Rakuten Opposes New Hometown Tax Rules

TOKYO, Jul 03 (News On Japan) - The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications announced a new rule last week regarding the hometown tax donation system. Starting next October, it will ban the solicitation of donations through websites that offer points.

The ministry pointed out that competition to attract users has intensified, with intermediary sites offering points for donations. This, they said, has increased the burden on local governments paying site operators.

Rakuten Group, which operates one of these intermediary sites, has strongly opposed the new rule and has started an online petition demanding its withdrawal.

Rakuten's statement read, "This policy denies the cooperation and collaboration between local governments and the private sector, rendering the autonomous efforts of each region powerless. It also greatly contradicts the government's policy of revitalizing local areas."

Source: ANN

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