METI Requests Further Digitalization of Filing and Tax Payment; Tax Commission Meeting Scheduled for October 20 (Not Yet Decided)Asking to Make Tax Paperwork Easier with Digital Tools (Not Decided Yet)
For the FY2027 (Reiwa 9) tax reform, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has requested revisions that further digitalize tax procedures such as filing and tax payment, to reduce administrative burden and improve back-office efficiency for businesses. The Cabinet Office's Tax Commission plans to take up "responding to digitalization of the economy and society and challenges in tax administration" at its 5th expert meeting on October 20, 2026 (Reiwa 8). Concrete measures are not yet decided.
- July 21, 2026Basic Policy 2026 was approved by the Cabinet
- August 2026Ministries and agencies released their FY2027 tax reform requests (including METI's)
- October 20, 20265th Tax Commission expert meeting scheduled; materials due around 10 a.m.
Key points
- Request: make necessary revisions to improve convenience, toward further digitalization of tax procedures such as filing and tax payment (the document checked does not state the specific revisions)
- Purpose: reduce the administrative burden on businesses and improve back-office efficiency
- As grounds, it cites the passage on building a tax system suited to a digital society and improving the tax payment environment in the Basic Policy 2026 (Cabinet decision of July 21, 2026 (Reiwa 8))
- The Tax Commission plans to hold the 5th Expert Meeting on Responding to Digitalization of the Economy and Society and Improving the Tax Payment Environment on October 20, 2026 (Reiwa 8). The agenda is "responding to digitalization of the economy and society and challenges in tax administration"; materials are due to be posted around 10 a.m. that day
What to do in practice
- After the 20th, check the meeting materials posted by the Tax Commission to see the direction of discussion
- Check whether the coming tax reform outline shows revisions to procedures
METI has asked for tax filing and payment to become easier to do on computers and the like. The aim is to cut the office work that companies have to do. What exactly will change has not been decided yet.
- ○Applies: METI has made the request
- ○Applies: A national meeting is scheduled for October 20
- ×Does not apply: It has been decided which procedures will change and how
Points
- Not decided yet. It is only a request from the ministry
- The aim is to cut companies' office work and make the job easier
- On October 20, a national meeting (the Tax Commission) is scheduled to talk about digitalization
What the words mean
- Digitalization
- Making it possible to do on computers and the internet what used to be done on paper
- Back office
- Work such as accounting and general affairs that supports a company behind the scenes
- Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) / Cabinet Office: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications: FY2027 (Reiwa 9) local tax reform request (METI), necessary improvements to systems and operation of filing and tax payment procedures (PDF)
- Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) / Cabinet Office: Cabinet Office, Tax Commission: Expert Meeting on Responding to Digitalization of the Economy and Society and Improving the Tax Payment Environment, FY2026
- Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) / Cabinet Office: Cabinet Office: Tax Commission
This article previews items that are still under consideration or only requested. Whether they will be adopted, and whether the content or timing will change, is not final. Please check the official source again once a decision is made.
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.