Crypto businesses leaving Japan due to high corporate taxes, top entrepreneur says

Japan should reduce corporate taxes on crypto to prevent entrepreneurs leaving the country, one of the nation’s most high-profile crypto businesspeople said.

“At least 20 or more firms have opted to establish their crypto business abroad rather than Japan because of the high levy,” said Sota Watanabe, CEO of Web3 infrastructure developer Stake Technologies Pte., in an interview on Monday.

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Watanabe, who moved his own firm to Singapore in 2020, said he hopes Japan’s government will change the corporate levy next year. If that happens, he would like to bring his company back to his home country. “It may take a few more years before Japan lowers income taxes for cryptocurrency gains made by individual investors,” Watanabe said.

Watanabe joins others pushing for change. Crypto lobbying groups in Japan are asking the government to ease corporate tax rules that are seen to be stunting the local digital asset industry’s growth.

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