IAP
iAP is a Tokyo-based, founder-led bilingual professional services firm providing accounting, payroll, HR, tax, and cross-border M&A outsourcing to foreign-affiliated companies in Japan and Japanese firms with international operations, staffed by US CPAs, tax accountants, and social insurance specialists.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What IAP does
iAP (株式会社アイエーピー) is a privately held, founder-led Japanese professional services firm headquartered in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, that delivers bilingual accounting, payroll, HR, tax, and cross-border M&A support primarily to foreign-affiliated companies operating in Japan and Japanese firms with international operations. The company is led by Representative Partner Shoji Matsushita (松下 省治), a US CPA whose prior senior finance roles at Sun Microsystems, Dell, and Citigroup anchor its credibility with multinational clients. All partners are bilingual in English and Japanese, with additional French and Chinese capability, and the team includes US CPAs, Japanese certified tax accountants (税理士), social insurance specialists (社労士), and MBAs.
The firm's service portfolio centers on end-to-end accounting outsourcing (daily bookkeeping through monthly closing, tax filing, and financial reporting), bilingual payroll and HR outsourcing (salary calculation, social insurance procedures, labor management, attendance tracking via the Jobcan-certified platform), international tax and foreign-affiliated accounting (US GAAP/IFRS conversion, multi-currency consolidation, English-language head-office reporting), and international M&A support (valuation, buyer identification, and cross-border transaction execution). Delivery is built on established third-party cloud and ERP systems — QuickBooks, Xero, Yayoi Accounting (弥生会計), Money Forward Cloud, and SAP — combined with on-site, remote, and hybrid staffing models and an on-demand / pay-as-you-go engagement model.
Commercially, iAP generates revenue primarily through professional services fees billed monthly (subscription model ranging from tens of thousands of yen for bookkeeping-only to ¥100,000–¥800,000+ per month for full accounting department outsourcing) and on a usage basis for US CPA, tax accountant, social insurance specialist, and MBA-level advisory work. Customer mix spans foreign multinationals (Bosch Engineering, KG and Company with 10 affiliated entities across Japan, Malaysia, Estonia, and the US), Japanese corporates, mid-market firms, and specialized verticals such as social welfare corporations. The firm is wholly owned and controlled by its founders with no disclosed external funding, has obtained Privacy Mark (Pマーク) certification in 2023, and operates as a member of the INPACT Alliance international accounting firms network.
IAP firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- IAP
- Legal name
- 株式会社アイエーピー
- Website
- https://i-ap.net
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- iAP is a Tokyo-based, founder-led bilingual professional services firm providing accounting, payroll, HR, tax, and cross-border M&A outsourcing to foreign-affiliated companies in Japan and Japanese firms with international operations, staffed by US CPAs, tax accountants, and social insurance specialists.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
IAP industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Accounting & HR Outsourcing Services
- NAICS
- Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services (54121)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Benefits Deductions & Payroll Integration Administration (BPAAAHAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Expense Management & Reimbursements Administration (BPACAIAH)
Keywords
Where IAP is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
IAP business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Accounting/Bookkeeping Outsourcing: Daily bookkeeping, journal entries, accounts receivable/payable management, monthly/quarterly closing, and tax filing services provided by professional bilingual staff.
- HR and Payroll Outsourcing: Salary calculation, social insurance procedures, labor management, and human resources administration services including attendance management.
- International Business Support: English-language head office reporting, US GAAP/IFRS conversion, consolidated reporting package preparation, and international tax services for foreign-affiliated companies.
- M&A Support: International BPO/outsourcing network for domestic and foreign M&A transactions including valuation, buyer identification, and deal support.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Bookkeeping only service |
| Subscription | Monthly | Full accounting department outsourcing |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | On-demand professional services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
IAP product offering
Product offeringCore offering
IAP (株式会社アイエーピー) provides outsourced accounting, payroll, HR, international tax, and cross-border M&A support to foreign-affiliated companies in Japan and Japanese companies with overseas operations. Services are delivered by a bilingual team (Japanese, English, French, and Chinese) on either retainer or on-demand engagement models, using cloud accounting platforms such as QuickBooks, Xero, Yayoi, Money Forward, and SAP to support both Japanese statutory compliance and U.S. GAAP/IFRS reporting.
Product overview
iAP (株式会社アイエーピー) is a bilingual accounting and back-office BPO firm offering a portfolio of interconnected outsourcing services primarily targeting foreign-affiliated companies in Japan and Japanese firms with international operations. The core offering is the Accounting Outsourcing Service (経理アウトソーシング), which provides end-to-end bookkeeping, month-end closing, tax filing, and financial reporting using professional accounting tools. This is paired with the International Tax/Foreign-Affiliated Accounting service (国際ビジネス・外资系経理), which extends to IFRS/US GAAP head-office reporting, multi-currency consolidation, and cross-border tax compliance — giving clients who need both Japanese statutory compliance and English-language group reporting a single team to work with. The Payroll & HR Outsourcing (給与計算アウトソーシング) and Human Resources & Labor Management Outsourcing (人事・労務管理アウトソーシング) services are closely integrated, sharing the same bilingual social insurance specialists and CPA team to offer combined payroll, social insurance, attendance management, and HR advisory from a single provider. An International M&A Support (国際M&Aサポート) service addresses cross-border transaction needs, and a Tax Filing Service and System Services sub-product provide specialized inputs into the core accounting workflow. The On-Demand Service model underpins the entire portfolio, enabling clients to engage specific services (e.g., payroll alone, accounting alone, or the full stack) on a flexible, as-needed basis rather than committing to a fixed scope.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Accounting Outsourcing Service Outsourced bookkeeping, monthly closing, and financial statement preparation for foreign-affiliated companies in Japan and Japanese SMEs, delivered by a bilingual accounting team using cloud accounting platforms such as QuickBooks, Xero, Yayoi, Money Forward, and SAP.
- International Tax / Foreign-Affiliated Company Accounting Support International tax and accounting support for foreign-affiliated companies with a Japanese presence, including withholding tax, transfer pricing support, and cross-border reporting aligned with Japanese statutory requirements and U.S. GAAP/IFRS where applicable.
- Payroll & Social Insurance Outsourcing Outsourced payroll calculation, salary disbursement, year-end tax adjustment, and social insurance (shakai hoken) and labor insurance administration for foreign-affiliated companies and Japanese SMEs operating in Japan.
- Human Resources & Labor Management Outsourcing Outsourced HR operations and labor management support, including employment contract administration, HR policy support, and labor-issue advisory for foreign-affiliated companies and Japanese SMEs in Japan.
- International M&A Support Cross-border M&A advisory and integration support for foreign-affiliated companies in Japan and Japanese companies expanding overseas, including due diligence, accounting integration, and post-close finance setup.
- Social Welfare Corporation Accounting Support Specialized accounting and tax filing support for Japanese social welfare corporations (社会福祉法人), addressing the unique statutory accounting and reporting requirements of that sector.
- Tax Filing Service Statutory corporate and personal tax filing services for foreign-affiliated companies and Japanese SMEs, covering corporate tax returns, consumption tax, and individual income tax filings where applicable.
- System Services Implementation, configuration, and operational support for accounting and payroll systems, including cloud platforms (QuickBooks, Xero, Yayoi, Money Forward) and enterprise platforms (SAP) used by clients.
Quantifiable outcome
- No resignation risks from single-person accounting departments
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use IAP
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
IAP technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature4 records
IAP partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- INPACT Alliance (International Accounting Firms Network)coreInternational accounting firms network providing cross-border service capabilities for clients with global operations and M&A needs.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
IAP competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Aoba Accounting Outsourcing: Japan-focused accounting and back-office BPO serving SMEs and foreign-affiliated companies with bilingual staff. Most direct Japanese domestic comparable to iAP's core accounting outsourcing offering, though typically without iAP's deeper international tax/M&A extension.
Direct peers
- Vistra: International corporate services and BPO provider with operations in Japan offering accounting, payroll, tax compliance, and HR outsourcing for inbound foreign companies. Closely comparable to iAP's full-stack bilingual accounting/HR outsourcing model for foreign-affiliated clients.
- RGF Professional Recruitment Japan: Bilingual recruitment and BPO subsidiary of Recruit Holdings focused on placing and supporting bilingual professionals in Japan, including accounting and HR functions. Comparable to iAP in serving foreign-affiliated companies with bilingual professional staffing and outsourced accounting/payroll services.
- TMF Group: Global BPO firm providing accounting, payroll, tax, and HR services to foreign-affiliated companies across 125+ jurisdictions, with established Japan presence. Directly comparable to iAP's core offering of bilingual accounting and payroll BPO for foreign-owned entities in Japan.
Broad incumbents
- BDO Japan: Member of BDO International, providing audit, accounting, tax, and advisory services in Japan including IFRS/US GAAP conversion and foreign-affiliated client support. Comparable to iAP's international accounting and cross-border tax practice, though BDO is much larger and operates broader advisory services.
- Pasona Group: Major Japanese HR services and BPO company providing outsourced payroll, social insurance, and HR administration to international and domestic clients. Comparable to iAP's payroll and HR outsourcing service line, though Pasona is significantly larger and broader.
- Crowe Japan: Member of Crowe Global, providing audit, tax, advisory, and BPO services to foreign-affiliated and mid-market companies in Japan. Comparable to iAP on serving foreign-affiliated clients requiring bilingual accounting and US GAAP/IFRS reporting, though at a larger scale.
- HLB International Japan: Member of HLB International, providing audit, tax, and advisory services to cross-border clients in Japan. Comparable to iAP on serving foreign-affiliated clients needing bilingual advisory and cross-border accounting, though as a network rather than a single integrated BPO.
- FTI Consulting Japan: Global advisory firm providing corporate finance, restructuring, tax, and cross-border transaction support including in Japan. Comparable to iAP's International M&A Support service and international tax advisory, though FTI is much larger and diversified across advisory services.
Emerging players
- Yayoi (K.K. Yayoi): Leading Japanese cloud accounting and payroll software provider (Yayoi Accounting, Yayoi Payroll) increasingly offering bundled BPO and advisory services. Comparable to iAP on the payroll and accounting software layer; represents a competitive threat as Yayoi expands into services rather than remaining a pure software provider.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
IAP social profiles
Digital presenceIAP compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
IAP financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
IAP leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
IAP funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
IAP M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about IAP
What does IAP do?
IAP (株式会社アイエーピー) provides outsourced accounting, payroll, HR, international tax, and cross-border M&A support to foreign-affiliated companies in Japan and Japanese companies with overseas operations. Services are delivered by a bilingual team (Japanese, English, French, and Chinese) on either retainer or on-demand engagement models, using cloud accounting platforms such as QuickBooks, Xero, Yayoi, Money Forward, and SAP to support both Japanese statutory compliance and U.S. GAAP/IFRS reporting.
Is IAP a public or private company?
IAP is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was IAP founded?
IAP was founded in -1. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is IAP based?
IAP is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does IAP make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Accounting/Bookkeeping Outsourcing is the primary driver. The others are HR and Payroll Outsourcing, international Business Support and M&A Support.
Who are IAP's main competitors?
Aoba Accounting Outsourcing is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Vistra, RGF Professional Recruitment Japan and TMF Group. Broad incumbents are BDO Japan, Pasona Group, Crowe Japan, HLB International Japan and FTI Consulting Japan. Yayoi (K.K. Yayoi) is listed as an emerging player.
Does IAP have an API?
No public API is recorded for IAP.
What industry is IAP in?
IAP's product category is Accounting & HR Outsourcing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAAAHAF, Benefits Deductions & Payroll Integration Administration, with a secondary code of BPACAIAH, Expense Management & Reimbursements Administration. Its NAICS code is 54121 and its SIC code is 8700.