2022.05.30
May is the most comfortable season. The greens increase in color, the flowers bloom, and festivals are held here and there, making it comfortable for sports. On the other hand, as a taxpayer, it is a time when I am not very happy. You will receive a notice of property tax, automobile tax, inhabitant tax and so on. Even if they understand that taxes are an effective means of social distribution, few are willing to pay them. The biggest reason is that my pocket hurts, but the fact that I can't see how taxes are used is also a reason for discomfort. However, complaints about the difficulty of seeing and understanding, and requests for improvement are not so strong in Japan.
As I have felt for a long time, I would like to point out that the background is due to the weak awareness of taxpayers' rights in Japan. In Japan, most tax payment procedures are tax withholding and year-end adjustment. This does not raise awareness as a taxpayer. On the other hand, in the United States, in principle, everyone is required to file a tax return. There are many cases of outsourcing to accountants, but it is a big difference as a system, and it is commendable that the system raises awareness of taxpayers' obligations and rights.
Why doesn't Japan do that either? Recently, with the development of the Internet, it has become easier to collect information on topics around this area, that is, the merits of final tax returns, and it is estimated that the number of final tax returns for regaining medical expenses deductions and hometown tax payments is increasing. .. It is also boosting eTax.
It's a good opportunity. In that case, better yet, everyone should have a final tax return system. It is a country with a base of universal insurance and My Number. There is nothing you can't do.
For that purpose, a relationship of trust with the government and authorities regarding information management is a prerequisite, but the benefits of filing a tax return are immeasurable. Improving the tax capture rate will contribute to the national budget and increase the distribution to the people. If the macro effect is recognized, the people will be happy to agree with the final tax return, and the flow will change. It is also a good idea from the standpoint of the authorities. By grasping and utilizing tax payment data, more detailed analysis becomes possible, and effective and advanced policy making becomes possible. At the same time, returning information to taxpayers can help them grow into smarter taxpayers through their understanding of the tax system, filing and payment history.
And if fair tensions between the government, authorities and taxpayers are fostered in the background of the improvement of general literacy, it would make DX to accelerate to catch to other contries, which is through data utilization and efficient and secure process construction.
Considering from ICT benefit point of view as well as the high educational advantage in Japan, the clerical hurdles are not high. Rather, the problem is the hardness of the heads of the old guardians and their successors who enjoyed Japan during the growing season. Now that the old people are retreating from the front line, it must be a great opportunity.
