1. Why 2025 Brings New Financial Reporting Challenges for Japanese Companies in Vietnam
2025 is considered an important milestone for Japanese enterprises operating in Vietnam. The constant change in tax and accounting policies, especially the regulations on Value Added Tax (VAT) and Corporate Income Tax (CIT), makes the preparation of financial statements more complicated and requires higher accuracy than ever.
For foreign-invested enterprises (FDI), especially Japanese enterprises, annual financial statements must be independently audited before being submitted to the tax authorities. This process requires early preparation, data must be complete, clear and can be easily compared with the accounting system at the headquarters in Japan. Compared to domestic enterprises, Japanese companies often spend more time on the comparison, consolidation and review stages, especially when there are differences between Vietnamese and Japanese accounting standards.
2. Key Financial Reports Every Japanese Firm Must Prepare
In Vietnam, all enterprises, especially foreign-invested enterprises (FDI), must prepare a complete set of financial statements according to Vietnamese Accounting Standards (VAS). This set of reports is not only a legal requirement to submit to tax authorities and independent auditors, but also a basis for Japanese enterprises to consolidate financial data with their headquarters in Japan.
The three core reports include: Balance Sheet, Income Statement, and Cash Flow Statement.
Compared to J-GAAP (Japanese Generally Accepted Accounting Principles), VAS has some important differences that Japanese enterprises should note. For example, VAS requires depreciation of fixed assets according to the fixed time frame of the Ministry of Finance of Vietnam, while J-GAAP allows more flexibility based on the actual economic life of the asset. In addition, VAS recognizes revenue when ownership is transferred, not when invoices are issued as in some cases in Japan. Regarding consolidated reporting, VAS applies a different calculation method for minority interests and exchange rate differences than the Japanese standard, so if not adjusted in time, the data when consolidated to the parent company can be significantly different.
Therefore, during the financial statement preparation stage, Japanese companies often have to maintain two sets of data in parallel, one according to VAS standards to serve legal obligations in Vietnam, and one according to J-GAAP to serve the consolidated reporting to the head office. Handling this dual standard requires great care, in-depth understanding of both accounting systems, and close coordination between the internal accounting team, auditors, and consulting units such as Vina TPT Accounting service.
3. Common Pitfalls in Year-End Financial Reporting
When it comes to preparing and submitting financial statements, many Japanese companies in Vietnam often encounter systematic errors that affect the auditing and tax compliance process.
3.1. Consolidation Differences Between Vietnam and Japan
One of the most common issues is the difference in financial statement consolidation between the branch in Vietnam and the headquarters in Japan. Vietnamese Accounting Standards (VAS) have many differences compared to J-GAAP, especially in handling exchange rate differences, classifying fixed assets and recording prepaid expenses.
According to i-Glocal’s analysis (2024), many Japanese FDI enterprises often have to prepare separate financial statements and consolidated reports in parallel, making the data reconciliation process complicated and prone to errors.
3.2. Lack of Valid Expense Documentation
Another common error is the lack of valid documents for deductible expenses. The 2023 report of the General Department of Taxation of Vietnam shows that more than 30% of tax inspection reports of FDI enterprises are related to invalid invoices, documents or incorrect accounting of deductible expenses.
These errors often lead to adjustments to taxable profits, collection of corporate income tax (CIT) and late payment penalties, directly affecting the reputation and financial planning of the parent company.
3.3. Exchange Rate Handling Issues
The handling of exchange rates is also a cause of discrepancies in financial statements. According to Circular 200/2014/TT-BTC, enterprises must use the actual exchange rate at the time of the transaction and prepare financial statements in Vietnamese Dong (VND).
However, many Japanese companies still use internal exchange rates according to Japanese accounting standards, leading to discrepancies when preparing reports to send to Vietnamese tax authorities, especially in the handling of foreign currency revenue and expenses.
3.4. Late Audit Submission and Transparency Requirements
Some Japanese enterprises in Vietnam also have problems submitting audit reports on time or not meeting financial transparency requirements. According to Vietnam Briefing (2024), all FDI enterprises must complete independent audits and submit financial reports within 90 days of the end of the fiscal year.
If the report is submitted late or does not meet standards, the enterprise may be subject to administrative fines, restricted from repatriating profits and face difficulties in renewing its investment license.
These risks not only increase compliance costs, but also directly affect the reputation and progress of consolidated reporting in Japan. Therefore, Japanese enterprises need to focus on controlling documents, complying with VAS and preparing financial records from the beginning to avoid being passive during the audit period.
In summary, full compliance with Vietnamese Accounting Standards (VAS) and financial statement regulations not only helps Japanese enterprises ensure financial transparency and accuracy, but also minimizes tax and audit risks. Proactively reviewing periodically and coordinating with professional accounting units in Vietnam is an important step to maintain stability in financial management and strengthen trust with Japanese management agencies and partners.
4. Outsourced Bookkeeping: The Smart Way to Stay Compliant
Faced with a large volume of accounting work and strict compliance requirements, more and more Japanese enterprises in Vietnam choose outsourced bookkeeping instead of maintaining an in-house accounting team. This solution helps save on personnel costs, ensures accuracy in reporting, and easily coordinates with auditors and tax authorities. Vina TPT Accounting service provides a complete outsourced bookkeeping service exclusively for Japanese enterprises, including: bookkeeping, preparing bilingual financial statements (English – Japanese – Vietnamese), and reviewing data before auditing. Vina TPT’s outstanding strength is its team of experts who can communicate fluently in Japanese, understand Japanese accounting standards (J-GAAP) and Vietnamese regulations (VAS), helping customers easily exchange, compare and consolidate financial data.
5. How Vina TPT Supports Japanese Firms for 2025 Compliance
Entering 2025, when the demand for financial transparency is increasing, Japanese enterprises need a partner who not only does accounting but also accompanies them throughout the entire compliance process.
Vina TPT Accounting service provides comprehensive solutions including:
- Preparing and reviewing bilingual financial statements (Japanese – Vietnamese): ensuring easy to understand, accurate and ready for audit.
- Consulting on consolidated reports for Japanese corporations: supporting data conversion from VAS to J-GAAP or IFRS.
- Consulting and coordinating audits: working directly with independent auditors, helping to reduce review time and limit post-audit adjustment risks.
- Monitoring and updating the latest tax – accounting policies: ensuring reports are always in compliance with the regulations of the Ministry of Finance of Vietnam.
With a team of experienced accountants and auditors fluent in three languages (Japanese, English, Vietnamese), Vina TPT helps Japanese enterprises in Vietnam maintain a transparent accounting system, comply with and optimize operating costs in accordance with international standards and Vietnamese law.
For comprehensive advice on financial statement preparation, auditing and tax compliance solutions in 2025, contact VinaTPT.
