No. 1360 Tax Reduction Policy –Flattering the Electorate
The Kishida government implements this month June a tax reduction policy, a temporary step to cut a fixed sum from the taxable incomes of individual tax payers. Personnel in charge of accounting of municipalities and business entities are now extremely busy with intricate administrative jobs. The government apparently tries to win people’s backing through the benefits, and simultaneously requests descriptions of the reduced tax amounts in the individual employees’ salary statements. The administration is palpably arrogant.
ONE-TIME TAX REDUCTION WITH NUMEROUS ADMINISTRATIVE JOBS, LEAVING BURDENS INTACT
The tax reduction step is taken in June only for a month; a decrease by in total \40,000, which comprises \30 thousand for the income tax and \10 thousand for the resident tax. Initially, a benefit payment was proposed on the ground that the measure does not work immediately and efficiently, but, after several times of alternations, finally, the government has reached this conclusion.
Complicated administrative jobs
As you see on the SNS, people are complaining about the complicated accounting procedures, busy with a fabulous volume of administrative jobs. Some doubt people can understand the step accurately.
For instance, if a person’s reduced tax amount is higher than his/her original taxable income, he/she will receive ‘an arranged sum of benefit’. As the calculation is based on the ‘estimated values’, if a person earns changing salaries from month to month, he/she will have additional benefits later when his/her total income is fixed, and so on. Personnel in charge of tax calculations are very busy as the accounting system must be renovated.
Description of reduced tax sum
Prime Minister Kishida Fumio told that ‘it is vital for people to know exactly about the paybacks carried out by the government (amid price-hikes)’ and that ‘it is necessary to write the sum down in the salary statement’. In addition, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi Yoshimasa replied to a question, ‘will the government punish business entities that does not reflect this policy on the employees’ salaries?’, saying that ‘such a practice may violate the Labor Standard Act’.
The cabinet secretary told that ‘absence of reflection of the policy on employees’ salaries is violation of the law’. Let’s look at realities. If one oversteps the Act, he/she will be punished by fines or incarceration. This tax policy is temporary, but accounting staff must rearrange the calculating system and engage in massive relevant procedures. Incidentally, the policy aims to gain people’s favor to the government.
This tax reduction scheme is complex. Jobs are numerous. The premier told to show figures of the increased salary so that individuals can really feel the ‘hike’. But burdens are heavy on accounting personnel. They say that ‘we work on Saturdays and Sundays’ and that ‘some are fatigued’.
It is time to reduce consumption tax rate!
The government decided to increase tax rates for incomes and tabaco purchases last December, which accounts 1 trillion yen, to secure the surge in the defense budget. During this fiscal the surplus reserve money is being spent, but from the 2025 fiscal, taxes will rise. To cope with the issue of decreasing child births, the government has already approved a law to cover the necessary expenses by surging taxes; part of the budget amounting 1 trillion yen will be brought from the higher health insurance premiums.
If the Kishida government wants to help people to respond to the higher prices, two ways are available; one is to suspend collecting the consumption tax, which directly works to reduce prices, and the other is drop the tax alleviation rates to zero percent. These are the most efficient ways to get down prices, and the administrative procedures are simpler.
However, keeping an adamant stance, Premier Kishida told ‘not to lower the consumption tax rate’. On the SNS, he is called ‘a liar with glasses’, which fits the mold.
岸田政が今月行う定額減税で、自治体や企業の実務担当者が煩雑な作業に悲鳴をあげている。政権浮揚のための減税で、給与明細書に減税額明示を求めているのも、これ見よがしで傲慢だ。
６月１回だけの岸田減税は、所得税３万円と住民税１万円計４万円。最初は減税では即効性に欠けると給付の話もあったが、二転三転して定額減税となった。
煩雑さ極まりない
しかし、「事務負担多すぎ」「作業量が多すぎる」といった声がネット上で飛び交っているように、煩雑極まりないのだ。また、制度全体を理解できる人がどれだけいるのか疑問という声もある。
税額よりも減税額の方が多い人に「調整給付」で支給。算定の前提は「推計値」を使うため、所得の変動が大きい人は所得確定後追加給付が必要…などだ。システム改修など準備が大変だという悲鳴の声があがった。
減税を給与明細に
岸田文雄首相は、「(物価上昇の中)減税の恩恵を国民に実感してもらうことが重要」と、「給与明細に明記されるようにする」と表明。しかも、「定額減税を反映しない企業に罰則を科すことはあるか」という記者の質問に、林芳正官房長官は「労働基準法において違反し得る」と答えた。
「反映しなければ労基法違反」と答えたわけだが、労基法違反には罰金や懲役刑がある。継続性のない減税のために脅しで過重な事務負担やシステム改修を押し付ける。しかも、政権浮揚策とは、とんでもない政権と断じざるを得ない。
制度の仕組みが煩雑な上に、「手取り額増加を実感」のための給与明細明記は、実務を行う自治体や企業の担当者の負担は重く、「土日返上」や「同僚が倒れた」という話も聞く。
今こそ消費税減税
昨年暮れに防衛財源として所得税、たばこ税などで１兆円の増税も決まり、今年度は剰余金でしのぐようだが、25年度からの増税が降りかかってくる。少子化対策でも１兆円とされる財源の一部を健康保険料への上乗せという手法で、事実上の増税で賄う法律も成立している。
岸田政権が「物価高対策」として行うのなら、物価を直接引き下げられる消費税の停止か、事務負担が軽く物価対策にいちばん実効性がある軽減税率をゼロ税率にする方策があるではないか。
しかし、岸田首相は「引き下げは検討していない」とかたくなだ。ネット上の「減税ウソメガネ」という称号は、岸田氏にピッタリだ。
英訳版↓
No. 1360 Tax Reduction Policy –Flattering the Electorate
The Kishida government implements this month June a tax reduction policy, a temporary step to cut a fixed sum from the taxable incomes of individual tax payers. Personnel in charge of accounting of municipalities and business entities are now extremely busy with intricate administrative jobs. The government apparently tries to win people’s backing through the benefits, and simultaneously requests descriptions of the reduced tax amounts in the individual employees’ salary statements. The administration is palpably arrogant.
ONE-TIME TAX REDUCTION WITH NUMEROUS ADMINISTRATIVE JOBS, LEAVING BURDENS INTACT
The tax reduction step is taken in June only for a month; a decrease by in total \40,000, which comprises \30 thousand for the income tax and \10 thousand for the resident tax. Initially, a benefit payment was proposed on the ground that the measure does not work immediately and efficiently, but, after several times of alternations, finally, the government has reached this conclusion.
Complicated administrative jobs
As you see on the SNS, people are complaining about the complicated accounting procedures, busy with a fabulous volume of administrative jobs. Some doubt people can understand the step accurately.
For instance, if a person’s reduced tax amount is higher than his/her original taxable income, he/she will receive ‘an arranged sum of benefit’. As the calculation is based on the ‘estimated values’, if a person earns changing salaries from month to month, he/she will have additional benefits later when his/her total income is fixed, and so on. Personnel in charge of tax calculations are very busy as the accounting system must be renovated.
Description of reduced tax sum
Prime Minister Kishida Fumio told that ‘it is vital for people to know exactly about the paybacks carried out by the government (amid price-hikes)’ and that ‘it is necessary to write the sum down in the salary statement’. In addition, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi Yoshimasa replied to a question, ‘will the government punish business entities that does not reflect this policy on the employees’ salaries?’, saying that ‘such a practice may violate the Labor Standard Act’.
The cabinet secretary told that ‘absence of reflection of the policy on employees’ salaries is violation of the law’. Let’s look at realities. If one oversteps the Act, he/she will be punished by fines or incarceration. This tax policy is temporary, but accounting staff must rearrange the calculating system and engage in massive relevant procedures. Incidentally, the policy aims to gain people’s favor to the government.
This tax reduction scheme is complex. Jobs are numerous. The premier told to show figures of the increased salary so that individuals can really feel the ‘hike’. But burdens are heavy on accounting personnel. They say that ‘we work on Saturdays and Sundays’ and that ‘some are fatigued’.
It is time to reduce consumption tax rate!
The government decided to increase tax rates for incomes and tabaco purchases last December, which accounts 1 trillion yen, to secure the surge in the defense budget. During this fiscal the surplus reserve money is being spent, but from the 2025 fiscal, taxes will rise. To cope with the issue of decreasing child births, the government has already approved a law to cover the necessary expenses by surging taxes; part of the budget amounting 1 trillion yen will be brought from the higher health insurance premiums.
If the Kishida government wants to help people to respond to the higher prices, two ways are available; one is to suspend collecting the consumption tax, which directly works to reduce prices, and the other is drop the tax alleviation rates to zero percent. These are the most efficient ways to get down prices, and the administrative procedures are simpler.
However, keeping an adamant stance, Premier Kishida told ‘not to lower the consumption tax rate’. On the SNS, he is called ‘a liar with glasses’, which fits the mold.
June 26, 2024