat rate)
- Management Fee (Monthly): 171 yen to over 500 yen
Fees 1 and 2 are the same regardless of the financial institution where you enroll in iDeCo. However, fee 3 varies by financial institution. The breakdown of the management fee is as follows:
- a. 105 yen per month (National Pension Fund Association)
- b. 66 yen per month (Outsourced administrative financial institution)
- c. 0 to approximately 500 yen per month (Account management fee paid to the contracted financial institution)
The combined total of fees a and b, 171 yen, is the same regardless of the financial institution. However, fee c varies depending on the securities company or bank you choose. Since account management fees are deducted from your contributions, higher fees can reduce your investment funds.
Given that fees can significantly impact investment efficiency over a long period, it is advisable to select a financial institution with lower fees.
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Chapter 3: What is the benefit of iDeCo?
A. Tax Savings
You can reduce your income tax and resident tax by contributing to iDeCo. Contributions are fully deductible from your income, lowering your taxable income and, therefore, your taxes.
Here’s how the tax savings work if you contribute 20,000 yen per month for 20 years:
Contribution: 20,000 yen per month, 240,000 yen annually
For a 10% income tax rate:
- Income tax savings: 24,000 yen per year (240,000 yen × 10%)
- Resident tax savings: 24,000 yen per year (240,000 yen × 10%)
- Total annual savings: 48,000 yen
- Total savings over 20 years: 960,000 yen
For a 20% income tax rate:
- Income tax savings: 48,000 yen per year (240,000 yen × 20%)
- Resident tax savings: 24,000 yen per year (240,000 yen × 10%)
- Total annual savings: 72,000 yen
- Total savings over 20 years: 1,440,000 yen
Resident tax is always 10%, so savings are the same for everyone. However, higher income tax rates lead to more significant savings with iDeCo.
If you don’t pay income or resident taxes, you won’t benefit from these deductions.
B. Tax-Free Investment Gains and Reinvestment
Typically, investment gains are taxable, but with iDeCo, you don’t pay taxes on the profits. This means any gains from investments, such as dividends from mutual funds or interest from time deposits, are automatically reinvested tax-free.
For example, if you join iDeCo at age 40 and contribute 20,000 yen per month, with an average annual return of 3% from mutual funds until age 60, here’s how the tax savings would look:
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|
Total Contributions (a) |
4,800,000 yen (20,000 yen × 12 months × 20 years) |
|
Investment Gains (b) |
1,753,211 yen |
|
Total Value (a + b) |
6,553,211 yen |
|
Tax Savings (b × 20.315%) |
356,164 yen |
Normally, you would pay around 356,000 yen in taxes on these gains. However, with iDeCo, you receive the full amount of 6,553,211 yen, including the 356,000 yen that would otherwise be taxed.
Note: The return on mutual funds is not guaranteed, so these numbers are for simulation purposes only.
C. Tax Benefits When Receiving iDeCo Assets
You can receive iDeCo assets in three ways:
- Lump Sum Payment
- As a Pension
- Combination of Lump Sum and Pension
Tax benefits are available when receiving these assets:
Lump Sum Payment:
When you take the entire amount as a lump sum, the retirement income deduction applies. This deduction is calculated separately from other income, with larger deductions for longer employment periods.As a Pension:
If you receive the amount as a pension, it is combined with other public or company pensions. You can apply the public pension deduction to this combined total.
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D. Continue with iDeCo Even After Changing Jobs
You can transfer your pension assets between iDeCo, corporate-defined contribution pensions (corporate DC), and corporate-defined benefit pensions (DB).
So, even if you change jobs, you can carry over your iDeCo assets through the proper procedures. This portability ensures that your assets remain secure and manageable.
E. Lump-Sum Withdrawal from iDeCo
iDeCo typically does not allow early withdrawal once you join. Although you can stop contributing at any time, you must continue to manage your accumulated funds until you turn 60.
However, if you meet all the following conditions, you can receive a lump-sum withdrawal:
- Under 60 years old
- Not a participant in a corporate-defined contribution pension (corporate DC)
- Ineligible for iDeCo (e.g., exempt from national pension contributions, living abroad)
- Not a Japanese national living abroad (20 to 59 years old)
- Not receiving disability benefits from a defined contribution pension
- Have been enrolled in iDeCo and corporate DC for 5 years or less, or the balance of individual assets is 250,000 yen or less
- Within 2 years of losing eligibility for corporate DC or iDeCo
Chapter 4: What is disadvantage of iDeCo?
A. No Access to Funds Until Age 60
iDeCo is a pension system, so you cannot access your assets before age 60. Even after turning 60, you may not automatically start receiving benefits. If the total period of iDeCo and corporate DC contributions is less than 10 years, you will receive benefits at a later age, depending on your total contribution period:
- 8 to less than 10 years: Start at 61 years old
- 6 to less than 8 years: Start at 62 years old
- 4 to less than 6 years: Start at 63 years old
- 2 to less than 4 years: Start at 64 years old
- 1 month to less than 2 years: Start at 65 years old
Note that you cannot use iDeCo funds for purposes like housing or education.
B. Investment Risk and Variability
The value of your iDeCo assets can fluctuate depending on your investment choices.
For fixed deposits or insurance products: These choices do not risk losing your principal but might not yield significant growth. However, if the monthly management fees exceed the returns, your assets could decrease.
For mutual funds: They offer the potential for significant gains but come with the risk of losing your principal.
Decide whether you prefer stable returns or the potential for growth, and consider diversifying your investments. Regularly reviewing and adjusting your investment choices is important as you can change your investment options.
C. Considerations for Foreign Nationals Not Planning to Retire in Japan
iDeCo is a system where you generally cannot withdraw funds before age 60, and once you join, you cannot cancel early.
While iDeCo is beneficial for foreigners planning to spend their retirement in Japan, it may not be ideal for those who plan to move abroad in the future. You can only receive a lump-sum withdrawal if you meet all the conditions and have been enrolled for 5 years or less. Otherwise, you will have to wait until age 60 to access your funds.
D. Language Barriers
Understanding iDeCo involves navigating complex details such as choosing financial institutions, investment products, contribution limits, and eligibility age. Frequent system updates can make it challenging to stay informed, even for Japanese speakers. For foreigners who do not speak Japanese as their first language, the barriers to joining iDeCo may be higher.
Chapter5: Who Should Consider iDeCo?
iDeCo offers tax benefits and the potential to build substantial retirement savings through investment. It’s especially suitable for:
- Individuals who want to save for retirement in a disciplined manner
- Those looking to reduce their taxes (particularly beneficial for high-income earners)
- People who understand the system and are comfortable with investment risks
However, for foreigners, NISA might be a more flexible and user-friendly option for tax-free investing. It’s important to carefully evaluate whether iDeCo aligns with your needs and future plans.
Chapter8: Summary of iDeCo in Japan
Due to the accelerating aging population and declining birthrate, relying solely on public pensions for retirement will become increasingly difficult.
iDeCo is an excellent system that allows for tax savings while preparing retirement funds in a tax-free manner. While it lacks flexibility due to the principle that funds can only be accessed after age 60, this ensures that the assets are used solely for retirement.
Foreigners who are enrolled in the National Pension can also join iDeCo. However, if you plan to return to your home country in the future, you should consider joining carefully.
References; National Pension Fund Association
