Blue Return vs. White Return: Which Tax Filing Status Should Freelancers and Guesthouse Operators in Japan Choose?
Every spring, freelancers and small guesthouse operators in Japan hit the same fork in the road: file as 青色申告 (aoiro shinkoku, “blue return”) or 白色申告 (shiroiro shinkoku, “white return”)? I picked white return my first year because it sounded simpler, and in hindsight I left money on the table.