Furusato Nozei sites announce fee reductions

Six intermediary website operators for the Furusato Nozei tax donation system have announced plans to reduce the fees charged to local governments. This follows requests from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications to lower costs and prevent the outflow of donation funds.

Out of 20 companies surveyed by the Ministry, major providers including Furusato Choice are among the six that have already reduced or intend to reduce their service plan fees. Conversely, 14 companies, including Rakuten Group, intend to maintain current fee levels. These 14 companies cited that their rates are already below the national average of 11.5% as the reason for maintaining existing structures.

Local governments have welcomed the government-led initiative, as lower intermediary fees help secure more financial resources for regional development.