Selling on Amazon Japan From Australia: Registration, Consumption Tax, Importing and Fees

An Australian business can sell on Amazon.co.jp by opening a Japan seller account, and Amazon's Australian guide says Japan registration is available in English and Japanese. Amazon Japan lists a Professional plan at 4,900 yen a month excluding tax, and an Individual plan at 100 yen per item excluding tax. Japan has its own consumption tax, with a standard rate of 10%, and its own importing rules. This is general information, not tax or legal advice, and Japan is the hardest of the three markets in this series for an Australian seller to enter.

What does it cost to sell on Amazon Japan?

The seller page on Amazon.co.jp, which is in Japanese, states these figures:

Amazon also states that it stopped charging customer return fees to all FBA sellers from 1 April 2023. These are the figures on Amazon's page as of 19 October 2026, and they may change.

For scale, at an illustrative rate of A$1 to 100 yen, 4,900 yen is about A$49 a month, close to the Australian Professional plan at A$49.95 excluding GST. The exchange rate moves, so check the day's rate before you budget. Amazon's Australian guide says listing in multiple stores can earn a discounted monthly fee.

How do you register for Amazon Japan from Australia?

Amazon's Australian guide says that for Japan, registration is available in English and Japanese, and that you need a valid credit card, phone number and tax information. Amazon's guidance for existing sellers is to use the Global Selling page in Seller Central and create an account in the region you want. Amazon's US-site guide says Asia-Pacific stores such as Japan need country-specific accounts, whereas the Australian guide describes merged accounts. Check which applies in your Seller Central.

The Japanese seller page lists these items for registration: government-issued photo ID, a transaction statement from the last 180 days, an email address not already tied to another Amazon account, a valid credit card and the bank account that receives proceeds, and a certified corporate registry document for corporations. It says a My Number card is not accepted. That page does not describe requirements for overseas sellers. For an Australian company, your ASIC details and ABN are the natural business records, but confirm what Amazon accepts on the registration screens.

You will need to handle Japanese-language support and Japanese product pages. Amazon.co.jp shoppers expect Japanese listings. A third-party blog says translations are required, which Amazon has not confirmed on a public page, so check the listing requirements in Seller Central and plan for professional translation anyway.

How does Japanese consumption tax work for an overseas seller?

Japan's consumption tax standard rate is 10.0% from 1 October 2019, with a reduced 8.0% rate for food and drink excluding alcohol and dining out, and for certain newspapers. The National Tax Agency (NTA) also says a business becomes a taxable person if its taxable sales in the base period exceed 10 million yen, and is in principle exempt for a taxable period if base-period taxable sales are 10 million yen or less.

For foreign businesses, the NTA says a non-resident sole proprietor or foreign corporation without a domicile or head office in Japan must designate a tax agent, who handles Japanese tax procedures for the taxpayer. Whether your particular Amazon sales fall inside those rules, and how the threshold applies to cross-border sales, is a question for a Japanese tax adviser. Amazon has not published guidance on this for Australian sellers.

Amazon.co.jp prices on the seller page are shown excluding tax, for example 4,900 yen excluding tax. So expect consumption tax to sit on top of the fee, which matters if you cannot recover it.

Who is the importer of record for Japan?

For FBA exports, Amazon says you or your provider must act as exporter of record and importer of record in both countries, and Amazon will not be responsible for customs duties and taxes associated with FBA inventory. Inventory arriving with unpaid duty charges is returned to the sender. For merchant fulfilment you act as exporter of record, and you must engage logistics providers directly.

In practice, an Australian seller needs a Japanese customs broker or a logistics partner who can act as importer. Japanese import consumption tax and customs duty depend on the product and its value. This guide does not quote current Japanese duty rates or import-tax rules, so get a quote from a broker. Our guide to the Australian equivalent, importer of record for Amazon Australia, explains the concept.

Merchant fulfilment from Australia to Japan is possible but slow for Amazon.co.jp shoppers, who often expect fast delivery. That tends to hurt conversion. FBA Japan is the normal route for products that sell steadily.

How do you get paid?

Amazon's Currency Converter for Sellers supports 19 currencies including AUD. Amazon's guide, as quoted here, does not name JPY among the currencies, so confirm whether yen proceeds can be converted to Australian dollars and to which bank account type in Seller Central. Amazon says you may only receive payment to a bank account in a country and currency the converter supports.

If you cannot receive proceeds in your Australian account, you may need a Japanese bank account or a payments provider, which adds a cost and a compliance step. Conversion charges are not published on Amazon's public pages.

What should you check before launching in Japan?

1. Trade mark. Brand Registry needs a trade mark issued by a country with a corresponding Amazon store. Japan has its own filing process, separate from IP Australia.
2. Product rules. Japanese safety, labelling and category rules differ from Australia's. Amazon links to Japan product compliance pages.
3. Language. Japanese listings, images and customer service.
4. Tax. Consumption tax status, tax agent and invoicing, with a Japanese adviser.
5. Margin. Include freight, duty, import consumption tax, FBA fees and conversion cost.

Amazon's guide suggests exploring Best Sellers on Amazon.co.jp if you plan to sell there. See also Amazon global selling from Australia.

FAQ

Can an Australian business sell on Amazon Japan? Amazon's Australian guide lists Amazon.co.jp as an Asia-Pacific option with registration in English and Japanese. Amazon.co.jp's own seller page does not describe overseas-seller requirements, so confirm them at sign-up.

How much is the Amazon Japan seller fee? The Professional plan is 4,900 yen a month excluding tax, and the Individual plan is 100 yen per item excluding tax. Referral fees are generally 5% to 15% by category.

Do I need to register for Japanese consumption tax? It depends on your taxable sales and structure. The NTA says a business with taxable base-period sales above 10 million yen is a taxable person, and a non-resident business must designate a tax agent. Take advice.

What is the Japanese qualified invoice system? It is Japan's invoice registration system affecting consumption tax credits for business buyers. This guide does not describe its rules. Ask a Japanese tax adviser and check Amazon's current tax pages.

Who pays import duty on FBA Japan stock? You do. Amazon says it is not responsible for customs duties and taxes associated with FBA inventory. You or your provider act as importer of record.

Do I pay GST in Australia on Japan sales? Neither Amazon nor the ATO gives a single answer. Treatment of exports for GST is a tax question. Ask the ATO or a registered tax agent, and see GST for Amazon sellers.

Next step

Start at the Australia hub if your Australian store is still being set up. If you want help with Amazon.com.au while you assess Japan, Blooprint, an Amazon SPN verified partner working remotely from Bengaluru, offers Amazon account management in Australia. This guide works without it.