Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using FinBuddy Japan ("the Service"), operated by LAIRIA Holdings, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree to these terms, do not use the Service. We may update these terms from time to time, and your continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

2. Service Description

FinBuddy Japan provides:

• Educational articles and guides about finances in Japan (taxes, investments, pensions, property, insurance, banking)
• Interactive financial tools (tax checker, NISA calculator, payslip decoder)
• An AI-powered Q&A chatbot that answers questions about Japanese financial topics
• Email newsletters with financial tips and updates

The Service is available in English and is designed for foreign residents of Japan.

3. Important Disclaimer

• Our content and AI responses do not constitute financial, tax, legal, or investment advice
• We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of any information
• Tax laws, regulations, and rates change — always verify current information with official sources
• For your specific financial situation, consult a licensed 税理士 or qualified professional
• AI responses may contain errors — always cross-reference important decisions with official sources

4. Legal Positioning

FinBuddy provides general educational information about Japan's financial systems. This service does not constitute:

• a) 税務相談 (tax consultation) as defined under 税理士法 (Certified Tax Accountant Act) Article 2, Paragraph 1, Item 3
• b) 税務代理 (tax representation) as defined under Article 2, Paragraph 1, Item 1
• c) 税務書類の作成 (preparation of tax documents) as defined under Article 2, Paragraph 1, Item 2
• d) Financial advice under 金融商品取引法 (Financial Instruments and Exchange Act)

All content, tools, and AI responses are equivalent to publicly available educational materials and should not be relied upon as professional advice for individual situations. For a detailed explanation of our legal positioning, please see our Disclaimer page.

5. User Obligations

By using the Service, you agree to:

• Provide accurate information when creating an account
• Keep your account credentials secure and not share them
• Not use the Service for any illegal purpose
• Not attempt to reverse-engineer, scrape, or misuse our AI system
• Not submit another person's マイナンバー, financial documents, or personal data
• Not rely solely on our Service for financial decisions without consulting a qualified professional

6. Subscription and Payment

Free tier

The free tier includes access to all guide articles, free tools, and 3 AI questions per month. No credit card is required. The free tier may be modified but will always remain genuinely useful.

Paid subscriptions

Paid plans (Standard, Family) are billed monthly or annually as selected at checkout. Payments are processed securely by Stripe. Prices are listed in Japanese Yen (¥) and include consumption tax where applicable.

Free trial

New subscribers to paid plans receive a 7-day free trial. You will not be charged during the trial period. If you cancel before the trial ends, you will not be charged.

Cancellation

You can cancel your subscription at any time from your account settings. Upon cancellation, you retain access to paid features until the end of your current billing period. No partial refunds are issued for unused portions of a billing period.

Refund policy

We offer a full refund if requested within 14 days of your first paid charge (not including the free trial period). After 14 days, no refunds are issued. To request a refund, contact support@finbuddy.jp.

7. Intellectual Property

All content on FinBuddy Japan — including articles, tools, design, code, and branding — is the property of LAIRIA Holdings and is protected by copyright and intellectual property laws.

You may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from our content without written permission. You may share links to our articles and cite brief excerpts with attribution.

8. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law:

• The Service is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind, express or implied
• We are not liable for any financial losses, tax penalties, or other damages resulting from use of the Service
• We are not liable for errors in AI responses, calculator outputs, or guide content
• Our total liability for any claim arising from the Service is limited to the amount you paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim
• We are not responsible for any actions you take based on information from the Service

9. Changes to These Terms

We may update these terms from time to time. Material changes will be communicated via email to registered users and posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. Your continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the new terms. If you disagree with the updated terms, you may cancel your account.

10. Governing Law

These terms are governed by the laws of Japan. Any disputes arising from these terms or the Service shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Tokyo District Court.

11. Contact

If you have questions about these terms, contact us:

Email: support@finbuddy.jp
Operator: LAIRIA Holdings