tax

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

190,000 people in rallies call for no tax increase

Two days before the March 15 tax return deadline, about 190,000 small- and medium-sized producers, traders, construction workers, farmers, and fishermen took part in demonstrations to local tax offices, chanting, "No consumption tax increase! Stop abolishing fixed-rate income tax cuts! Use tax revenues to improve living conditions and social services!"

The day's national action is part of the annual concerted filing that takes place in 590 cities across the nation. Participants called for opposition to the government's regressive tax policy as well as the attempt to adversely revise the Constitution.

The action began almost half a century ago.

A metallic plate supplier in Sumida Ward in Tokyo said, "The number of orders is falling each year, I have managed to pay taxes by spending less on food and not borrowing money. I will not succumb to the consumption tax rate increase pressure."

Since the consumption tax exemption limit was lowered from 30 million yen to 10 million yen, many small business owners who were not required to pay income tax have to pay about 1 million yen in consumption tax.

An All Japan Pensioners' Union member said, "The tax office must know the reality that pensioners walk around looking for the cheapest possible goods, turn off the lights while watching TV at night, and forego the regular of flushing of the toilet.

A woman with the Tokyo Federation of Producers' and Traders' Organizations said, "A local shopping district association chair expressed support for the call for food to be exempted from the consumption tax."

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On the same day, 71 representatives from 21 organizers of the day's action held a meeting in the Diet.

Kokubu Minoru, National Federation of Producers' and Traders' Organizations chair, said that the Koizumi Cabinet has arbitrarily scaled down by half the fixed income tax cut, a serious tax increase. Let's increase taxpayers' anger at the tax increase. Let us demand that the government use tax money to improve living conditions."

On behalf of the Japanese Communist Party, House of Representatives member Sasaki Kensho made a report on the Diet situation. Participants visited the National Tax Agency demanding that the agency end its anti-democratic tax policy.
-Akahata, March 14, 2006