September 8, 2023

In a recent union survey, 40% of light truck drivers said that they will have to leave their business if the consumption tax invoice system is implemented.

The survey was conducted in August via the internet by a union which organizes self-employed light truck drivers under the umbrella of the All Japan Construction, Transport and General Workers' Union (Kenkoro).

In the survey, asked about a response to the sales tax invoice system scheduled to start in October, 7.6% said that they will give up on continuing their business or will probably do so by the end of the year, and 33.3% answered that they may go out of business by the end of a three-year period of a special relief measure. In the same survey, 89.4% demanded that the invoice system be withdrawn and that the planned implementation of the system in October be cancelled.

Union head Takahashi Hideharu stressed that the implementation of the controversial invoice system will push many light truck drivers out of business, ruin Japan’s supply chain, and bring about negative impacts on people’s livelihoods. He stressed that the implementation of the invoice system should be cancelled in order to enable light truck drivers to continue playing an essential-part in the social infrastructure.

Past related article:
> Over 360K signatures opposing implementation of sales tax invoice system submitted [September 5, 2023]