Nov 21 (Japan Times) - The government and ruling coalition are planning to allow tax-free shopping for specific vending machines in a bid to spur spending by foreign tourists, sources said Wednesday.
Currently, the authorities grant the tax-free status to shops that sell over-the-counter goods because of a need to check identifications on passports.
The government is considering making vending machines with facial and text recognition functions eligible to sell tax-free goods, the sources said.
The change will be included in a tax system reform package for fiscal 2020, which starts next April.