National Tax System Renewal (September 24, 2026): Key Procedural ChangesThe tax office's system was renewed, and your mail now carries a number
The NTA renewed the national tax system on September 24, 2026 (Reiwa 8). The formats of some returns, applications, notifications and payment slips, the number printed on notices from tax offices, the e-Tax IP address, and the consent method for electronic delivery of disposition notices have changed. Please check the impact on your own operations.
- ○Applies: The payment slip's reference number (8 digits) is now an inquiry number (13 digits) field
- ○Applies: Consent to electronic delivery is, in principle, advance blanket consent
- ○Applies: The e-Tax IP address is dynamic (connect by URL)
- ○Applies: Old-style characters can still be used for names and addresses on returns (no change)
- ×Does not apply: Old payment slips with a reference number field become unusable immediately
Key points
- A 13-digit "inquiry number" is printed on notices sent from tax offices. On payment slips and the income tax withholding payment statement, the 8-digit "reference number" field has become a 13-digit "inquiry number" field.
- The formats of some paper returns, applications and notifications, and statutory reports have been renewed. File copies of returns are discontinued, and the color scheme is in principle black and white.
- The e-Tax IP address has changed from fixed to dynamic. If you connect by specifying the IP address, you must change to connecting by URL.
- Electronic delivery of disposition notices has been expanded, and the consent method has changed from, in principle, "each time you apply" to "advance blanket consent." If you want it, including those who used it before, you need to complete the blanket consent procedure on e-Tax.
What to do in practice
- Check that paper returns and similar documents use the latest format (forms obtained in the past may have changed in content).
- If you use electronic delivery of disposition notices, complete the blanket consent procedure on e-Tax. Change systems connected by IP address to URL connection.
The computer system used by tax offices was renewed on September 24, 2026 (Reiwa 8). The documents sent to you now carry a longer number, and if you tell them that number when you ask a question, things go faster.
Points
- Documents from the tax office now carry a 13-digit number.
- The number field on payment slips also changed from 8 digits to a 13-digit number field.
- People who want to receive documents online first give their OK all at once.
What the words mean
- Inquiry number
- A 13-digit number used to identify documents from the tax office
- Electronic delivery
- Receiving documents online instead of on paper
- National Tax Agency (NTA): NTA: On the Renewal of the National Tax System
- National Tax Agency (NTA): NTA: G-2-8 Paying in cash with a payment slip (changes to the payment slip format, etc.)
This article summarizes and explains materials published by government agencies and is not advice on any individual case. Rules can change, so for actual procedures and decisions always check the latest original materials and consult professionals such as tax accountants or labor and social security attorneys. English, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese versions are translations prepared from the Japanese articles for convenience. If anything differs, the Japanese text and the original source take precedence.